Yellow Fish Road Program
The Yellow Fish RoadTM Program is now in Burlington!
What is Yellow Fish RoadTM?
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 properly disposing of hazardous wastes, by painting yellow fish near storm drains and distributing fish-shaped brochures.
Since the programs inception in 1991, Youth Groups all over Canada have :
- distributed 1 million fish hangers
- marked 100,000 storm drains across the country with 60,000 volunteers participating
Yellow Fish RoadTM is so effective because children reinforce the knowledge they have gained by taking action to help ensure clean water in their community.
Yellow Fish RoadTM has been initiated internationally - including countries like the US, Australia and Scotland.
What's a Storm Drain?
Storm water is the water from rainstorms or melting snow that drains into catch basins or storm drains.
Storm drains or catch basins 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 pick up debris and flows untreated into the storm drains.
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.
Here's How it 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 the largest 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 result in unsafe drinking water in our homes.
Why Yellow Fish RoadTM?
Fish, and 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.
How does the program work?
The Yellow Fish RoadTM program is a fun, participatory 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 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 RoadTM.
The impact of this program can be enormous. If the Yellow Fish RoadTM 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.
Great! You've decided to do the Yellow Fish Road ProgramTM. What's next?
Choose a Burlington neighbourhood along with possible dates for painting and contact the City of Burlington. Staff will provide further information, equipment and advice on how to organize your Yellow Fish RoadTM day.
Please contact Lynn at 905.335.7600 extension 7931. Or send an e-mail to yellowfishroad@burlington.ca.
What else do I need to know?
Download the Yellow Fish RoadTM Program Guide for more information. Please note that a volunteer agreement must be signed before you receive your supplies.