Hard (impervious) surfaces are areas covered with roads, parking lots, roofs and other surfaces that do not allow water to soak into the ground. Soils compacted by urban development are also highly impervious. The result is a significant increase in the volume of stormwater that runs off the land and significant pollution impacts on local waterways. Surges of stormwater, which result from heavy rainfall on hard surfaces, transport pollution, including excess nutrients from fertilizers, pet waste, gasoline, motor oil, and litter.
RAH2050 aims to understand the impacts heavy rainfalls have on the water quality of our watersheds and our harbour. As well, water shortages result in demands on our freshwater resources, and of course, climate change will result in more extremes, heavy rainfall or drought events. Consequently, we want to measure the detailed localized precipitation patterns, and document the impacts on our water quality and availability. This information will enable effective water management adaptation strategies to be further developed with community-led communications!
CALL TO ACTION
Become a citizen scientist and collect your own water quantity data !
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE? DOWNLOAD TOOL KIT BUTTON
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) is a grassroots volunteer network recognized to contribute to international databases and local decision making. We consist of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow) in their local communities. By using low-cost measurement tools, encouraging skills sharing and volunteer troubleshooting, training and education, to utilize an interactive website, their aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications.
1. Receive your FREE RainGuage by joining RAH2050, complete the survey (below), join on Social Media (coloured links above),
Donate: https://chuffed.org/project/rah2050
2. Join the great local Community network of support including phone calls, training videos and materials + workshop events! We aim to provide hands-on needs and local expertise, as well as Access to replacement parts, which are available. Further, seasonal questions & maintenance requirements for the Halifax specific climate!
3. Download Easy phone app to upload your daily observations with or without data!
Stewardship Resources:
Water Quality monitoring: Become a Steward Atlantic Data Stream who offers communities Water Quality testing kits to loan: https://atlanticdatastream.ca/en/become-a-data-steward
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