Pay OnlinePay OnlineContact UsContact Us

Watershed Protection

The image promotes water conservation tips, advising to water plants when it's cool. For more info, visit drought.oregon.gov.
Image showing person clearing debris from a storm outlet pipe
Clear debris from storm pipe outlets
The image promotes a lawn care initiative, stating that a brown lawn is intentional to conserve water for rivers.
Image is of a residential rain garden
Install a rain garden in your yard to treat storm water
The image promotes water conservation tips, advising to water plants when it's cool. For more info, visit drought.oregon.gov.
Image showing person clearing debris from a storm outlet pipe
The image promotes a lawn care initiative, stating that a brown lawn is intentional to conserve water for rivers.
Image is of a residential rain garden

Watershed protection occurs when all of us take small actions to reduce water pollution, required as part of DEQ's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4) Permit.

Help treat road runoff pollutants by keeping inlets and outlets maintained.

Consider adding a rain garden to your yard.

In our area of unincorporated Clackamas County, Oak Lodge Water Services acts in partnership with 11 other jurisdictions to implement the MS4 Permit as required by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) under the National Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

If you have any comments or questions regarding this information, please contact Tessie Prentice, Assistant District Engineer at tessie.prentice@olws.org or at (503) 353-4226.

Storm water pollutants enter local creeks and the Willamette River - how? 
  • Rain washes over streets, roofs, lawns, and parking lots, picking up trash, oil, sediment, bacteria, pesticides, chemicals and metals from tires or brakes. 
  • Stormwater runs into catch basins, pipes, ditches, creeks, streams, rivers, and eventually into the oceans.
  • Polluted runoff runs into our local waterways harming fish and aquatic life.
Watershed protection actions include: 
  • Pick up pet waste.
  • Inflate your tires to keep microplastics out of road runoff.
  • Maintain your car to prevent oil drips.
  • Compost leaves and grass clippings to keep them out of the storm system.
  • Use non-toxic alternatives to toxic pesticides and herbicides.
  • Plant native ground cover and shrubs to create shade and prevent erosion.
  • Mark storm drains with decals stating, “Dump No Waste, Drains to Streams”. Contact OLWS for free materials and instructions.
  • Properly dispose of or recycle motor oil, antifreeze, paint, solvents and other toxic materials. For proper disposal information, call Metro Recycling Information at (503) 234-3000.
  • If you would like to do more, visit the North Clackamas Watersheds Council for volunteer opportunities in your community. 
Your watershed protection fee pays for the following: 

i. OLWS annually inspects all catchbasins in one of five zones.
ii. OLWS cleans catchbasins and storm lines as needed based on zone in­spections.
iii. OLWS provides routine customer service response throughout the District, and routes emergency service requests to Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development (CCDTD). CCDTD responds to flooding of roads, safety risks, or additional ditch cleaning, street sweeping, and winter road maintenance. 
iv. OLWS responds to routine service requests from CCDTD and communicates back about the nature of the res­olution.
v. OLWS tracks water quality data with CCDTD for DEQ's MS4 Permit Annual Re­port requirements.

OLWS works in partnership with Clackamas County's Department of Transportation and Development (CCDTD). CCDTD owns and fixes the stormwater collection system, and OLWS is responsible for the MS4 Permit requirements. 

 

Join our mailing list