Wally's Water Wisdom - The Supercharged Sanctuary

Hey there, friends! Welcome to another edition of Wally's Water Wisdom. On this National Hydration Day, join IEUA and Chino Creek Wetlands as we embark on an immersive journey to explore the magnificent wonders of wetlands, their precious habitats, and how they work together for water conservation and purification processes.

Let's dive right in, shall we? Wetlands are not only vital for our hydration but also the foundation of all ecosystems. These extraordinary habitats possess a mind-blowing superpower – their natural water filtration abilities. They not only cleanse and purify our precious water sources, but they also protect us from tough environmental problems like droughts and floods.

Superpowers of Water Conservation

So, what superpowers do wetlands possess, you ask? Well, let me enlighten you. They protect us from the dangers of floods, water scarcity, and polluted water.

Did you know that according to the National Weather Service's 2023 data, flash floods have become a more common and serious threat in various regions across the United States? Fear not because wetlands are here to save the day!

Oh no, floods! Enter the 'mighty sponge' to the rescue! Wetlands have an incredible ability to absorb and hold excess water, acting as a natural buffer against heavy rains and storms. Think of them as superhero capes, coming in to save the day when raindrops turn into a heavy downpour. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says a wetland can typically store about three-acre feet of water…that’s ONE MILLION gallons of water! They eagerly soak up that excess water from rain and storms, storing it within their lush grounds. Now, that's what I call an impressive superpower!

Wetlands perform a valuable service by holding back rain, floods, and more. They slowly release water into the ground, replenishing underground aquifers and maintaining a steady flow in our creeks and streams, even during dry periods. It's like having a gigantic water-saving vault right in our backyard. 

Did you know that the wetlands are the ultimate superheroes of water filtration? As the water flows into the wetlands, it encounters a mighty squad of extraordinary plants, including the remarkable duckweed and cattails. These plant superheroes possess an incredible power – they absorb nutrient pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, using their mighty roots as sponges. Meanwhile, beneath the surface, a team of microbial heroes diligently breaks down harmful substances, transforming them into harmless compounds. With this dynamic force at work, wetlands become the unstoppable champions of pollution control, purifying our water and ensuring a cleaner, safer world.

So, let's give a big shout-out to wetlands, the unsung heroes of the great outdoors! Stay wild, keep exploring, and make sure to follow us @ieuawater and @chinocreekwetlands. We're about to make a splash with all things water education and conservation! Let's ride this wave together and show some love to our H2O heroes. Stay tuned, stay hydrated, and let's make a splash for a better, water-wise world!

Celebrate Earth Day with Wally, IEUA and City of Chino

Hello, fellow water warriors! Happy Earth Month! This week we are talking about the beginnings of Earth Day and the importance that comes with it. So, join me in a stream down memory lane.

The year is 1966, November 26th, in New York City, and the New York Times headline reads “…NEW YORK CAUGHT IN POISON BALLOON.…” Due to changes in weather and pressure in the atmosphere, reports shared how air pollution became trapped. Effects to the population included the pollutants increasing lung diseases and eye irritation amongst the residents. Fast forward to January 1969, there was an oil spill off the Santa Barbra coast. According to the Los Angeles Times, the spill stretched 35 miles off the coastline and devastated the ecosystem in its path. A few months later, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio once again caught on fire, says the Smithsonian magazine, due to years of dumping waste and oil that sat on top of the water. These were just a couple of the damaging incidents occurring on our Earth. This is the opposite of what we now call environmental stewardship.

These environmental incidents led the state of Wisconsin’s then-Senator Nelson to make a call to action. Senator Nelson turned to the local university students during spring break to hold information sessions to educate them about the environmental degradation occurring. From there on, the student group shared the importance of caring for our limited natural resources through campus events. With a growing emergence of environmental consciousness leading up to April 22, 1970, the group decided to change the event/day’s name to Earth Day, sparking millions across America to join in demanding better care for our health and the Earth’s health.

This rushing emergence of people coming together, like individual water droplets coming together to form a raging river, created a loud noise for everyone, including Congress, to push through and enforce federal laws constructed during this time, like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, as well as the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. It ensures that we start considering the Earth’s Health when we use its resources.

So how can we unite to continue to cherish the Earth as the community did in 1970? Join my friends and me at IEUA and the City of Chino as they host the

14th annual Earth Day community celebration at the Chino Creek Wetlands on April 20, 2023, from 4 PM to 7 PM. There will be lots of fun activities, animal encounters, and free goodies, all while learning more about water conservation and ways to be the best environmental steward you can be. Ask a friend to come with you, and you can carpool together. Owlie and I will be there, so make sure you wave hello. See you on the other side, environmental stewards!

Wally’s Water Wisdom – Happy Engineers Week!

Hello friends! If you are a frequent blog reader, you may recall that I asked for you to take a rain check on a future lesson about what type of careers you can obtain in the field of STEAM on a previous blog. Given that it is Engineers Week, I have those answers for you for jobs in… well, you guessed it—ENGINEERING.  

As a water enthusiast, did you know about the possible career opportunities if you major in engineering? I sat down (well, I was mostly floating since, you know, I am a water droplet) with two of my engineer friends, Brian Noh and Eddie Lin from IEUA. Both of my friends are Engineers who work outside of the Engineering Department at the Agency. Think of the engineering career as the overall umbrella, but like an umbrella, there are various pieces. Some engineers find their job in an engineering department, and others have a journey in other departments, such as Asset Management or Planning & Resources.

Let’s wave hello to Brian Noh first as he tells us more about his career in Asset Management.

Brian Noh – IEUA Senior Engineer, P.E. Asset Management

Q: What is your educational background?

A: I have a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering.

Q: When did your interest in STEM begin?

A: I immigrated to the United States in junior high school and had to learn a new language. For that reason, I realized at an early age that I probably would not be very competitive in anything linguistic. STEM was much easier and enjoyable than anything linguistic (for me).  

Q: Describe your role to K-12 students interested in using an Engineering degree within the water industry.

A: Engineering, to me, is a logical thought process. Going through the Engineering courses prepares you to make a decision based on science and sound reasoning.     

Thank you to Brian for talking with me and taking us through his journey to a career in water. He is part of a highly collaborative team and a cross-agency effort to continually maximize the Agency’s level of service while minimizing capital, operation & maintenance, and risk costs. His expertise as an Engineer is valued and appreciated.

Now, let’s swim over to say hello to Eddie Lin from Planning & Resources.

Eddie Lin – IEUA Senior Engineer, P.E. Planning & Resources

Q: What is your educational background?

A: I have an Environmental Engineering degree from UC Irvine.

Q: When did your interest in STEM begin?

A: I can’t pinpoint an exact time when my interest began, but I’ve always been curious about how things work. Let’s just say I broke (and occasionally fixed) a lot of toys.

Q: Describe your role to K-12 students interested in using an Engineering degree within the water industry.

A: Whether it is civil/environmental, chemical, electrical, mechanical, or even software engineering, there are tons of opportunities and need in the water industry. Water is also an incredibly important field to be in because, without it, there is no home, city, country, or even life! I work in the Planning & Resources department at IEUA with other Planners/Engineers to figure out how dependable our water supplies are, come up with ways to protect/improve the supplies we have, and put together plans to get more supplies or reduce our usage.

Thanks, Eddie! Wow, is it just me, or do you all feel like you just learned a new sea of engineering information? I know I sure did. It is one of the things I love most about talking with you – I want to educate teachers, parents, and students about water, and that sometimes also means the people who help us accomplish our water goals, like Brian and Eddie.  Our region is lucky to have talented engineers who are enhancing the quality of life in our community with a superior water supply. Happy Engineers Week to all engineers and shout out to all of IEUA’s engineers. Make sure to follow my friends at @IEUAwater on Instagram as we celebrate all week long.

Your friend,

Wally