The mission is primarily accomplished by providing landowners with the assistance in designing and installing a native plant landscape along the streams on their property. These areas are called riparian buffers. Studies indicate that buffers of native plants between streams and our lawns, homes and businesses are very effective at improving water quality by filtering pollutants, stabilizing strea
m banks, and providing shade which decrease the temperature in the stream. For more information, please view our brochure. (http://www.tristatesteelheaders.com/images/Restoration/CURB/CURB_brochure_Current.pdf)
The CURB program was started in 2007 because of the need to improve water quality on the creeks that run through Walla Walla and College Place. Many of these creeks are contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria, chlorinated pesticides and PCBs, and do not meet temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH standards. The buffers are designed to mitigate some of these concerns. Additional information is available through the Department of Ecology’s Water Quality Implementation Plan. (https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/0810094.pdf) The program is funded by a grant through the Department of Ecology’s Water Quality Division. CURB is a collaborative effort of Tri-State Steelheaders, Kooskooskie Commons, Walla Walla County Conservation District, participating landowners, and hundreds of community volunteers.
