Hello students, teachers, and fellow Nisqually lovers!
This is Aleks, the WCC Americorps volunteer for 2015-2016. Here at the NREP we strive to provide excellent student and teacher resources for our various field trips in the Nisqually watershed. As part of this never-ending goal we have decided to start up a posts/blog style page on the NREP site, hence the new “Posts!” page. We will use this page to connect with the users of this site on a community level; providing information relevant to Nisqually, event dates, and much more! We look forward to sharing, exploring, and protecting the Nisqually watershed with its residents!
To kick off our Posts! page I’d like to share some exciting news! In 2010 a law was passed in Washington that reduced the amount of copper and other toxic materials used in brake pads. Finally these pads are available for purchase. Check out the Dept. of Ecology’s Better Brakes page to learn more about the new brake pad standards. This transition is HUGE for salmon recovery! An estimated 60,000 kg of copper pollution in streams is sourced from brake pads. Copper negatively affects salmon and other aquatic species. It damages salmon sense of smell and impairing their ability to avoid predators and find food. Read more info on the Better Brakes page and try researching for yourself how copper and other pollutants in stormwater can affect our aquatic friends.
