EPIC Campaign aims to raise awareness about Russian River pollution

Beginning June 6, visitors to the Guerneville area will encounter some interesting images of creek and river creatures clutching litter and other recyclable items. The images will be displayed on storefronts and walkways along Main Street. These installations, part of Sonoma County’s EPIC Campaign, follow similar public art projects in Santa Rosa’s Sebastopol Avenue, Shiloh Shopping Center in Windsor, and the downtown districts of Healdsburg, Cloverdale and Ukiah.

The EPIC Campaign — short for Every Piece Inspires Change — is a collaborative effort between Sonoma County and other jurisdictions under the Russian River watershed’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater permit. Led by Permit Sonoma’s Stormwater Program, the initiative leverages program funding to raise public awareness about the direct pathway through which stormwater systems carry litter into local creeks and rivers.

“We have a duty to keep trash out of our waterways,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “In addition to creating unique public art installations, the goal of the EPIC Campaign is to inspire people to be better stewards of the Russian River watershed.”

With stringent trash reduction mandates by 2030, education and outreach have been identified as key strategies to reduce waste in the region’s most litter-prone areas.

Through the Guerneville activation and accompanying structural improvements funded by the County, EPIC seeks to inform and inspire stewardship of the Russian River ecosystem. Visitors are encouraged to scan the QR codes featured alongside each “creek critter” installation to learn how small actions, like properly disposing of trash, can make a big difference. To explore more about the campaign, visit www.streetstocreeks.org or follow @streets.to.creeks on social media.

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Campaign Contact:
Alisa Keenan
Stormwater Program Manager, Permit Sonoma
Alisa.Keenan@sonoma-county.org

Media Contact:
Genevieve Bertone
Outreach Manager, Permit Sonoma
Genevieve.Bertone@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-1231