Stormwater runoff from urban and suburban areas carries pollutants, adversely affecting water quality in local waterways. In the Eugene-Springfield metro area, a specific stormwater pollutant of concern is zinc- a known herbicide, antimicrobial, and toxin at certain concentrations for aquatic organisms. Notably, zinc has been rising in water quality measurements in Eugene over the past 20 years. Using 2019 as a case study year, data aggregation revealed similar zinc concentration patterns within the waterways of Springfield and Eugene. Potential sources of zinc contamination are numerous, but findings in this study indicated the greatest proportion of zinc pollution is likely from moss control products, vehicular tire- and brake-wear, and industrial discharges. Spatial modeling of these potential sources of zinc contamination revealed stormwater basins with high zinc pollutant severity potentials, in turn distinguishing areas for future stormwater sampling efforts. This work adds to the understanding of municipal stormwater pollution in the Pacific Northwest and can lead to informed strategies for source control, minimizing zinc loading to the environment
