Melting snow and spring rain usually means high water levels in the Salt Creek, and possibly some flooding. But there are other problems - pollutants washing into the creek. We don't think about it when we're driving and walking and otherwise dealing with the spring storms, but that rain water is going down the storm drains, and it's taking everything with it. Everything. Road salt. Dead leaves. Lawn chemicals. Spilled gasoline. Leaked oil. Tossed garbage.

At the beginning of every storm all the pollutants that have been accumulating since the last rain are washed down the storm sewers and into the creek. And that first flush of storm water can be deadly to the fish that live in the creek. Fish die offs are not uncommon in our urban streams following a storm event.