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"Water Stewardship Starts With Respect" 

Bryce MacMath 

("Community Green" section of the "Feather River Bulletin, Wed. May 16th 2012)

Water, H2O, Dihydrogen Monoxide, is on e of the most crucial elements that makes our existence possible. Why not take a few minutes out of your day to develope a healthy respect for it? Our planet is 71% water, and only 3% of that is fresh (non-saltwater);our body weight is 60-75% water, depending on how old you are. This alone puts into perspective how important this clear liquid, gas and sometimes-solid substance is. It shapes living organisms, land and the atmosphere.

            How does something this important seam to get so removed from our day-to-day consciousness? It’s so easy to forget the value of water. Why should you, a resident of Plumas County, be concerned with why or how to care about water when it is not a scarcity where you live? My goal in these few paragraphs is for all to develop a deeper respect for the water that surrounds us.

            Here in the United States we are very fortunate to have clean and reliable sources of water. We need to keep that legacy alive with a healthier respect for it through education. My name is Bryce MacMath. I’m a middle class white 21 year old. If you do some research on me, you wont find much. What do I know about clean water issues, respect for land, and the watersheds they inhabit? Well, the answer is simple… a little. The point is, that it doesn’t matter what ethnicity, social or financial status you have, this subject pertains to everyone ---- plants, animals and humans. I studied watershed management, salmon rehabilitation and environmental conservation in college.  It’s where I developed my respect for water, land and the organisms that call it home. I studied the various methods of how to prevent pollution of waterways, rehabilitate failing watersheds due to human activity and conserve wildlife habitats.

            My mother recently acquired a house on a creek in Quincy. It’s not a long stretch of water but a creek nonetheless. This is a place I am using as an example to show people how to respect the water that directly affects them. When hydrologists speak of restoration or enhancement projects, they’re usually talking about huge systems contained is massive areas of land, from ten square miles to thousands of miles. They usually address the key problems and deficiencies both down stream and upstream, as they are all connected. The goal of the example of the creek habitat enhancement on my mother’s property is to show people how to be conscious of their impact downstream. With thinning, removal of invasive plants and the planting of appropriate native species, I hope to improve this creek area.

            All natural waters have headwaters. This is my focus here. Everything that starts somewhere ends up somewhere, and in hydrology it is no different. Trash--- especially chemicals and plastic--- can travel and affect living organisms thousands of miles from their deposition.  This includes anything that you throw into your roadside gutter.

            I remember living in Santa Rosa as a ten year old after a big house-painting project we completed. I took the used paintbrushes and washed them out in the gutter. An hour later the police came to my house to ask me a few questions. To make a long story short, the paint went down the storm drain and completely contaminated the creek down the street. It had to be pumped and cleaned, costing the taxpayers thousands of dollars. Being careless costs everyone. Respecting water means you respect everyone and everything that is affected by it.

            Trash is not he only thing that affects habitats of animals and people. Whenever someone loosens soil in any way, weather that is through building a house or highway, it impacts the amount of sediment in a system. Although it might not seems bad, many creatures depend on a very specific amount of sediment in creeks and rivers, including the mighty salmon. These are conditions that they have been accustomed to for thousands of years. Disruption in the system without repair means decline and eventual failure. In the U.S. we are fortunate to have Hydrologists who take care of these problems for us. But we are able to afford these luxuries less and less. That’s why it’s so important for people to start being more responsible.

            Most of us plan for the future and set up the best possible life for our children. What I am asking us all to do is simple. Respect your water. Think about what your actions create downstream now, and for future generations.