The Yellow Fish RoadTM program is a nation-wide environmental education initiative launched by Trout Unlimited Canada in 1991. Since 1991, thousands of Canadian youth have participated in the Yellow Fish RoadTM program to learn about their water supply and the impact their community has on the supply of clean water. Participants remind their community of the importance of clean water and the proper disposal of hazardous wastes by painting yellow fish near storm drains and distributing fish-shaped brochures. Since the program began, youth groups all over Canada have distributed 1 million fish hangers and marked 100,000 storm drains with the help of 60,000 volunteers. The photo shows participants in the Town's "Teen Adventure Program" taking part in Yellow Fish RoadTM, in the summer of 2005.
How can I participate in the Yellow Fish RoadTM program?
Choose a neighbourhood along with possible dates for painting and contact the Town of Oakville. The Town will provide further information, equipment and advice on how to organize your Yellow Fish RoadTM day. Download a volunteer agreement form (pdf, 76 kB), program guide (pdf, 1.5 mB) and kit booking form (pdf, 100 kB).
Contact the Town of Oakville at:
905-845-6601, ext. 3948
yellowfishroad@oakville.ca
How does the program work?
The Yellow Fish RoadTM program is a fun and interactive way to teach the importance of clean water and to demonstrate how decisions made by one person can make a difference to a whole community. The program is so effective because children reinforce the knowledge they have gained by taking action to help ensure that there is clean water in their community. Yellow Fish RoadTM has been initiated internationally in countries including the United States, Australia and Scotland.
The program has two components:
- Learning - Participants find their local water supply then explore how hazardous wastes can find their way into this water source.
- Action - Participants "make a difference" by painting yellow fish near storm drains to serve as a reminder that any materials entering the storm drain affect our water sources. Participants also distribute "fish hangers" on doors in the neighbourhood to educate the community about their actions and the rationale behind Yellow Fish RoadT.
The impact of this program can be enormous. If the Yellow Fish RoadTM program prevents one person from pouring a litre of paint down a storm drain, this directly benefits the community's water source for drinking water, commerce and recreation. It also provides tremendous benefits to animal and aquatic species who use the river for food, shelter and reproductive purposes.
Why is Yellow Fish RoadTM important?
In most municipalities, water and materials entering storm drains do not get filtered at a water treatment plant before entering our streams and rivers. Unlike the drains in our sinks and toilets, storm water drains directly into the local waterbody.
What is storm water and what is a storm drain?
Storm water is the water from rainstorms or melting snow that drains into catch basins or storm drains. Storm drains are located along the edges of roadways. Rainwater is collected by the storm drains and flows in an underground pipe system exiting via an outfall into local creeks, streams, rivers or lakes. Water flowing over lawns, driveways, gardens, roadways and sidewalks picks up debris and flows untreated into the storm drains. Learn more about Storm Water Management.
How polluted storm water flows:
Non-point source pollution is pollution spread over a large area, like storm water runoff. This type of pollution is hard to trace and is a large contributor to urban water pollution. Hazardous materials, such as pesticides, soap, motor oil and fertilizers that enter storm drains will end up in our streams and rivers. This can create an unhealthy environment for aquatic animals, such as fish. Hazardous household wastes can also affect water quality and pollute our sources of drinking water.
Why Yellow Fish RoadTM?
Fish, in particular rainbow trout, are remarkable indicator species. Rainbow trout can act as the "canaries in the coal mine." Once trout are unable to frequent an area, it is an indicator that the water in that area is unsafe for human use.
For more information:
Visit www.yellowfishroad.org.
Yellow Fish RoadTM partners:
City of Burlington
Region of Halton
Conservation Halton
Field and Stream Rescue Team
Yellow Fish RoadTM for teachers:
Teachers, please visit www.green-street.ca for program details.
