Issue Number Two / Summer, 2000 Remember Us? We mailed a booklet to thousands of Burnaby residents last December, as part of the Watershed Pledge Program (WPP). Hundreds of you responded by Taking the Pledge to reduce the water pollution entering local streams and lakes. This newsletter is the second of four quarterly reports we'll be sending you to keep you informed about the program, and to update you with the latest information on water protection. Urban Streams Need Your Help! Each year, the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. compiles a list of ten endangered waterways in B.C. In recent years, ORC has often identified urban streams as one of its 10 endangered candidates. A rapidly growing population has increased urban run-off, air pollution, the removal of streamside vegetation and siltation, accounting for only some of the problems that have earned urban streams this designation. The Lower Fraser Valley once boasted over 750 streams. Now, according to a federal government report, only 106 are considered healthy, wild streams. Of the remaining waterways, about 530 are either classified as endangered or threatened, while 117 no longer exist. Taking a look at this from a fisheries perspective, the Fraser River is the largest salmon producing river in the world. Of 300 important salmon spawning streams in the Fraser River system, approximately half are found in urbanized areas of the Lower Fraser Valley. These urban streams are responsible for producing 65 per cent of the coho salmon and almost all of the chum salmon found in the Fraser Basin. This clearly shows the significance of the streams flowing through our neighbourhoods and parks: the health of our urban streams directly impacts the health of Canada's fishing industry. Fortunately, there are steps being taken to save our urban streams. All levels of government are implementing programs or enacting legislation to stem the degradation of our waterways. However, we cannot expect governments alone to solve this problem. As citizens of a watershed, each of us must take action and do our part to prevent water pollution. The action part is easy. That's where the WPP comes in. Many local residents have already registered in the program, incorporating watershed pledges into their daily activities. Talk to your neighbours, relatives and co-workers and encourage them to Taking the Pledge. If we each adopt even a few watershed pledges, we can bring new life to our local streams to help ensure they will not be endangered in the future. For more information on endangered waterways in B.C., contact the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. at (604) 737-3058. Guichon Creek is an urban stream that flows through BCIT's Burnaby campus and is the focus of a variety of rehabilitation and enhancement projects carried out by students and staff of the institute. Celebrate BC Rivers Day On Sunday, September 24th, citizens around the province will join together to celebrate the 20th annual B.C. Rivers Day. The festivities will highlight the natural, cultural and recreational values of BC's streams and rivers. Participation in this annual event has grown dramatically since its inception in 1980. The very first Rivers Day involved 40 people participating in a river front clean-up and raft trip down the Thompson River. In recent years, more than 30,000 people took part in over 130 BC community Rivers Day celebrations. B.C. Rivers Day is now the largest event of its kind in Canada. The WPP, along with its community partners, will celebrate B.C. Rivers Day at Beecher Park. Join us for a pancake breakfast, followed by fun activities for kids of all ages. Looking for more information about Rivers Day events in your area? Contact the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. at (604) 737-3058, or visit the ORC website at www.orcbc.bc.ca, for the most up-to-date listing of activities. Six Steps to Natural Lawn Care Mow high, mow often and leave the clippings. Fertilize moderately in September and May with a "natural organic" or "slow release" fertilizer. Water thoroughly, but infrequently, to encourage deeper roots. Improve lawns with aeration and overseeding. Think twice before using pesticides. Consider alternatives to lawns such as native shrubs or ground covers. Source: GVRD Natural Lawn Care Stream of Dreams The Stream of Dreams will become a reality on the eve of BC Rivers Day (Sept. 23) with the symbolic release of 5000 wooden fish. The fish will form a mural on a chain-link fence that surrounds the vacant lot on the northwest corner of Edmonds and Kingsway. The project is being driven by the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers, a volunteer community stewardship group dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Byrne Creek. Many residents and businesses are not aware that the headwaters for Byrne Creek originate in the Edmonds-Kingsway area. Of concern to the stream stewards is the fact that most of the storm drains ("the creek under the street") in the vicinity drain directly into Byrne Creek. "The goal of the project is to educate the public about their watershed, especially how storm drains relate to creeks" said Joan Carne, co-chair of the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers. "Motor oil, antifreeze, paints, fertilizers, pesticides, yard waste and animal feces that end up in Byrne Creek are primarily discharged from storm drains." According to Stream of Dreams project coordinator, Louise Towell, her vision is to 'Turn the wire fence into a vibrant creek. Plaques representing moss covered rocks, ferns, tree stumps, skunk cabbage, crayfish and dragonflies will be woven together with 5000 wooden fish." For more information on the Stream of Dreams initiative and how you can get involved, call Louise Towell at 522-2297 or Joan Carne at 433-5125. You can also visit the Stream of Dreams website: www.streamofdreams.f2s.com Did you know... 1 litre of oil poured down a storm drain can contaminate up to 7,000,000 litres of water? Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency Graphic: Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Creek Speak A Regular Report on Stream Stewardship in Burnaby What's up on Eagle Creek? What? You didn't know there are fish in Eagle Creek? Yes, there certainly are and lots of them! Not to mention herons, sparrows, chickadees, squirrels, raccoons, frogs and of course, eagles. And the Eagle Creek Streamkeepers are determined to make sure that they stay happy, healthy and plentiful. If you want to catch a glimpse of the fish, take a close look at the creek flowing through Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. Be patient, they may be hard to spot, but you'll no doubt be rewarded by a view of many tiny, and not so tiny, cutthroat trout, stickleback and maybe one or two crayfish. If you're really lucky, you may also spot some young coho salmon. The Eagle Creek Streamkeepers were formed in the fall of 1997, by a few concerned citizens living in the Eagle Creek area. You may have seen us around. We have participated in several community events including BC Rivers Day and Environment Week. We provide the public of all ages with a variety of resource materials, including educational brochures, posters and fun interactive games that promote environmental awareness. Our Streamkeepers group has hosted several creek clean-ups that have yielded some unusual items: a coffee maker, stoves, cell phones and construction materials are but a few of the items removed from Eagle Creek. We even found a car in the creek, but it had become to embedded in the bank to remove. Recently, the Burnaby Now newspaper published a front page photograph showing the mountain of garbage removed from the section of Eagle Creek located below Broadway during this year's Environment Week. Our members have also conducted stream-monitoring workshops for the local Girl Guides and Brownies. The youth are trained to do water quality tests and collect and analyze aquatic insects to determine stream ecosystem health. Other projects have included the Eagle Creek "Coho Craze", where we released coho fry into the stream. Our group participated in a two day event at Science World to showcase our interactive educational exhibit. We are actively engaged in environmental advocacy and forming partnerships with other stewardship groups. One of our partners, the City of Burnaby, has been very supportive of our efforts. You'll notice the Eagle Creek Streamkeepers name on signs that were recently erected by the City throughout the watershed. You can see that our group has been quite busy, but our work has only just begun. We're currently looking to initiate some stream enhancement habitat projects and of course, sign up new members. If you would like to join the Eagle Creek Streamkeepers or just find out more information on what we do, call Anita Bedo at 666-2473 or e-mail at bedoa@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. We look forward to hearing from you. Until then, enjoy Eagle Creek and happy fish viewing. Watershed Fun for Kids Environment Canada has developed an exciting website for kids offering a range of topics relating to watershed issues. The Sturgeon General Reports on the Health of Our Rivers is suitable for children aged 8-12 and is available in English or French. The website focuses on learning about sustainable ecosystems in the Fraser River Watershed and how to keep the watershed healthy. Children can access a wide collection of stories, reports, activities and other information on environmental issues. While having fun, kids will also be using skills in critical thinking, communication and environmental citizenship. Check out the Sturgeon Generals site: www.sturgeongeneral.org Grab Your Gumboots and Join In! Burnaby is blessed with several "Streamkeeper" groups that protect and enhance urban streams — jump in! Beecher Creek Streamkeepers Contact: Jim Atwater, 294-3395 Lubbocks Creek Streamkeepers Contact: Harry Karmitsa, 540-4649 Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Contact: Joan Carne, 433-5125 Sapperton Fish and Game Club Contact: Elmer Rudolph, 521-3346 Eagle Creek Streamkeepers Contact: Anita Bedo, 666-2473 Stoney Creek Environment Committee Contact: Jennifer Atchison, 420-9132 Brunette Basin/Burnaby Area Stewardship Coordinator Contact: John Saremba, 421-0351 Upcoming Events Look for the BCIT Watershed Pledge Program Display at these upcoming events: Rivers Week Kick-off Monday, Sept. 18, 2000 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Guichon Creek, BCIT Burnaby Campus Phone: 432-8750 Fraser 2000 Spirit of the Salmon Swim Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Fraser Foreshore Park Kimberly Flick City of Burnaby Coordinator Phone: 294-7420 Stream of Dreams Event Saturday, Sept. 23, 2000 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. NW corner-Kingsway &Edmonds Phone: 522-2297 Rivers Day at Beecher Park Sunday, Sept. 24, 2000 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Beecher Park Kimberly Flick City of Burnaby Coordinator Phone: 294-7420 More Water-Friendly Publications Waterwise Gardening Greater Vancouver Regional District. 1999 Cost: Free (call 436-6795) Lawn Care Made Easy Greater Vancouver Regional District. 1995 Cost: Free (call 436-6795) Waterways of Burnaby (Poster) City of Burnaby Cost: Free (call 294-7420) Pledge Program Background Project Scope The Watershed Pledge Program (WPP) was launched in the fall of 1999. Based on a successful model developed in Whatcom County Washington, the program provides Burnaby residents with practical actions they can take toward improving water quality. The WPP presently targets residents, but in future will be expanded to Burnaby schools and businesses. The target population lives within the Brunette River Watershed, the largest watershed in Greater Vancouver. However, the project also seeks to educate people outside the watershed via our web site, public events, and media promotion. The WPP will hopefully serve as a model for future education programs in other municipalities across BC. Our program has already inspired similar initiatives in Abbotsford and Portland, Oregon. If you’re interested in bringing the program to your community, contact Tom Saare or Bob Gunn at BCIT (604-432-8750). Pledge Program Milestones May 2000 — First WPP spring newsletter published. WPP participates in the following community events: Kanaka Creek Goodbye Chums Burnaby Rhododendron Festival GVRD Drinking Water Week The Great Salmon Send-off Burnaby Arts Alive 2000 Environment Week BCIT Tech Centre Open House Burnaby's Discovery Days Hundreds of people are now enrolled in the WPP from watersheds throughout B.C. How to Find Us Ph: (604) 432-8750 Fax: (604) 432-9046 Mailing Address: Watershed Pledge Program BCIT, Fish, Wildlife & Recreation Program 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC, V5G 3H2 Archive Issue Number One / Spring, 2000
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