Storm water problems are very noticeable during a rainstorm

Where does rain water go in your neighborhood?  The best way to find out is to take a walk outside during a storm. Put on your boots and raincoat and go see what happens!

In this first photo, you can look up at the hill from the Seven Oaks Park and Playground. The water is running down the steep hill because the ground is not porous enough to absorb the water. The result is erosion and the topsoil is carried down into a storm drain (between the two trees on the left side).

Hill above Seven Oaks Park & Playground

The fine particles of soil, called silt, go into the drain and end up in Sligo Creek. Silt is not beneficial to the stream, because it causes a cloudy plume, which blocks sunlight and kills vegetation.

This second photo shows the mud that collects at the bottom of the hill. The hard-packed earth does not absorb the water easily, and it sits on the low-lying sidewalk. The mud is made up partly of silt, some of which washes into the storm drain near the playground (in the center of the photo). The rest of the mud sits on the sidewalk, a nuisance to pedestrians. 

Sidewalk near Seven Oaks Park after a heavy rain

If you walk down the Three Oaks Association parking lot, you will see the water sweeping down the asphalt, picking up oils, pollutants, and trash on its way, until it reaches a storm drain. From there the water goes into a large pipe and gets dumped into Sligo Creek.

Three Oaks Association parking lot during a rain storm