How effective are those watershed signs anyway?

Jurij HomziakLake Champlain Sea Grant/University

of Vermont

Watershed Signs: They’re Everywhere, but How Useful?

Expected Results:Increased Awareness

Change in attitudepersonal connection: a

“home” in the watershedseek added information

Change in behavior

Issues and Concerns• Cost and Effort • Effectiveness – What’s the

Benefit?• No evaluation of watershed

signage efforts available

Englesby Brook Signs Project

404 (d) Impaired for bacteria, phosphorous, storm water, sedimentLake Champlain phosphorousTMDLBurlington and So. Burlington MS4 communities

Restoration Program – BMP and Education

Upper watershed – golf course, large lots, campus

Mid/lower watershed – smaller lots, commercial, industrial

•Signs Project

Education required for MS4 communities

Partners:Burlington Public WorksLake Champlain Sea GrantBurlington School District

Grade 4-5 Sign Design and Final Version

Sign locations

Survey• Signs erected late June 2008, 15

locations• Interviews May-August 2008 • 8 pedestrian interview locations • 8 interviews pre sign, 8 interviews

post sign• Randomized locations, 1 per week

for 8 weeks (both AM and PM)• Target: 20-30

responses/location/pre + post.

Sign/Interview locationsSign 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

in watershed? name? water quality? seek information?0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Pre-Sign ResponsesNO YES

Questions

Num

ber R

espo

nden

ts

76%

8%

36%

14%

watershed?

name?

water q

uality?

seek i

nformation?

signs e

ffect?0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Post-Sign Responses NO

YES

Questions

Num

ber R

espo

nden

ts

36%

36% 36%

36%

36%

χ² AnalysisPre/Post Do you live in a watershed?

p <.0001, significant difference Do you know the name of the watershed?

p <.0001, significant differenceAre you concerned about water quality?

P> .05, no significant differenceHave you recently looked for information

about water quality?p <.05, significant difference

CONCLUSIONSIn 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

Thank you