Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away. It will reduce acid rain, which is one of our biggest problems. 7 Ways You Can Help Keep Lakes And Rivers Clean And Pollutant Free 1. Parks with rivers running through them are good options since you won’t... 2. ‘Don’t be a Tosser!’ It’s a simple message, but many people make excuses to justify their littering behaviour. We want to protect the planet and reduce our collective carbon footprint. T he river Ganga originates in the Himalayas, roughly three hundred miles north of Delhi and five miles south of India’s border with Tibet, where it emerges from an ice shrouded cave called Gaumukh and is known as the Bhagirathi. Ideally, we should all be doing our part to keep our earth clean by not disposing of trash in places they do not belong, like in the river. 4 Essential Tips to Build an Eco-Friendly Home, Falling in Love with Fall with Raw Apple Crumble. Save money by converting your home to solar power. Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs. P: (303) 730-0434. Shade can reduce temperatures in small rivers by on average 2- 3C compared to … Out on vacation, everyone loves sending a picture postcard of a pristine mountain lake to a friend with an inscription like, “Having a great time. The water that goes your channels will, in the end, flow into rivers, lakes, and bays. If we add one teaspoon of salt to this Olympic-size swimming pool of ocean water, the ocean water stays ocean water. Nutrients from grass and leaves, pet waste, and fertilizers "enrich" our lakes and streams — feeding algae blooms and harming fish. Let's see what just one teaspoon of salt can do. Also, many areas are allowing households to buy their electricity from sustainable sources. Bring garbage bags, sharps containers, and gloves. All you need to do is follow these 7 ways to help keep lakes and rivers clean and pollutant free. One of the biggest threats to water quality comes from aging infrastructure. One of the biggest threats to water quality comes from aging infrastructure. Utilize biodegradable cleaning items. Eleven miles downstream, gray-blue with glacial silt, it reaches the small temple town of Gangotri. Choose a location that is easy to access. Challenge yourself to take a shorter shower every day. When oil leaks from our cars it is eventually sent down storm drains and ends up in the watershed. Frequent your local farmer’s market and find organic farmers. During the winter of 2018-2019, one million tons of salt were applied to icy roads in the state of Pennsylvania alone. Go with natural fertilizers and bug killers and even then, stick to the directions and make sure you aren’t overusing or applying on days when they are likely to be quickly washed away by rain. Greener Ideal helps you live in more sustainable ways with green living tips, commentary on the latest environment news, green product reviews, healthy recipes, and more. Find out which species are considered to be invasive here. Murray River Council is targeting litter reduction in 2020 and you can be part of the solution. With the busy summer season comes increased pressure on our natural areas and watercourses including the Similkameen River. These are 5 Questions You Must Consider. Your local environmental health agency, garbage hauler or solid waste department probably has drop-off locations or specially scheduled pickups for toxic household chemicals, like solvents, motor oil and paint. But when you do, keep in mind that our storm drains dump directly into local rivers and lakes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At first, you can start small and just take care of your own household. Below Gangotri, the river’s path is one of increasing degradation. Greener Ideal helps you live your life in more sustainable ways with green living tips and commentary on the latest environment news. STEP 1: PLAN YOUR CLEANUP Choose a Site First, look for an area where there is a lot of litter (sadly, all too easy to find). Chemicals from washing your car in the drive and household chemical spills add up, taking a nasty toll on our favorite swimming areas and fishing spots. The salt from industrial uses like this often ends up in freshwater rivers, making their water undrinkable and contributing to a growing global crisis. So, anything that does down that drain ends up in the rivers where we swim, fish, and canoe. You have entered an incorrect email address! Fun Fact: If you were to compare the relative volume of ocean water to fresh river water on our planet, the former would be an Olympic-sized swimming pool — and the latter would be a one-gallon jug. There are many ways to keep our rivers clean. – Rehabilitate the water sources. Practice cutting your showers down to 10 minutes, then 7, then 5. Second, walk at least a stretch of the area to see how accessible it is for a group cleanup effort. Let's take a look. Plant a rain garden, use a rain barrel to catch water from your roof, consider using permeable pavement in your driveway – runoff that stays on your property will not wash contaminants into streams and other surface waters. – Keep on educating your fellow communities about the importance of looking after the environment. Forty-six percent are polluted to the point where they’re unsafe for fishing, swimming or supporting normal aquatic life. Doing business with them helps keep fertilizers and pesticides out of the environment and it also reduces the need to truck food over long distances, which reduces all the pollution associated with transportation. How Does Colorado's Infrastructure Rate? Also, use natural cleaning products around the house. Tuesday 24 December 2019. Take your trash – keep our rivers clean; Share: Take your trash – keep our rivers clean. The chemistry of our freshwater lakes and streams gets totally out of whack and fish kills are common, along with a host of other problems. Wetlands act as a natural filter that keeps chemicals, excess nutrients and sediment from continuing through the water system, according to the Ecological Society of America. Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs. We all see those oil spots on driveways and parking lots. In the same way that dripping automotive oil ends up in the watershed, so does a large amount of the fertilizers and pesticides you use in your garden. Keep paved surfaces to a minimum. Don’t overuse … Every time you flush your toilet or leave the water running while you’re brushing your teeth, it increases the load on your sewer system. Thinking of Going Solar? 5. ‘Don’t be a Tosser!’ It’s a simple message, but many people make excuses to … If you live in an area where the utilities burn coal, switch to a green energy supplier. Today there's a call for urgent action to Keep Rivers Cool by planting broadleaf native trees alongside river banks, creating dappled shading and stopping water from warming up. Review the 2020 Colorado Flood Hazard Zone Delineation Protocol. Organise “My Drains Day” to keep our drains free from rubbish What Will Further Accelerate the Advancement of Solar Power? Use environmentally safe cleaning products. Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves. Use less water. If you aim higher, you can start picking up trash from rivers but also start informing people on how to keep our water sources clean. In June last year one of our members Kevin Bassford collected a bucket full of rubbish whilst on one of his marathon paddles in the upper reaches of the Swan River. 1. Never dump wastes into a storm … Tina Arrowood shares a three-step plan to keep salt out of rivers - and create a circular salt economy that turns industrial byproducts into valuable resources. River gets polluted because of drainage of unfiltered sewage water of the city, drainage of chemical water from factories situated near the bank, dumping of all the unused chemical substances directly into the river which makes the river unhealthy for every other purposes like cultivation, drinking water, bathing, etc. In soils with artificial drainage systems, this nitrate is conducted directly to streams and rivers. In some places, these systems date back to the time of the Civil War. Recent Posts See All. In a series of short articles, we will provide advice on helping to maintain the health of our globally rare chalk streams and lowland rivers in Norfolk. The Village of Keremeos, the Town of Princeton and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) are reminding residents and visitors to help keep our rivers clean. How can we better protect these precious natural resources? Call. Compost yard waste and make sure it’s in bins so it doesn’t wash away during a heavy rain. We may collect a share of sales from items linked to on this page. These are starting to turn up in local drinking water supplies. Dry your equipment for at least 48 hours before entering another watercourse. We’re targeting litter reduction in 2020 and you can be part of the solution. The quality of river water is essential, as the balance of the environment depends on it.Image source: 1, 2. Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away. Safer substitutes, like vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, salt, borax, olive oil and cedar chips can get the job done just as well as their more hazardous counterparts. Treating rivers like that old rug has severe consequences. Tuesday July 7th, 2020. Most of the garbage you encounter will be safe to … The river basin is the land surrounding a river and all water over the said area feeds... 2. If you need help finding a cleanup site, please contact a local watershed association or outfitter, or American Rivers at www.AmericanRivers.org/Cleanup. Don’t dump anything down storm drains. Go to any river or lake popular with fishermen and you’ll find plastic wrappers from lures and bait at the water’s edge. It flows right into our lakes and rivers. Individuals can accomplish a lot by doing their personal best to keep our rivers and lakes clean and pollutant free, however, the biggest problems are with industry and agriculture. In Your Yard. Follow us! What is a Smart City and How Will They Help the... 4 Simple Ways to Unclog a Drain Without Harmful Chemicals. – KidsMakeADifference, TubShroom and SinkShroom Review: Say Goodbye to Drain Cleaner Forever, Increase in Wildlife Tourism: A positive step towards conservation. Also, don’t flush unused medicines down the toilet. Water it in the morning and evening to save water from evaporation, and avoid watering sidewalks or other paved areas. Also, be careful while adding oil and make sure any used oil is properly recycled. So as you prepare your lawn and garden this year, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us. “Keep our River Clean” day Saturday 21 st April 2018! Top 10 ways to save our rivers 1. Get to know your river basin Remember to keep our rivers clean! So as you prepare your lawn and garden this year, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us. Never dump waste into a storm drain at the side of the road. Tips for choosing a site can be found in the Helpful Hints section of this guide. How to keep our lakes and rivers clean At Home. When you utilize biodegradable cleaning items, you are making a vote to ensure nature in a manner of speaking. Do a little research and plug into the system. Too much organic material clogs streams and when it breaks down, it can upset up the water chemistry. Find the best way to dispose of them locally. Public Review of the Colorado Flood Hazard Zone Delineation and Protocol . You do, keep in mind that our storm drains dump directly into local rivers and.! Rivers and lakes to get a huge dose of nitrogen which makes algae grow abnormally our biggest problems of... Nitrogen which makes algae grow abnormally solution for clean rivers is to go to a commercial wash.!, be careful while adding oil and make sure any used oil is properly recycled email... 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