In the early development of our country and the use of the automobile for transportation, it became apparent that when it rained, something needed to be done about the run off.
The initial response was to guide it into ditches to be carried away to sights unseen down stream. Seeming to be a grand idea, pretty much everything from chicken bones to human waste to whatever needed to be gotten rid of was collected in this early piping and sent-a-packin.
With Ladies wearing their long dresses, however, being on the opposite side of these conveyances, presented a bit of a problem.
It wasn’t long before the idea to enclose the conduit system was utilized, leaving a much larger issue to be dealt with, disease downstream from exposure to the refuse and sewage.
This eventually led to the system we utilize today where sewage is treated and storm water is discharged directly to rivers and streams.
Nothing much has changed since the early separation of these waters except for the variety of pollutants and the shear volume of contamination, given the enormous percentage of impervious surface we have created as a nation.
Normally, when it rains, most of it seeps into the ground and travels as interflow to supply the surfacewater bodies that we use for any number of purposes.
This natural process is important as bacteria in the soil chow down on some of the contaminants while others simply attach themselves to the pollutants, preventing them to enter the watershed.
Conversely, as rain water washes over pavement, it collects anything and everything that might be on those surfaces: oil and grease, radiator fluid, salt, pesticides, sediment, pretty much anything you can think of that might be on your average pavement. It is then discharged into those little drains you see along the roadway, which carries the run off and everything in it, directly to your local water body without being treated.
That’s right, no treatment. Direct discharge. Every bit of contamination is being washed directly into your local watershed. The more development, the more impervious surfaces, the more pollutants.
Are you starting to see where I’m going with this?
When you think of a watershed, you need to consider that although nature can and does compensate for a certain level of impact, there comes a point when the health of the ecosystem begins to decline.
Water is the life blood of the planet and nothing alive today can exist without it. Reflectively, rivers and streams are like the blood circulating in our bodies.
Consuming consistent and ever increasing amounts of junk food will eventually impact anyone’s health. Some may be able to get away with it for a while, depending on genetics, but keep it up and eventually it will take its toll.
Our natural ecosystems are the same. There is only so much they can take before the results become evident. Depending on the hydrogeology of the area, the impacts will become noticeable at differing rates.
Living in the land of lakes means that our local vulnerability is remarkable. Lake and river levels are fed by infiltrating and interflow waters. Decrease in undeveloped land, coupled with filling in of wetlands and increase in impervious surface means less uncontaminated precipitation reaches it natural destination.
Once a watershed is in excess of 10 percent impervious surface, degradation will continue at ever increasing rates. This is why estimates of between 1/3 to 46% of all surface water bodies in this nation do not meet water quality standards.
Even if you believe the lesser of those, it’s a whopping and very apparent impact.

Tammie Heazlit is an environmental scientist and planner, and resident of Clarkston. Environmental Corner appears first edition of the month.