Our Strategies
Key Terms
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Contaminants
Any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter that has an adverse effect on air, water, or soil.
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Ethnobotanical heritage
Knowledge within a culture about plants and how they have been used as foods, medicines, or tools. This knowledge is remembered and passed down from generation to generation.
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Sediment
The topsoil, sand, and minerals washed from the land into water, usually after rain or snow melt.
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Water table
The underground level at which the soil becomes saturated with water.
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Stream bed
A channel occupied, or formerly occupied, by a stream.
Explore: Restoring a Damaged Wetland
About 20 years ago the Campo EPA combined old Kumeyaay land management practices with modern techniques to bring back wetlands that had disappeared from their reservation.
A layer of heavy plastic was used to cover a portion of the stream-bed surface. This helped to keep water from disappearing.
Heavy equipment was used to place large rocks in the channel.
The Campo EPA and community volunteers planted trees alongside the new structure. Cattle grazing was no longer allowed in this area.
Nature took over. The rocks halted erosion and soil filled in some of the stream bed. Eventually, many plants and trees grew. Water stayed on the surface. The area is now a healthy natural wetland again.
Try These Questions
That is correct!
The rock structure is placed in the stream bed, trapping rainwater and soil. The underground water table then rises, and plants find enough water to grow and thrive.
That is correct!
The wind-power project will bring revenue to the tribe. It will also improve the environment by shifting to wind, a renewable resource, and away from the use of fossil fuels to generate energy.
That is correct!
Both historically and today, Campos use the juncus plant to weave baskets.
Story Project Planner
Choose Images for Story Project
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Image 1 of 11
Toggle Favorite The Campo EPA monitors water quality on ...The Campo EPA monitors water quality on the reservation, ensuring that there is a supply of clean fresh water for community members. 2010
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Image 2 of 11
Toggle Favorite "And so in 1990, when the Campo EPA was ...Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"And so in 1990, when the Campo EPA was created, one of the tasks given to CEPA was to find a permanent solution to this. And so what was done at CEPA was to look back in the records, and look at what was done traditionally. What was done in our villages, and what was done in our environment."
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Image 3 of 11
Toggle Favorite The Campo Environmental Protection Agenc...The Campo Environmental Protection Agency was formed in 1990 to preserve and protect the environment on the Campo Kumeyaay reservation. They perform a variety of tasks to make the environment as healthy as possible. 2009
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Image 4 of 11
Toggle Favorite "So there was techniques that were taugh...Paul Cuero, Jr., singer and tribal councilman
"So there was techniques that were taught to us by our what we call Kuseyaay. On our reservation, . . . we use an old technique that was recorded through an anthropologist. And she asked them about a lot of different things, and one of things they talked about was how to slow water down."
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Image 5 of 11
Toggle Favorite Kumeyaay people long ago dropped rocks i...Kumeyaay people long ago dropped rocks in areas where they wanted water to stay at the surface. Today, the Campo EPA is building modern versions of traditional rock-drop structures to counter the effects of environmental damage. ca. 2008
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Image 6 of 11
Toggle Favorite "One of the things that came out was tha...
Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"One of the things that came out was that the building of rock-drop structures—placing rocks in the channels and rocks and brush—was something that was commonly done to try to enhance the wetland areas. And so we took that and adapted it."
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Image 7 of 11
Toggle Favorite The Campo EPA grows a variety of native ...The Campo EPA grows a variety of native plants that they replant in repaired wetlands and community landscaping. These native plants are important not only to the environment, but also to the culture of the Campo Kumeyaay people. This yucca plant has many uses, and can even be made into a kind of soap. 2010
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Image 8 of 11
Toggle Favorite "The whole area that had once been on it...
Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"The whole area that had once been on its way to becoming a desert became a lush habitat. Many different types of animals have been seen there. It was also a place where we could harvest our traditional medicine plants and traditional food plants."
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Image of 101
Toggle Favorite The Campo Kumeyaay people are looking fo...The Campo Kumeyaay people are looking for new ways to sustain the environment. This wind farm takes advantage of the high elevation and strong winds that are common to that part of the reservation to generate alternate power and provide additional income for the community. 2009
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Image 10 of 11
Toggle Favorite "What we did on Campo reservation is eli...
Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"What we did on Campo reservation is eliminated commercial cattle grazing. It just got to be too hard to try to preserve our wetland areas."
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Image 11 of 11
Toggle Favorite The map shows the many locations where C...The map shows the many locations where Campo EPA has placed rock-drop structures to stop erosion and hold water. 2010
Take Notes for Story Project
Take notes and save images to help answer these questions. Your images and notes will be saved to the Story Project where you can use them to create your own slideshow.
