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Jenny Howell Celebrate Canadian Rivers Day and World Ocean Day June 10, 2008

Help Release Chinook for their Swim to the Pacific Ocean, Touch a Starfish, and Paint a Storm Drain

Did you know that June 8 was Canadian Rivers Day and World Ocean Day? Our rivers in this province make up so much of our history and landscapes, that it is worth taking some time to celebrate and value them and I am sure that everyone reading this has a favourite river or creek that means something special to them. It is also a great time to understand that we are all connected to the Ocean through our rivers and the salmon that swim in them.

As part of the Conservation Society's Water Wise Education Program and Scout Island Nature Centre's Salmonids Program in the schools, we teach students about water conservation, watersheds and water quality. They get to see how all our varied activities on land can affect the waterways around, and how water can collect pollutants on its journey around the water cycle. This is the water that makes up our streams and rivers, but also forms our rain, snow and our groundwater, which is often our drinking water source. After all, the planet does not make any new water, and the water we live with now is actually the same water the dinosaurs drank. It is also the same water our great grandchildren will live with, which means it is in everyone's interest to keep it as clean as possible… for our own health, and also for all other organisms and ecosystems on the planet.

One of the primary sources of pollution in our river systems comes from our storm drains. In many urban areas, storm drains collect the run-off on the roads, as well as the oil, exhaust particles, salts, fertilizers, and other pollutants that end up on our paved surfaces. These are often then emptied into the nearest creek system, which in our case is the Williams Lake River, and this conveniently moves the problem downstream. Fortunately, in Williams Lake, storm drain upgrades are planned and over the next few years untreated run-off will be diverted into retention ponds, allowing time for man-made marshes to clean the water before it re-enters the river. You may notice a yellow fish beside a storm drain near your house; these have been painted by school classes to remind home owners not to pour anything down these drains. Currently, most drains do still lead to the river, so anything you pour into the drain can have a direct effect on the fish and bugs that live in the river.

To learn more about river and ocean health, join us at the Scout Island Nature Centre on Thursday June 12 from 6:30-8:30. You will get up close to some ocean creatures visiting from Georgia Strait, help with the release of Chinook fry, and paint fish on the storm drains. For more info. on this free event for all ages, call SINC at 398-8532.

Jenny Howell, Water Wise Instructor, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society

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Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society
Unit 201, 197 2nd Ave North Williams Lake, B.C., V2G 1Z5
Phone/Fax: 250 398-7929 • ccentre@ccconserv.org • Coordinator: Marg Evans

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