It’s one of the most fundamental laws of a watershed — everything flows downstream. Catching and filtering runoff from approximately 75 acres of the greater downtown area, the City of Washington’s constructed wetlands off Water Street helps protect the ecological health of the Pamlico River, all while providing a habitat for wildlife.

This Saturday, starting at 8 a.m., area residents have the opportunity to help keep this area clean and beautiful as the City hosts its annual Adopt A Wetland Cleanup Day.

“The wetlands serve as our best management practice for the downtown area,” said Mike Apple, Washington’s environmental health and protection officer. “It takes all the storm water that runs through the storm drains. When it goes into the wetland, over a period of days, as it meanders through the wetland, it’s dropping all the sediment, nitrogen and phosphates, all the stuff we don’t want to get into the river, before it goes out the effluent end.”

The city has been hosting wetland cleanups at the site for the past nine years, and Apple says last year was the biggest turnout in the event’s history.

“The more people you’ve got, the less time it takes,” Apple said. “That’s why last year we were able to get it done in an hour, hour and a half. … The wetlands aren’t bad, so hopefully it’s not going to take long.”

Volunteers wishing to help with the cleanup should meet between the North Carolina Estuarium and Moss Landing neighborhood at 8 a.m. this Saturday. While the city will provide bags and some trash grabbers, participants are encouraged to bring their own if they can.