Jurij Homziak Lake Champlain Sea Grant/University of Vermont

Increased Awareness Change in attitude personal connection: a “home” in the watershed seek added information Change in behavior

Cost and Effort Effectiveness – What’s the Benefit? No evaluation of watershed signage efforts available

404 (d) Impaired for bacteria, phosphorous, storm water, sediment Lake Champlain phosphorous TMDL Burlington and So. Burlington MS4 communities

Upper watershed – golf course, large lots, campus

Mid/lower watershed – smaller lots, commercial, industrial

Signs Project Education required for MS4 communities Partners: Burlington Public Works Lake Champlain Sea Grant Burlington School District

Grade 4-5 Sign Design and Final Version

Sign locations

Survey Signs erected late June 2008, 15 locations Interviews May-August pedestrian interview locations 8 interviews pre sign, 8 interviews post sign Randomized locations, 1 per week for 8 weeks (both AM and PM) Target: responses/location/pre + post.

Sign/Interview locations Sign locations

Do you live in a watershed? Do you know the name of the watershed? Are you concerned about water quality? Have you recently looked for information about water quality? (Post- only): Were you aware of your local watershed before the signs went up? Survey Questions

36%

χ² Analysis Pre/Post Do you live in a watershed? p <.0001, significant difference Do you know the name of the watershed? p <.0001, significant difference Are you concerned about water quality? P>.05, no significant difference Have you recently looked for information about water quality? p <.05, significant difference

CONCLUSIONS In a small urban watershed, pedestrians significantly increased awareness of their local watershed the name of their local watershed Smaller significant increase in seeking out local water quality information No effect of signs on respondents level of concern for water quality