Displaying items by tag: algae bloom

PORTLAND, July 18, 2022 – The village of Portland has been invaded by a new type of yellow fish – but this species is here to help. 

The Yellow Fish Road project is just one aspect of a larger sustainable drainage pilot program kicking off this summer, thanks to funding from the Township of Rideau Lakes and support from the Big Rideau Lake Association and Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority. The freshly painted roadside fish are meant to remind residents that storm drains are directly connected to our local lakes, rivers and streams – and that chemicals, fertilizers and feces should be kept well away for the health of the water and the community. 

This summer, staff from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) are investigating novel ways to divert and capture runoff to reduce nutrients reaching Big Rideau Lake. These nutrients – which are washed into the water system as lawn fertilizers, detergents, septic system leaks and more – can cause excessive aquatic weed growth, contribute to harmful blue-green algae blooms and reduce overall water quality.  

The project’s goal is to recommend the best sustainable drainage techniques and practices available to help the Township of Rideau Lakes protect water quality for the entire community. 

RVCA staff will sample and monitor an urban catchment drain in the village of Portland and a rural non-agricultural drain just outside the village. Staff will also research best practices for sustainable drainage and implement some new practices this fall in an effort to reduce local runoff. 

“Our hope is to implement a few demonstration sites around town to really inspire people to get involved,” said Mike Yee, co-project manager, aquatic biologist and planner with the RVCA. “We want to raise awareness among residents that a few simple actions can protect their lake for the long term.”

Many established sustainable drainage practices are easy and cost-effective for residents to embrace right now, Yee said. These include installing a rain barrel, planting a rain garden, moving downspouts to a permeable area and adding native plants to shorelines and ditches.

“If everyone does a little, we can accomplish a lot,” Yee said. 

To learn more about sustainable drainage and for practical guides to implementing best practices, visit https://www.rvca.ca/sustainable-drainage-pilot-project-portland. 

For more information contact  or .

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Township of Rideau Lakes drainage manager Dan Chant joined RVCA intern Caitlin Sommer in Portland this July to paint yellow fish on several storm drains. These fish will remind residents that stormwater goes directly to the lake.The Township of Rideau Lakes has generously funded a pilot partnership with Big Rideau Lake Association, Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority to work co-operatively on a sustainable drainage pilot project in the village of Portland and the surrounding rural catchment area.

As climate change contributes to more frequent and extreme rain events, excess nutrients, sediments, harmful chemicals and pollutants are increasingly washed into Big Rideau Lake through our storm drainage systems. This contributes to increased aquatic weed growth, more toxic algae blooms and an overall decline in lake health and enjoyment. 

In summer 2022, staff from RVCA as well as volunteers from the Big Rideau Lake Association conducted a sampling and monitoring program, targeting an urban drain in the village as well as a rural drain (non-agricultural) outside the village. Research was conducted to find and recommend sustainable drainage practices that are best suited to protect water quality and lake health. 

Read the Monitoring Report/Summary.

Read the final Recommendations Report.

Read the Literature Review.

Resources:

Reducing your runoff can also begin at home – and can be as easy as installing a rain barrel. To learn more about how you can reduce stormwater runoff on your own property, check out the resources below.

VIDEO: Learn how to build a low-cost, low-maintenance rain garden on your property: https://youtu.be/dvgJXlul9Bk

VIDEO: Learn how the RVCA’s Shoreline Naturalization Program offers technical and financial support for waterfront owners to naturally reduce their runoff: https://youtu.be/j2WEnMfRZTo

BLOG: Learn all the simple, cost-effective ways you can reduce runoff on your own property: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/soak-up-the-summer-storms-reducing-your-runoff-in-the-big-city

BLOG: Learn more about the RVCA’s Clean Water Grants program that supports sustainable drainage and other projects for rural residents: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/grant-program-makes-clean-water-projects-affordable

INTERACTIVE: Scroll over the pins to learn how you can keep contaminants out of your storm drain: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/reducing-runoff-which-side-are-you-on

INTERACTIVE: Check out this interactive graphic for sustainable drainage practices on waterfront properties: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/waterfront-living-which-side-are-you-on

WEBPAGE: Learn more about how to naturalize your shoreline (whether it’s a ditch, stream, river or lake!): https://www.rvca.ca/stewardship-grants/shoreline-naturalization/how-to-naturalize-your-shoreline

Benefits of sustainable drainage:

• Reduced algae blooms and excessive weed growth in our lakes and rivers
• Improved water quality for local ecosystems
• Better water quality for local tourist industries including recreational fishing and seasonal rentals
• Safer drinking water for residents with surface water intakes
• Improved knowledge of sustainable drainage best practices can be applied across the watershed 

More Information: