Yellow Fish Road™
Presentation Notes
Slide 1
- The Yellow Fish Road™ program was developed by Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC), in the early 90’s. Based out of Calgary, TUC has shared this program with partners like the TRCA across Canada and even internationally.
Slide 2
- What is a healthy watershed? (5 min)
- The water cycle and pollution (5 min)
- Taking Action!
• The Yellow Fish Road™ Program (10 min)
• Safety First! (5 min)
• How else can you help? (5 min)
- Thank you!
Slide 3
- A watershed is an area of land where all of the water (rain, run-off, groundwater, etc.) drains to a common point, usually a river or lake.
Slide 4
- Ask the audience what you would expect to find in a healthy watershed
- Possible answers: clean water (not to be confused with clear water as this may not necessarily mean it’s clean), rocks, trees, and animals – ask what kinds of animals specifically.
Slide 5
- Mammals like us require clean water to drink, but many also live in or near the water. If time permits, ask the audience if they can identify the mammals in the slide.
- Pictured: Otters, Beavers, Muskrats, and Raccoons
- Note: click the slide a second time to reveal the labels for the pictures in the slides
Slide 6
- Many fish call the watersheds of Southern Ontario home. Ask if there are any fisher-people in the audience and see if they can identify these fish.
- One of the major threats to these fish is “thermal” pollution. Most of the pictured fish are cold-water adapted. As rainwater falls on our cities, it absorbs heat from the many roads and rooftops that cover our urban areas. This “run-off” can be several degrees warmer than the normal seasonal water temperatures. When run-off water flows into our local rivers and streams, it alters the preferred habitats of these animals and may lead to stress or even death.
- Pictured: Rainbow Trout, Chinook Salmon, and Largemouth Bass
Slide 7
- Amphibians are very sensitive to water pollution due to their habitually aquatic lifestyle and semi-permeable skin. Most amphibians can exchange gases through their skin and likewise can easily absorb contaminants in the water. For this reason, they are often described as “indicator species”, meaning that their status in an ecosystem can give you a good indication of the health of that ecosystem.
- Pictured: American Bullfrog, Blue-spotted Salamander, and Eastern Newt
Slide 8
- Because reptiles are exothermic (cold-blooded) we have fewer reptile species in Canada than warmer countries to the south. Ontario boasts dozens of species of turtles and snakes, but only one species of lizard, the Five-lined Skink.
- Pictured: Snapping Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Northern Water Snake, and Five-lined Skink
Slide 9
- Birds are one of the most visible types of wildlife that we have here in Ontario, and there are a lot of them! Did you know that there are more species of bird in the world, about 10,000, than there are of any other vertebrate (backboned) animal? To compare, mammals include only about 5700 species, including of course Homo sapiens – humans!
- Pictured: Kingfisher, Mallard, Killdeer, and Great Blue Heron
Slide 10
- Invertebrates are very important to the health of an aquatic ecosystem. They are at the base of the food chain and without them, many of the animals we’ve seen in the previous slides wouldn’t exist. A lot of these invertebrates are also indicator species.
- Pictured: Clearwater Crayfish, Water Boatmen, and Green Darner Dragonfly
Slide 11
- Plants form the other major base of the food chain. Some plants, like phytoplankton, are so small that we can’t even see them. There are lots of plants that have adapted to live really close to or even in the water. Willows are water-loving trees; Northern Blue Flags are Iris that love the moist soil on the riverbank, while both Cattails and Pond Lilies live right in the water! These plants not only provide food and habitat for many animals, but they also help to filter out contaminants in the water with their extensive, fibrous root systems.
- Pictured: Black Willows, Blue Flag Iris, Yellow Pond Lily, and Cattail
Slide 12
- Humans use water in a variety of ways. Drinking, recreation like swimming and boating, and washing things like our food, bodies, clothes, and cars are all activities that we like or need to do.
Slide 13
- Most of you are probably familiar with the term “Water Cycle”. Terms like evaporation, precipitation and condensation are part of this movement of water. Here are some new ones you may not be familiar with but are also important to know:
o Infiltration is the downward movement of water through the soil. When water infiltrates, it goes through a filtration process and ends up at the water table cleaner than it was when it first entered the soil.
o Transpiration involves how a plant breathes. They exchange gases, including water vapour, through their leaves!
- What’s most important to understand is that water is always moving – up, down, out, in, sideways. As it moves it may also take any pollution that’s mixed with it. That means that just like water, pollution rarely stays in one place. Scientists have tracked coal from power plants in China all the way to Inuit communities in the far North!
Slide 14
- Ask the audience what happens when it rains in a forest? Where does all of that water go?
- Possible Answers: absorbed by the plants, sucked down into the soil, run-off into the river, evaporates from puddles, etc.
Slide 15
- Ask the audience what happens when it rains in a city? Is there a lot of open soil or plants?
- Answer: No, most of this rain water lands on the roofs of buildings, or the hard surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
Slide 16
- After it hits the roof, it travels down the eavestrough and into the downspout (pictured). It then continues down the driveway and down the curb…
Slide 17
- …into the storm drain, out the outfall pipes (ask the kids if they have ever seen one of these before) and into the creek, or river.
Slide 18
- Sometimes this water gets polluted, and in some cases it actually becomes dangerous for us to swim in! Ask the audience what they think is causing this pollution. The answers can be found on the following slide
Slide 19
- Garbage and litter are problems because they impede the function of the storm drain. When the drains are too clogged with debris, this can flood not only the roads but people’s houses as well.
- Soaps and detergents most commonly get into the water like this (point out picture on slide). Washing your car on the driveways is basically the same as washing it directly in the lake, because that’s where all of the run-off water ends up. Many detergents contain phosphates, compounds that encourage the growth of an aquatic plant called algae. Algae is the same plant that makes a fish tank slimy if you don’t clean it often enough. This plant is fine in small amounts but with an infusion of these phosphates, which is essentially fertilizer for these plants, they can grow very rapidly out of control. This plant will crowd out all others in the water. Even worse, when it starts to die off, its decomposition will de-oxygenate the water, making it very difficult for the invertebrates, fish and amphibians to survive there. This is called “eutrophication”.
- Looking for alternatives to washing your car on your driveway? Take your car to the car wash. Car washes by law have to be hooked up to the sewage system. Water that passes through the sewage system will get cleaned by municipal waste water treatment plants. Some even recycle the water on the spot. You can also buy biodegradable soaps which will break-down in the environment before they can negatively impact it. Look for the biodegradable label on the container. Finally, you can wash your car on the lawn. That way, infiltration will take care of most of the soap and dirt coming off of your car before it gets to the storm drain. Don’t worry, if done in moderation, it won’t hurt your lawn.
- Road salt is an issue here in Ontario with our cold icy winters. Some municipalities are looking into using alternatives such as beet juice to help melt the ice. Some regions, like the Region of Peel, have a policy to proactively apply a salty brine, or liquid to their roads before ice has the chance to form. It takes a lot less salt to prevent the ice from forming than it does to melt it after it has frozen solid.
- Pools are frequently drained into the storm drains. Pools contain chemicals like chlorine, which are designed to kill bacteria and other animal life including invertebrates – the very same invertebrates we want in our rivers! Draining onto your lawn is an alternative, although that’s not an option for most people. Have a professional service remove the water and dispose of it responsibly.
- Car Fluids commonly find their way into our waterways. Gasoline, diesel, motor oil, windshield washer fluid, coolant, and antifreeze are all potentially hazardous to our ecosystem. Make sure that your vehicle is properly maintained and checked regularly for leaks. If you want to change the oil yourself, capture the old oil and take it to a hazardous waste depot. Many auto shops and retail stores will also take this used oil as well, usually at no charge. Remember, one drop of oil will make 25 litres of water undrinkable!
- Any household hazardous waste should be taken to the local hazardous waste depot and never be poured down the storm drain or sewage pipes. This includes paint, paint thinner, varnish, cleaners, bleaches, combustibles, toxic or poisonous chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, etc.
- Over-fertilizing can lead to eutrophication of the lake or river. Eutrophication means an increase in algae at the expense of other organisms in the water and a general reduction in water quality.
- For the same reason we don’t want pools draining into our storm drains, we don’t want pesticides in there either.
Slide 20
- So how are we going to help?
Slide 21
- The Yellow Fish Road™ Program!
Slide 22
- Each group of six will receive one Yellow Fish Road™ Kit (pictured). Make sure each kit has a paint roller, a broom, one or two pairs of gloves, paint, a clipboard with data sheet, a stencil, and several dozen fish flyers. Additionally, each group will carry two pylons and each group member will wear a safety vest.
Slide 23
- Each group will have 4 orange pylons with reflective tape
- Before beginning to paint, place two pylons on the curb 1m away from either side of the storm drain
- Place the remaining two pylons 1m apart on the curb in the area leading up to the storm drain.
- Once the pylons are in place, the safety guards can take up their positions on either side of the storm drain
- When you go outside there is a role for each person in the group. The roles are interchangeable so everyone should have a chance to do each of them. The roles are as follows…
Slide 24
- The first role is the Road Guards. There will be two, one for each side of the storm drain. These “Safety Superheroes” must protect their citizens (the other participants). Taking a pylon each they will stand on the curb and place their pylon on the curb, one on each side of the drain. The other two pylons should be placed 1m apart on the curb in the area leading up to the storm drain. Once the pylons are in place they will then stand on the curb and watch both sides of the road for traffic, warning their team if cars get too close.
- Note: They should not flag down any vehicles nor step onto the road at any time.
Slide 25
- The Brushers will use the broom and clean the part of the curb that will be painted. This is the curb that is immediately adjacent to the storm drain, and not the road or the drain itself. Once clean of debris, the brusher will hold the stencil in place for the painter. If there are two pairs of gloves in your kit the brusher and the painter should wear them.
- The Painter will take the paint and drop a small amount (about loonie-sized) in the centre of the stencil. They will then roll the paint evenly with the roller. Downward force helps make the image sharp and crisp. When done, the Brusher will fold the stencil inwards to keep the wet side from making a mess.
Slide 26
- Please note where the fish has been painted. It is not on the road. It is not on the driveway or sidewalk. It is not on the drain. It is on the curb above the drain!
Slide 27
- While the others are painting, one adult (if there is a second adult in the group) and two group members will take the fish hangers and distribute them to each house along the painting route.
- Delivery Rules (for children)
o Stay within sight of your adult supervisor!
o Stay on the same block as the painting crew.
o Go to the door in teams of two.
o If you think the house is unsafe for ANY REASON, do not put a hanger there.
- Deliver Fish Hangers (in order of preference):
o In the mailbox
o Under a floor mat (have the fish’s head sticking out, so that the home-owner can find it)
o On the doorknob