By Tom Mark

Elementary Students Help Keep Kalamalka Lake Clean

Apr 24, 2018 | 7:36 AM

Motorists are being asked to watch out for children participating in the Yellow Fish Road Watershed Awareness Program today and tomorrow around Middleton Mountain.

The Program is designed to spread awareness of how what we do on land impacts our water.

Drains from Middleton Mountain flow towards Kalamalka Lake and Vernon Creek, and any litter or contaminates on the land flow down the drain with the stormwater.

Elementary students will paint yellow fish near storm drains as a reminder that residents should do what they can to avoid polluting our waterways.

The students are being supported by the Allan Brooks Nature Trailer Team

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Meanwhile, the Regional District of North Okanagan has some suggestion on what you can do to keep drains free of chemicals and other hazardous waste.

– Wash vehicles with a sponge or cloth instead of the hose, or on the grass instead of the pavement, to prevent oil and gas from being washed into drains. Car washes are also a waterwise choice, as the wash water is collected and goes to the sewage treatment plant.
– Avoid using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Many pollinators rely on early season blooms like dandelions, so choosing to leave these plants will save your time and help our bees. If applied incorrectly or too much, residual chemicals will runoff to our waterways. Algae blooms, a problem for our drinking water as well as wildlife, are linked to nutrient loading (phosphorous and nitrogen) from fertilizers.
– Bag pet waste and put it in the garbage. Dog feces is one of the top pollutants in Coldstream Creek and other waterways.

by Tom Mark