Subject: Polluting the wetlands at Rush Creek Preserve
Dear Lisa,
I obtained your name, phone number and email address from James at the main phone number for the Division of Water Quality.
I want to launch a complaint against the Marin County Board of Supervisors for allowing dozens – nearly 100 – RVs to park illegally along Binford road. Residents of these RVs and other vehicles pose a public safety hazard and public health hazard. They also dump their human waste directly into the wetlands and waters of Rush Creek Preserve, which has significantly degraded water quality.
The Rush Creek Preserve is east of Highway 101 just north of Novato. You may read about the vehicles illegally parked along Binford Road last week because the story made both the national and international news:
Marin County not only turns a blind eye to the problem, they continue to encourage people to come by providing services to the RV residents. There are much better locations to provide those services that do not have the significant adverse effects on wetlands.
But that preserve was once grazing land. It may have been reclaimed BLM land that was sold to a private individual. I do not recall exact dates, but the creek and wetlands were restore 5 to 10 years ago at great expense. The results were dramatic. Water quality improved, birds returned as did rabbits and other small game as well as bobcats and coyotes that feed on them. So did birds, including kites and bald eagles as well as migratory ducks, geese and swans.
No longer. They now stay away from Binford Road sue to degraded water quality. We now see all sorts of disgusting human waste and trash in the water. Several people on volunteer cleanup crews have seen dead fish. The situation is as unnecessary as it is unacceptable.
You can help us in two ways. First, providing water quality reports from 3 to 4 years ago it would be extremely helpful. We suspect you may have them because of the wetlands restoration project. Second, you can initiate enforcement action against Marin County to force them to provide homeless services at a more acceptable location, prevent future illegal parking along Binford Road, and clean up the waste and debris they’ve allowed to accumulate in the wetlands.
Thank you very much for hearing me out. I look forward to hearing from you soon.