Norman resident continues cleanup of Bishop Creek

Mar. 7—For Norman resident Karen Chapman, the recent mild temperatures means getting back to Bishop Creek to resume her weekly cleanup of the area.

Since 2012, Chapman has focused her efforts to clean Norman waterways on a section of Bishop Creek that flows through Eastwood Park. Weather permitting on a weekly basis, Chapman dons chest waders, gloves and boots before getting into the creek with a trash bag and trash grabber.

"When people notice me in the creek, I am sure it's a very odd sight to see," Chapman said. "I try to reassure people that I am just cleaning up and there to pick up trash."

Chapman said the COVID-19 pandemic set her back on the frequency of her trips to the creek to cleanup. From March to August 2020, due to health concerns, she took a break from her efforts.

"Later in August, I decided to go back out and make sure I am careful and wear a mask," Chapman said. "Last week I focused on the area between Oklahoma Avenue and the footbridge, and this week I am concentrating on the section of the park between Oklahoma Avenue and Boyd Street."

Chapman said she frequently shoots photos of wildlife to show people the beauty in the area and reinforce the importance of taking care of the environment.

"If you take care of what's in the creek, you're taking care of the aquatic life, and by taking care of the aquatic life in the creek you're taking care of the terrestrial life that feeds on the aquatic lives you see, so there is that circle of life here," Chapman said.

In her many creek cleanup sessions, Chapman said she has seen several species of turtles, non-venomous snakes and fish.

"I'm always grateful to see those types of things, because you know at least there's life in the creek," Chapman said. "There is an overabundance of pollution tolerant species that live in the creek."

Chapman is a part of a volunteer group called the Blue Thumb Program, which focuses on monitoring local streams and the wildlife that inhabits them.

"We have macroinvertebrate collections every winter and summer, then every four-to-five years, we have fish collections," Chapman said. "What we find during the collections are mostly pollution tolerant species, but what you want to find are pollution sensitive species, because those are a sign that the creek is doing well."

Norman City Councilmember Lee Hall joined Chapman last week to help with the cleanup effort.

"I've known [Chapman] for a while and I just appreciate her initiative and her volunteer work cleaning up our waterways," Hall said. "I had visited with her about finding an opportunity to join her, because I wanted to see firsthand what she was doing and what the creek looked like."

Hall said because Bishop Creek runs through the middle of town, trash in the area is inevitable.

"It's pretty dramatic to see the kinds of things that are running off into the creek, and that's not the only creek in Norman that is part of our watershed that supplies Lake Thunderbird," Hall said.

Hall said she tried to learn as much as she could from her about the challenges in keeping Bishop Creek clean.

She said interest has grown throughout the community toward the need for cleanup efforts.

"I've learned so much more about the need for a stormwater utility in Norman, and how much we need to pay attention to our watersheds and making sure we have a clean water supply in Norman," Hall said. "I'm so appreciative of people like Chapman who just quietly go about doing this kind of work."

Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at Jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.