What’s the deal with the new salmon stencils around campus

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What's the deal with the new salmon stencils around campus?

September 23, 2026

by Jeff Aslan

Facilities Development and Operations

You may have stepped over a white salmon spray-painted beside a storm drain lately, with four words stenciled around it: NO DUMPING - DRAINS TO BAY. No, it isn't public art. It's a warning label, designed to correct something most people get wrong about how campus plumbing works.

Indoor water from sinks, showers, and toilets goes into the sanitary sewer and gets treated at the City of Bellingham's wastewater plant. Outdoors, rainwater that hits the ground funnels into the storm drain system instead - and the storm system drains directly to either a creek or Bellingham Bay. Whatever goes down that grate runs through campus pipes, into the City's pipes, and comes out in a creek or in the Bay. No treatment plant, no second chance.

North campus drains toward Bellingham Bay, which provides habitat for salmon, forage fish, porpoises, and eelgrass beds. South campus drains toward Padden Creek - a working salmon stream along the south edge of campus that supports coho, chum, pink, and Chinook salmon, along with steelhead, sea-run cutthroat trout, and Pacific lamprey. Chinook and steelhead are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The fish stenciled on the sidewalk is a fairly literal picture of what's downstream from Western's stormwater drains.

Western holds a municipal stormwater permit issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Permit No. WAR045701). It treats the University a lot like a small city: we own and operate a storm drain system, so we're responsible for what comes out of it. That means labeling inlets, inspecting and maintaining the system, responding to spills - and teaching the campus community how to help.

Most stormwater pollution isn't dramatic. It's ordinary stuff, in small amounts, from a lot of people at once.

• Nothing but rain down the drain. No leftover coffee, mop or bucket water, paint rinse, or a cooler of melted ice.
• Wash cars at a car wash. Commercial washes route their water to treatment. A parking lot routes it to the Bay.
• Shut the Lid! Close the lids on all dumpsters for less smell, fewer pests and to keep rain out.
• Don't wait to inflate! Taking care of your tires saves money, reduces wear, and prevents pollution from worn-down tire particles (6-PPD-q) that are toxic to fish.
• Don't Drip and Drive! Check for vehicle fluid leaks regularly and fix them promptly.
• Pick up after your dog. Pet waste left on the ground is a real source of bacteria in local waters.
• Keep the grates clear. Leaves and trash piled on a drain cause backups. Clearing them away takes just seconds.
• Dispose of any unused cleaners and paint at Disposal of Toxics - do not dispose of it in a drain or sewer grate.
• Recycle used motor oil for free at your local auto shop or recycler.
• Report anything that looks or smells wrong. Suds, an oily sheen, an odd color, a strong smell, or water coming out of a drain instead of going into it.
• Report overflowing or blocked drains. Submit reports to Facilities through ReADY at ready.wwu.edu/ready or [email protected]. After business hours, call (360) 650-3420.
• Get Involved. You can find local events where your actions have a direct impact with the Bellingham nonprofit, RE Sources - https://www.re-sources.org/events/