Non-point source pollution

Non-point source or "pointless" pollution is the primary threat to coastal water quality. It includes runoff of litter from the streets, fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, leaky septic systems, and faulty sewage and stormwater systems. People and their everyday habits are both the source and solution to this problem. By keeping informed and making small changes, you can help make our oceans fish-able and swim-able. Remember, whatever goes down a drain, down a storm sewer, into a gutter, on a lawn, or in the air, eventually ends up in the ultimate "sink"... our ocean. Did you know?

The Continental Divide, which runs through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado (shown here at Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat), is the ultimate North American watershed boundary. Rain that falls in its vicinity either runs off to the west (eventually to the Pacific Ocean) or to the east (eventually to the Atlantic Ocean). That means that runoff from places as faraway as eastern Colorado or New Mexico eventually winds up in the Atlantic Ocean