A User’s Guide to the Watersheds of Sherwood

What’s a watershed?

A watershed is an area of land from which rain and melting snow drain into a river, stream, or other body of water. A watershed can be small, like the land that drains into a neighborhood stream, or large, like the land that drains into a river such as the Tualatin River. Large watersheds are made up of several smaller watersheds.

The watersheds of Sherwood are formed by three streams: Rock, Cedar, and Chicken Creeks. They begin as trickles from hillsides outside the city and they meander into and through the city, neighborhoods, and surrounding rural area. Eventually these creeks flow into the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and the Tualatin River. Our watershed includes 48.2 miles of streams, 324 acres of wetlands, and 23.5 square miles of drainage area.

In addition to lakes, rivers, streams, and other surface waters, watersheds include all the water that soaks into the ground, and becomes part of the groundwater. Groundwater fills the spaces between rocks and soil particles underground in the same way that water fills a sponge. Groundwater slowly seeps into surface waters, including rivers, streams, and bays. It also seeps into wells, many which we use for drinking water.

Watersheds can be altered by natural occurrences and/or human activities. In fact, most of what impacts a stream occurs outside its immediate channel but within the watershed. Because of their sensitive balance, streams are indicators of events that occur on the land in the watershed. Activities in a watershed have the potential to affect not only the nearest stream, but well downstream too.

This means that litter, chemicals, fertilizers, and other potentially harmful substances all find their way into the water. On paved areas this matter runs even faster towards streams and rivers because there is no soil or roots to soak up the liquid and filter out the pollutants. Contaminants such as fertilizers, pesticide, and hazardous chemicals leaching from yards, farms, factories, and landfills can seep into groundwater and, eventually, into the surface water of a watershed.

In a watershed, everything is connected. For example, pollutants may seem minor and insignificant in a tiny stream, but they add up in a river. Sediment is another example. A little sediment is relatively harmless in the upper reaches of a stream. However, further down that stream where other streams join it, the sediment adds up and the water begins to get cloudy; this cloudiness kills the grasses that provide habitat for fish and food for waterfowl. Eventually all streams and ditches in the Sherwood community, and everything they carry, empty into the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and the Tualatin River.

What’s so special about Sherwood’s watersheds?

Sherwood sits at the headwaters for the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and the Tualatin River. The geographical position of our community makes us responsible for these special places.

Among the many functions and benefits of clean water, Sherwood’s water provides habitat and nourishment to special species such as the Oregon white oak, the Valley ponderosa pine, winter steelhead and cutthroat trout, the camas lily, western pond turtle, fender’s blue butterfly, kincaid’s lupine, western bluebird, and the western meadowlark.

Sherwood is noted for protecting its open spaces and has one of the highest rates of open space in Oregon for each resident. Much of Sherwood’s open space is wetlands – stream corridor and floodplain. And a large percentage of this wetland space is in a relatively natural state. Because these are urban areas, Sherwood’s open spaces offer a delicate combination of active, recreational uses placed alongside natural areas that are easily harmed by human activity.

Natural Areas Are Worth Protecting Because:

• They protect local streams, wetlands, and riparian corridors from flood damage.
• Their plants provide shade that cools water for good fish habitat and improve air quality by creating oxygen and by filtering air pollutants.
• Native vegetation in wetlands provides a free, natural method of cleansing water.
• They provide habitat and migration corridors for wildlife that we all enjoy.
• They provide study sites where students can learn about the natural environment close to home.
• They’re proven to increase the value of nearby properties.
• They draw region-wide resources to the community.
• They’re a pleasure to visit and attract visitors as well as residents.
• They become a source of community pride and identity.

Cleaning up a fouled waterway or watershed is a complicated, long term, expensive, and unpleasant task. Keeping it clean and functioning properly is easy, nurturing, gratifying, and inexpensive. It’s our watershed and it’s our choice. If we all do our part, our watershed will remain our jewel.

What can I do to be a good citizen of the watershed?

1. Get Involved:
   A number of citizen groups have formed to protect the watersheds of the area. Write to the group nearest you to find out when and where they next meet and learn how you can help. See the list of groups at the end of this fact sheet. Your actions make a difference. You can develop your own group idea, take watershed stewardship classes, a homeowner education workshop, go on guided nature walks, do storm drain stenciling, tree planting and restoration projects, invasive species removal, advocate for natural spaces, and steward your own natural space. Kids can help too.

2. Dispose of Household Products Carefully: Many household products like paints, preservatives, brush cleaners, and solvents can harm the creeks of Sherwood and the Tualatin River. Never pour them down the drain since sewers and septic tanks do not treat these materials. Buy products with the least amount of toxic material. Stuff empty paint cans and other chemical containers with newspaper and refer to a household hazardous waste chart for proper disposal. Call your local wastewater treatment facility for guidance.
3. Care For Your Lawn Cautiously:
   Lawns with trees and shrubs prevent erosion, soak up polluting fertilizer and pesticides before they run into streams, and improve soil quality by adding organic material. Test your soil and plant the right grass. Compost leaves and lawn clippings to use as mulch. Limit your use of fertilizers to only what is absolutely necessary.
4. Control Pests Sensibly:
   Firewood attracts termites, to make sure it’s stored away from your home. Remove water from old tires to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. Never apply pesticides near water or when rain is in the forecast. A better way to eliminate harmful bugs is to encourage helpful bugs, birds, and animals.
5. Control Soil Erosion:
   When rain falls on hard surfaces such as walkways, patios, and driveways, it enters storm drains and ditches and finds its way into the creeks of Sherwood. This water carries with it elements that may be harmful to the creeks. Slow runoff by reducing the amount of hard surfaces around your home. Wood decks with space between the boards allow water to train into the ground. Brick or interlocking stone walkways also permit water to seep into the soil. Diverting rain from paved surfaces and roofs onto grass also reduces runoff into storm drains. Plant trees. Trees can help keep the streams of Sherwood free of nutrients and sediment and improve water quality. They can reduce non-point source pollution, which is runoff and erosion from no single point of origin. Put a rain barrel under your rain spout to reduce runoff created by hard rains, then use that water in your garden.
6. Maintain Your Septic System:
   If a septic system fails, its untreated waste seeps into streams, rivers, groundwater, and wells. Your system is not working properly if drains and toilets drain slowly or if effluent seeps upward from the ground. Never use your toilet as a garbage can. Use your garbage disposal sparingly to reduce grease and solids in your septic system. Know the location of your septic system and keep heavy equipment off the drainage area. A properly working septic system in your hard has exceptionally green grass growing over it. If the grass suddenly dies, your septic system is failing. Have it checked.
7. Storm Drains:
   All storm drains lead directly to a water supply. Don’t dump oil or any substance into a storm drain.
8. Use Car Care Products Wisely:
   Wash your car on grass so that water and detergent are filtered through the grass before entering the creeks of Sherwood. Motor oil, anti-freeze, and battery acid harm the creeks and the Tualatin River when they flow into storm drains or off paved surfaces into a waterway. Contain these fluids when you change them. To discard these materials, contact your local service station or call DEQ at 1-800-452-4011.
9. Contain Chemical Spills:
   If pesticides, oil, gasoline, or similar products leak or spill onto the garage floor, driveway, or other hard surface, do not wash down the area. This will cause further contamination and may carry the material to storm drains or other water sources. Surround the contaminated area with dirt or sprinkle sawdust, kitty litter, or other absorbent material over the spill. Sweep everything into a strong plastic bag, then call your county landfill about the proper way to dispose of it, since each county handles the disposal of chemicals in its own way.
10. Save Water:
    Saving water helps the creeks of Sherwood by reducing the volume of water going through sewage treatment plants. It also can save you money. In one day, a dripping faucet wastes 20 gallons of water and a leaking toilet 200 gallons. Use water sparingly while brushing your teeth, washing dishes, or shaving. Install a water conservation shower head and take short showers instead of baths.
11. Don’t flush pharmaceuticals down the toilet:
    Though the federal government instructed us at one time to do this, we are now finding pharmaceuticals in our lakes and streams and drinking water. This is having negative impacts on fish and wildlife and on ourselves. There is no ideal solution at this time, but putting outdated or leftover pills into a ziplock bag with kitty litter and disposing of that in the landfill is better than flushing them down the toilet. Another solution is to return unused pills to the pharmacy.
12. Remember the 3 Rs? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Recycling is the easiest thing we can do, but it’s not enough. Focus on making choices that reduce the need to recycle and get more creative about reusing containers. When your recycling bin shrinks in quantity, you’ve achieved a step toward sustainability.