Master Watershed Stewards Complete 5th Annual Storm Drain Art Contest in York

Pollution from stormwater runoff is one of the number one causes of water pollution in the United States. Stormwater runoff is rainwater or snowmelt that has not infiltrated into the ground and runs across the land carrying pollutants with it. In a natural environment, precipitation is slowly absorbed into the ground by plants resulting in natural stream flows and good water quality. Impervious surfaces like rooftops, parking lots, sidewalks, and roadways prevent rain and snow from infiltrating into the ground. Large amounts of water rapidly run off these surfaces into storm drains. Storm drain systems have been designed and put in place to carry this runoff from streets to waterways to prevent urban flooding. Curbs, gutters, catch basins, drainpipes, and flood control channels make up the systems. Water moving through these systems is not treated before it is discharged to lakes, streams, and rivers. Because the water is not treated or cleaned in the storm drain systems, they are pathways for many pollutants entering the waterways. Everything dropped on the roads or sidewalks, including oil, chemicals, grass clippings, soil, trash, etc. could potentially pollute the streams through the storm drain systems. Many people are not aware of this direct connection.

Because stormwater is a growing form of pollution and water quality is a concern for many citizens, the Master Watershed Stewards in York County have once again partnered with the City of York, the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, and the Watershed Alliance of York to hold the 5th Annual Street 2 Creek Storm Drain Art Contest. The goal of the annual project is to increase public knowledge and awareness of the function and importance of storm drains and water quality via public involvement and artwork. The artwork around the storm drains raises citizen awareness and helps educate the public about the connection between storm drains and local streams.

Master Watershed Stewards put a "call" out to artists living in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. A panel of judges made up of community leaders and local artists judged the artwork using a rubric. The top three artists were selected to paint drains in downtown York. A People's Choice Award was also chosen and sponsored by Cornerstone Barbershop and Shave Parlor, and Girl Scout and Master Watershed Steward, Evie Renner, painted a storm drain at Martin Memorial Library as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award. Evie will also be creating educational materials to be distributed at the library. This brings a total to twenty painted storm drains in York.

The trail of storm drain art starts in the center of the city near the Codorus Creek and ends at the Royal Square District, an art and shopping district in the city. As you walk the streets, you may stumble upon tangling octopus legs reaching out of a storm drain, an elegant egret vigilantly watching over a storm drain, a map of York County watersheds illustrating the meandering streams flowing into the mighty Susquehanna River, and more. The artwork adds a splash of color to the downtown area, but more importantly, each unique painting relays a message about keeping our streets and waterways clean. Our streams and rivers are worth protecting!

The Street 2 Creek Project received the 2022 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence and the 2022 Search for Excellence Award for Master Watershed Steward Projects across Pennsylvania. We look forward to expanding the project annually. We are currently having a storm drain art contest at York Academy Regional Charter School. The selected artist will paint a storm drain on their campus this fall.

Learn more about stormwater management and the Street 2 Creek Project. This project was funded by the Street 2 Creek Partners, York Water Company, and Cornerstone Barbershop and Shave Parlor.