The Yellow Fish Road™ (YFR) program is Trout Unlimited Canada’s premiere environmental education program, teaching youth that storm drains are the doorways to our rivers, lakes and streams. Preventing pollutants from entering our storm drains is critical to protecting and improving our watersheds, water quality and aquatic habitat.
The YFR program has been delivered to school classes, community groups and day camps across Canada for close to 25 years and provides youth with an understanding of our waters and how we can protect them. The action project sees bright ‘yellow fish’ painted on the storm drains, serving as a reminder that ‘only rain goes down the drain.’
Contributing stormwater pollutants can include garden chemicals, soap, gasoline, dog feces, sediment, litter and car fluids that wash across our yards and driveways and are carried into our local waters through the storm drain system. Understanding the problems pollutants cause leads to solutions that can motivate action.
Here are some ways you can make a positive change and reduce non-point source pollution.
Problem-Chemicals kill fish: Fertilizers can cause excess plant and algae growth in water bodies. While these plants produce oxygen during the day, they actually use up dissolved oxygen in the water at night when they die and decompose. Herbicides used to kill weeds can also kill plant species on which animals rely for shade, shelter and protection from predators. Pesticides can kill aquatic insects that fish, frogs and birds rely on for their food source, creating problems throughout the food chain.
Solution-Doing it right-Apply fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides responsibly: follow the directions carefully, observe weather conditions, add sparingly or do spot treatment as needed. If you overuse chemicals and they land on the sidewalk or driveway, carefully sweep them up and place them in the garbage or where they were intended.
Solution-Nature knows best-Wherever possible use natural or environmental-friendly alternatives (EcoLogo products), this is safer for both people and pets. Synthetic fertilizers can be substituted for organic fertilizers like compost. Consider more topsoil and seed, as well as companion and native plantings that require less care such as trees and shrubs rather than lawns and annuals. Pull, dig or cut down weeds, instead of using a herbicide or alternately have a ‘weed-pulling party’ and invite your friends and family to help. Encourage insect-eating predators to your yard, by installing bird boxes for insect-eating birds, leave spider webs intact to capture bugs, build a bat box and watch bats eat night fliers, encourage ladybugs to keep destructive aphids under control, introduce water elements to your yard to entice hungry frogs and dragonflies.
Problem-Bubbles to blooms: Washing your car in the driveway or on the street contributes to phosphorus-loading in our waterways, causing algae blooms or ‘eutrophication’ which limits light penetration, decreases oxygen levels and may strip the protective mucous coating from fish, leaving them susceptible to disease. Car washing also carries oil, gasoline, washer fluid, dirt and debris from your car into our waters through the storm drains.
Solution-Take it to the Carwash-At a carwash water is recycled and cleaned before it enters the river. If you are not near a carwash, wash your vehicle with a ‘phosphate-free’ soap in the alley or on a grassy area so the soil can filter out pollutants.
Problem-Poop, Far from Fertilizer: Leaving dog waste is not only toxic to your lawn causing burning and discoloration, but it carries at least 10 different pathogens from bacteria, viruses and parasites. It is estimated that one gram of dog feces contains over 20 million fecal coliform bacteria, that can create a toxic cycle affecting your whole family and your pet.
Solution- Scoop the Poop-With so many dog lovers and dog parks today it is even more important to be responsible and carry a plastic bag or two with you on your walks. If you are too busy to pick up your dogs’ leftovers you may want to hire a pooper scooper company to do it for you so it doesn’t end up in our rivers contributing nutrients and bacteria.
Problem-It’s just a bit of dirt: Sand, silt, dirt and gravel from construction and landscaping can be washed onto our streets during rain events. This material enters the rivers through storm drains where it covers fish spawning areas, smothers trout eggs, insects and oxygen-producing plants. The increased turbidity levels will increase water temperatures and reduce visibility for aquatic species affecting their ability to locate and capture prey.
Solution-Sweep, don’t spray-When cleaning up after a project, sweep the excess sediment with a broom, then pick it up with a dustpan and dispose of it properly rather than spraying it with water from a hose onto the street. Sediment is one of the largest sources of non-point source pollution.
Problem-Garbage, garbage Everywhere: Bottles, cans, wrappers and plastic littering our yards and streets are carried by wind and water, broken down by foot and car traffic falls down the storm drain system to our rivers. When a fish or bird happens upon it, they ingest it or get tangled in it, placing the animal in danger of being poisoned, injured or killed in an already shrinking habitat.
Solution- Reduce and recycle-We can all make a positive change in our communities by ensuring garbage is placed in the garbage or recycle bin – there are always choices. We live in one of the cleanest countries in the world; we can all work to keep it that way.
Problem-Car fluid leaks: When a vehicle leaks onto the road, it is easily carried away with the first rainfall to our rivers. These fluids are toxic poisons for all life in our waters; in fact one drop of motor oil will make 25 liters of water undrinkable.
Solution-Walk the talk- Check for leaks from time to time and ensure your vehicle is well maintained keeping it both cost and energy efficient. Spills can be cleaned up with kitty litter, sand or sawdust then disposed of in the garbage. You can prevent wear and tear on vehicles by turning to simpler modes of transportation such as biking or walking
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