Photo supplied.
The Yellow Fish Road Program™
Early this fall of 2021, Trout Unlimited Millbrook, partnering with Otonabee Region Conservation Authority and Girl Guide Canada, will bring to the community the Yellow Fish Road ProgramTM. This unique program builds on caring for our most precious resource, water.
Millbrook is blessed with clean, cold, freshwater streams originating from the Oak Ridges Moraine. The streams follow a winding path through rural areas east of the Village of Millbrook and through the urban center of the village. In the village, when it rains or the snow melts, water rapidly runs off driveways, parking lots, streets and sidewalks picking up household pollutants, and then flows into storm drains and directly into streams without treatment. Common pollutants in our storm water include soap, cleaners, pet waste, herbicides, used motor oil and other automotive fluids, paint and solvents. This can harm fish, wildlife and reduce water quality for human use.
Developed by Trout Unlimited Canada, The Yellow Fish Road Program TM. is Canada’s premier water education program targeted to reduce water pollution. It is an action-oriented program that gets children and youth involved in their community, making a difference to the water they use. The program offers first- hand experiences that help participants understand their connection to water and how our storm drains are often linked to local streams without any purification or treatment.
Children and community organizations will take part in The Yellow Fish Road Program TM by painting bright yellow fish near local storm drains in the downtown area and nearby subdivisions to highlight catch basins that drain directly into nearby Millbrook streams. Educational door hangers will be distributed to nearby homes to inform residents about why the fish have appeared in their neighborhood, and what they can do to help reduce pollutants entering our natural waters.
Our community depends on clean local water, it connects and sustains us. Trout Unlimited Millbrook is excited to be a community partner through The Yellow Fish Road Program TM to help reduce storm water pollution, protect our local streams, foster youth community action and build informed citizenry in caring for and protecting our water.
by Trout Unlimited, Millbrook Chapter
