June 19, 2008 Please join us from 7:00-9:00 pm on the evening of Thursday, June 19th, at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center Valley Room for Summer Seminar #1 - Helping You Help the Watershed.

Thanks to several grants recently received by SPAWN, we are pleased to announce that SPAWN can provide financial assistance for rainwater catchment systems and erosion control projects at individual residences.

Rainwater catchment systems collect and store rainwater from roof downspouts and have many benefits, including storage of free water for irrigating your garden, trapping of potentially harmful runoff from your roof, and reducing the peak stormwater flows in our creeks. SPAWN has already installed a rainwater catchment system at Lagunitas Elementary School, and now we want to help you get started on a rainwater catchment system at your home or business.

Erosion of sediment from creek banks and dirt roads into our coho salmon spawning habitat can ruin the gravel beds that these endangered fish swim hundreds of miles to return home and spawn. SPAWN has partnered with several local environmental consulting firms to survey areas of concern, develop erosion control plans, and implement new projects to stabilize creek banks and reduce sediment runoff from dirt roads. We can help you protect your valuable creekside property and access roads thanks to our new grants.

Also, join us in welcoming new SPAWN Watershed Biologist Chris Pincetich. He will be giving a short presentation on why stormwater runoff can contain toxic contaminants, and how they are detrimental to salmon embryo development.

Details of rainwater catchment and erosion control programs will be available at the seminar, and we will be encouraging local residents to sign-up and get involved!

For more information about the seminar, please contact chris@spawnusa.org