• Support eroding creeksides with native plants &
proper materials.
• Avoid erosion during construction and land clearing.
• Control road & driveway runoff with plants, gravel,
rock & catch basins.
protects our water!
Excessive sedimentation to creeks and
river is harmful to fish habitat and our
drinking water.
Help Protect A Healthy Habitat!
Trout need clear, flowing water, without pollution &
barriers, shade from vegetation, deep pools for
resting, & silt-free gravel beds for spawning.
fish habitat
indicates a healthy river ecosystem.
Good
Erosion Control
The San Lorenzo River
The San Lorenzo Watershed
is a vast repository of high-quality
water. Such a rich resource is the
envy of a water-hungry world.
Protecting our water resources for
now and the future must be our
highest priority!
• Conserving water conserves our watershed!
• Avoid putting toxic cleansers, bleach, drain
openers, pesticides, chemicals, paint, gas, oil, or
cat litter into your septic system.
cared for, water is naturally recycled back
into the ecosystem.
Before pouring anything down the drain
to your Septic System, stop and consider if
it is poisonous to water quality!
When the tank and leach lines are well
is one of a few Central Coast waterways
that support Steelhead Trout.
the San Lorenzo Watershed by
maintaining a healthy Septic System.
Each home and business can help
INFORMATION & HELP NUMBERS
for Care of the Watershed
Valley Women’s Club - www.vwcweb.org
Environmental Committee - 338-1728
SLV Recycling Centers - 338-1728
Locations
The San Lorenzo
Watershed
Felton - Gushee Street at Hihn Road
Ben Lomond Transfer Station 9835 Newell Creek Rd. (off Glen Arbor Rd.)
Boulder Creek - 12890 Highway 9

S.C. County Programs
The San Lorenzo Watershed is a unique ecosystem
created by the heavily forested slopes of the
Santa Cruz Mountains and a rich diversity of wild
plant and animal life that inhabits the ecosystem.
The Watershed is subject to many natural
conditions such as steep slopes and unstable soils,
seismic activity, periodic fierce storms and heavy
rainfall ~ all creating the dynamics for landslides
and excessive erosion into the San Lorenzo River
and it’s tributaries.
The River starts at the summit of the
Mountains, runs through the Valley, picking up huge
volumes of water from hundreds of tributaries, and
flows through the middle of the City of Santa Cruz
and into our fragile Pacific coastal environment.
Excess erosive sediment and non-point sources
of toxic pollution reaching soil or water in the
watershed are the most severe impacts affecting
both this very fragile, historic habitat for
steelhead trout and the quality of drinking water
resources for all residents of San Lorenzo Valley
and the cities of Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz.
Planning Department, Felton - 461-7450
Public Works - 454-2160 www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us
Environmental Health - 454-2022
Donate Working e-equipment - 454-2373
Complete Recycling Info (hazard & Ewaste) 454-2333
Recycle/Dispose of Ewaste at Grey Bears 479-1055
Abandoned Vehicle Abatement - 454-3139
Cal-Trans Report Line - 476-1351
Septic Loan Program - 454-2746
Erosion & Flood Control - 454-2160
Fish & Game Commission - 454-3154
Resource Conservation District - 464-2950
Report Fish Poaching/Cal Tip - 800-952-5400
Cal Fire/Felton - 335-5353

Other Local Environmental Groups
California Native Plant Society - 338-2097
Coastal Watershed Council - 464-9200
Ecology Action of Santa Cruz - 426-5925
Lompico Watershed Conservancy - 335-8136
(Area codes are 831 unless noted otherwise)
This brochure was created by the Environmental
Committee for San Lorenzo Valley, through grants to the
Valley Women’s Club. Concept and copy by Tai Stills.
Original illustrations and layout by Gary Bloomfield.
Updates by Laurel Becker.
© 2005.
Everyday Impacts on the
San Lorenzo Watershed
Home, Garden
& Septic
• More than 15,000 septic
tanks in San Lorenzo Valley
create high risks for the health
of water and river resources.
• Proper Septic Maintenance is
crucial to our environment & is
less costly than a failed tank!
• Home and garden products
that are non-toxic to people are
best for healthy septic tanks!
Avoid chlorine bleach,
anti-bacterial products and all
harsh chemicals.
• Conserve water in all ways.
• Recycle & Re-use & Reduce !
Using waste oil collection sites,
recycling everything you can, and
avoiding Styrofoam and plastic
consumer bags are things every
person can do to help our fragile
environment.
• Utilize free services to dispose
of old appliances, TVs and
abandoned cars... illegal dumping
can be avoided!
Erosion
& Soil Loss
• Our unstable & steep slopes
create huge risks of erosion.
Eroding slopes create sediment
that degrades drinking water
quality and ruins fish and wildlife
habitat in the river.
• Better erosion control at all
roadways and construction
sites is necessary to stop
property loss, landslides and
environmental degradation.
• Plant native species of plants
to control erosion. Always avoid
non-native or invasive species like
scotch broom.
• Avoid disturbing creekside and
riverside vegetation. Often quite
fragile, these plants are critical
to holding soil in place.
• Logging and logging roads have
serious impacts on the
watershed. Use best available
practices and mitigate impacts
to avoid property and habitat
damage.
Run-off
to the River
• S.L. Valley and Santa Cruz
residents all drink the water
from the San Lorenzo River, so
NO POLLUTION would be the
safest for us all!
• Non-point sources of pollution
are a leading source of toxics we
can all control. Drips from cars,
trucks, motorcycles and even
lawn mowers are the main
culprits.
• Every drop of any toxic
chemicals ~ oil, gas, paint and
cleansers, for example ~ that go
to the ground direct or through
the septic tank, eventually ends
up in the creeks and /or river.
• Pesticides & herbicides are
highly damaging to the
watershed and river ~~ AVOID
THEM! Investigate the many
non-toxic ways to control pests,
unwanted growth and other
garden problems.