The city's Watershed and Stormwater Management Rain Barrel Program may not lend itself well to acronyms - COWSMRBP - but it does offer an impactful green lifestyle option at greatly reduced costs to Oakland residents.

Graphic courtesy of City of Oakland Watershed and Stormwater Management

Rain barrels designed to capture stormwater runoff from roofs and release it slowly into the landscape to help prevent hillside and creek erosion, will be sold to Oakland residents at the Merritt College Farmers Market on Saturday, July 17.