Yellow Fish Road
The Yellow Fish RoadTM program is a national environmental education program led by Trout Unlimited Canada. Since 1991, tens of thousands of Canadians have participated in the Yellow Fish RoadTM program to learn about the impact their community has on the local water supply. Participants remind their community of the importance of clean water and the proper use of products and disposal of wastes by painting yellow fish near storm drains and distributing fish-shaped brochures.
Why is the Yellow Fish RoadTM important?
In most municipalities, water and materials entering storm drains do not get treated at waste water treatment facilities before entering the river.
Storm drains located at the edge of roadways or in parking lots were designed to carry storm water only(rain water or melting snow). Things like excess pesticide and fertilizer, motor oil, litter, soap from washing your car on the driveway, and especially dog poop end up in our streams, rivers, and lakes through storm drains. This creates an unhealthy environment for the animals living in or around water such as fish and birds. This type of pollution can also reduce the quality of your local drinking water source.
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 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 resources. 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 huge! 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 drinking water source, commerce, recreation and improves the habitat for aquatic species.
Since 2005, schools and community groups all over Canada have marked 45,000 drains and distributed 175,000 hangers to residents.
How can I participate in the Yellow Fish RoadTM program?
The City of Windsor is a new official partner of the Yellow Fish RoadTM program. The City of Windsor will supply all the materials needed to participate.
The Yellow Fish RoadTM program is a great way to promote awareness with various groups such as school classes, school green teams, after school programs, Girl Guides, Scouts, neighbourhood groups, corporate groups and home schoolers participating across the country.
If you are interested in this program, please contact the City of Windsor at (519) 253-7111 ext. 3226 or krichters@citywindsor.ca.
Visit the Yellow Fish RoadTM website to learn more. The website is full of information for educators (e.g. teachers, girl guide leaders, etc.).