Local Issues

The Sierra Club works with communities on issues related to pollution, conservation, outdoor recreation, and other environmental and quality-of-life concerns. In Omaha and surrounding communities, the Missouri Valley Group has been involved in a number of projects over the past decade.

Recent & Past

Green Homes: Using Energy and Water Wisely - PowerPoint for Greening Your Home presentation given on 31 January 2008

New State Mercury Rules Being Considered - September 2006

City Sprouts Update - September 2006

Stormwater Management Issues:

Omaha Sierra Club Program

Improving Water Quality in the Papillion Creek Watershed

Thursday May 24, 7 p.m.

First United Methodist Church, 69^th & Cass Streets, Omaha

The Papillion Creek Watershed is a network of streams that flow through our backyards in Washington, Douglas and Sarpy Counties. All of us in the Omaha area have one of the major tributaries nearby, or we drive across a Papillion Creek stream in our daily commute. And despite the fact that “The Papio” connects our communities, few people are aware of the streams, and little attention is focused on the Papillion Creek system.

Water quality of the Papillion Creek system is impacted by the increase in urbanization of Douglas and Sarpy counties. The level of pollutants increases when rainwater runs into the storm drain. In Omaha, the stream system receives this stormwater runoff from industrial, commercial, and residential areas, bringing sediment, nutrients, bacteria, petroleum products, and other chemicals to the stream. Runoff comes from construction sites, parking lots, industrial repair and manufacturing sites, streets, driveways, roofs, alleys, shopping areas, and manicured lawns.

Runoff flows along gutters into storm drains and eventually spills into the Papillion Creek streams. The increased flow into the storm drains causes overloading of the sewer lines and creates Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and back-ups.

A project is underway to improve water quality in the Papillion Creek streams. The Papillion Creek Watershed Project, funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency, is committed to the improvement of water quality in the Papillion Creek network through public awareness and citizen participation. Marian Maas, Ph.D., is the Project Manager, and will be speaking at our program.

Dr. Maas will describe the watershed and its problems, the need to appreciate the streams as a valuable natural resource in the greater Omaha community, and Low Impact Development (LID) infiltration practices that reduce pollutants and stormwater runoff. Dr. Maas will discuss some of the many ways in which individuals, homeowners, neighborhoods, commercial interests, and governments can reduce water quality pollutants and stormwater runoff.

For example, Low Impact Development practices filter, cool, and reduce the velocity and quantity of runoff water. The strategic placement of rain gardens, bioretention cells, vegetated swales, small wetlands, and native plantings helps water quality by slowing and filtering stormwater runoff. Infiltration of rainwater on-site is recognized as a valuable method of reducing runoff and CSOs.

The ultimate benefit of improving our local water resources will be the improvement in our quality of life for ourselves and for generations to come. Please join us as we discuss a topic that affects all of us in Omaha area. Sierra Club programs are free and open to the public. For more information contact Mary Green at mary.green@nebraska.sierraclub.org, or (402) 556-1830.

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