Canadians in Action What you can do |
Stream CareDo not disturb natural streamside vegetation. Trees and shrubs shade streams, keeping the water temperature cool for fish. Insects fall off the vegetation and into the water, providing food for the fish. Leave natural debris, such as stumps, fallen trees or boulders in streams. Fish use these as part of their habitat, as a source of food and as cover from predators. Trees should only be removed when they block the passage of fish. Plant vegetation on the sides of a stream to stabilize its banks. Any plants that have roots that spread help strengthen stream banks and prevent them from being washed away during floods. Contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada for extra help when you want to go gardening along a stream. Use extra care when clearing land or when building near streams. Heavy equipment in streams can ruin spawning gravel, destroy fish habitat, and damage stream banks. Keep muddy runoff water from construction sites out of streams. Water that is brown with sediment can smother fish eggs that are incubating in the gravel. Insect larvae and other sources of fish food can also be buried, causing fish to go hungry. Limit work on stream banks to the drier months. Stream banks can be easily damaged during the rainy season. Heavy rainfall can soften and wash down stream banks, sending mud and soil into the stream where it buries eggs, spawning gravel and food sources. Don't dig holes or try to redirect the flow of a stream. Digging in a stream can destroy spawning areas. Fish may be stranded if the flow of the stream is changed. Do not catch small fish and move them to another stream or pond or take them home. If fish are moved, they may spread diseases from stream to stream. If they are removed from a stream or pond, there may not be enough fish left to continue the species. For these reasons, it is illegal to catch fish and move them to other streams. Keep pets and livestock away from streams. Livestock should not be allowed to graze on stream banks because they trample on and destroy vegetation or walk through and ruin spawning gravel. Dogs should be controlled near streams -- sometimes they chase spawning fish and they can stir up mud and silt in the stream. Remove garbage from the stream area. Litter in streams can ruin the water, and may make the water toxic to fish and wildlife that use it. The beauty of a stream is also spoiled by garbage in the water or on its banks. Keep household chemicals out of streams. Never
dump chemicals near a stream bank or into a ditch or storm drain.
Stream banks are porous and chemicals soon leach into the water.
Ditches and storm drains are intended to carry rainwater away. They
discharge it, untreated, into nearby streams. If soap suds, waste
oil, gasoline, anti-freeze or other chemicals get into streams with
the rainwater, they pollute the water and kill fish. |