March 2018   |   Issue No. 14
Household Pollutant Special Event
 

A Household Pollutant Disposal Special Event is scheduled for Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the City of Tulsa's Household Pollutant Collection Facility, 4502 S. Galveston Ave.
 
In addition to the usual accepted items, special items accepted only at this event are tires, e-waste (fees may apply), medications and ammunition. For this event, citizens will not need to make an appointment as normally required for disposing at the Facility.
 
The special disposal event is open to Tulsa residents and residents living in Bixby, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Collinsville, Coweta, Glenpool, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs and unincorporated Tulsa County.
 
Participants who bring in a mercury thermostat will receive a $10 Lowe's gift card, courtesy of Covanta.
 
Citizens may shop in the recently renovated Swap Shop at the Household Pollutant Collection Facility. The Swap Shop is stocked with items that citizens have dropped off that are either new or barely used. Up to five items may be taken for free.
 
A rain barrel sale will also take place at this event. Two vendors have offered rain barrels to citizens at a discounted rate. The barrels will be available for pickup at this event and a few may be available on site to purchase. You can find m ore information online or call the number below.
 
For more information about household pollutant disposal, citizens may call (918) 591-4325.
 
Special Event Accepted Items:
  • Tires
  • E-waste (Tube televisions will have a $21 fee; monitors will have a $10 fee.)
  • Ammunition
  • Medications
  A list of accepted and unaccepted materials is available online.
 
*Note - due to the popularity of these special collection events, if you only are dropping off normally accepted items, it's recommended that you set up an appointment another day to avoid a long wait.
Pick Up Items at the Free Swap Shop

In addition to getting rid of unwanted household chemicals on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Household Collection Facility patrons are welcome to visit the Swap Shop. Tulsa citizens can pick up items in the Swap Shop, free of charge, any time during the hours of operation without an appointment.

Before you spend a fortune on brand-new chemicals for spring, come by and see what's in stock. We offer hundreds of slightly used and new household items like cleaners, vehicle fluids, and lawn treatment items in need of a new home.

The Swap Shop stocks items as we receive them, which means our inventory is always changing. Take time to visit the City of Tulsa Household Pollutant Collection Facility Swap Shop, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More information can be found online.   
Species Spotlight:
Redfin Darter Etheostoma Whipplei

The Redfin Darter is one of only a few darter species that call the city of Tulsa home. Finding any darter species in the City of Tulsa limits is not only a treat for the eyes, but an indicator of good stream quality. 

Darters need clean water to provide them with the energy and oxygen they need to live their busy lifestyles and the Redfin Darter is not any different. You can recognize the Redfin Darter by the pointy shape of its head, along with a broad connection of gill covers over its throat. 

While the colors are certainly more vibrant in males during breeding season, this species has a considerable amount of red coloration in most of their fins and especially the tail. Their primary habitat is gravel-bottomed riffles or runs where macroinvertebrate meals are plentiful. 

Sediment filled runoff is especially dangerous to this fish as it will fill the interstitial spaces between the gravel, eliminating both their food source and cover, which makes best management practices at construction sites very important.
24th Annual Creek Clean-Up - Joe Creek

On Saturday, April 21, the City of Tulsa Stormwater Quality group will be holding its 24th annual Creek Clean-Up at Joe Creek near 71st and Lewis Ave. The Stormwater Quality group will provide volunteers with clean-up supplies, personal protective equipment, as well as lunch. Registration will begin at 9 a.m.

After a short introduction presentation, we will assign volunteer groups to pick up trash near Joe Creek from 10:30 a.m to noon, then lunch, followed by a contest with prizes awarded to the strangest piece of trash collected. The Creek Clean-Up is always a blast and is a great way to improve our community. Watch for more details, coming soon.    
Adopt-A-Stream: Village by the Creek

Bettina Hendon-Rector leads the Village by the Creek organization in donating their time and efforts to preserving the beauty of Joe Creek through regular clean-up operations. The neighborhood group lives near the banks of Joe Creek at 71st Street and Lewis Ave. and desires to keep the stream free of trash and safe for recreation.

The City of Tulsa Streets and Stormwater Department takes pleasure in recognizing their dedicated efforts to improving their community and promoting good water quality for the ecology of Joe Creek.  
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