9.7. Cleaning up a Watercourse

Logs and debris can create important pools. Obvious garbage such as bottles, cans, drums, plastic and paper should be removed. Trees, stumps, logs, branches, and rocks should be considered carefully. There will probably be many instances where you will have to decide what is habitat and what is non essential debris. The answer is not always clear even to a well-trained eye. Sometimes, for example, old tires can be re-used for a useful purpose.

Try to decide the long term effects of removing an item. Will you increase erosion? Are you removing cover, or a food source? If in doubt, get help from a DFO professional.

Remember that plants along the watercourse are extremely important to the life in the stream. A carefully manicured lawn beside the stream may look attractive, but can cause severe erosion during a storm and bring unneeded fertilizers and toxic herbicides into the water. Overhanging grasses, hedges and shrubs provide shade for the stream, stabilize the banks, attract insects as food for fish, and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Try to disrupt this type of growth as little as possible.

Humans have a tendency to want everything in the natural world to look neat and orderly. This has led to some well meaning groups trying to improve streams by removing everything, including rocks, logs, and all vegetation on the side of the stream. Be careful what you remove!

A principal goal is to keep the stream in as natural a state as possible. When you are walking in the water or along the edge, remember you are walking in the home or habitat of many creatures; treat this home with the same respect you would treat your house.

Here are some general rules for conducting a clean-up:

- Work in pairs or teams.

- Where possible, recycle items found in your clean-up. For example, old tires may be used to stabilize a bank or a bridge area.

- Make sure all obvious garbage is completely removed from the area. Your work will involve some trips to the local dump.

- Leave trees that have fallen across the stream. These are used as bridges by small land animals and eventually may fall into the stream, helping to create fish habitat by encouraging the formation of a pool.

- Don't remove trees and logs in the stream unless they are causing erosion or the stream to change its course. Have a trained professional teach you how to identify damaging natural debris in the stream.

- Don't trample the work area. Try and use the same path along the stream bank for travel.

- Don't add to the watercourse's problems while you are solving them! Watch out for eroding banks and amounts of silt you may put in the watercourse. Watch that members of your group, especially children, don't slide down banks with loose or sandy soil.

- All work in the stream or along its edge should be carried out between June 1 and September 31.

- Document what you take out of the watercourse. If you are cleaning a coastal area, the Clean Nova Scotia Foundation may be interested in having you fill out a form as part of their beach clean up (see Where to Go for Help). Your records will help others who are dedicated to improving the environment throughout the province.

- Place trashcans in areas that are used frequently. This will reduce the need for future cleanups. Someone may have to regularly collect the garbage. Children may want to paint signs encouraging people to not litter.

- Watch for bird's nests on the banks in spring cleanups. If birds fly overhead frequently, or fly out of a bush there may be a nest nearby. Treat these areas carefully. If a nest is discovered, leave it undisturbed and do not return regularly to look at it. You will create a path that can be easily followed by a raccoon or fox.

- Never drive a vehicle (ATV, tractor) in the stream to help remove debris. This is illegal and can cause serious damage to the stream bottom.

- Take "before" and "after " photographs. These can be used to educate the community about littering and are useful to show funding agencies some documentation of your work.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Most of these points are common sense but they're worth repeating to everyone in your group!

- Tell someone where you'll be.

- Wear gloves to avoid cuts from glass or rusty metal.

- Wear hip waders or rubber boots.

- Don't go bare foot!

- Use the "buddy system" - don't work alone!

- Don't operate electrical equipment close to water.

- Don't work in lightning storms.

- Walk carefully. Many rocks are covered with algae and can be very slippery.

- In large rivers and lakes make sure people don't get in water that is deeper than they can handle.

- When using boats or working around the water always wear a life jacket.

- If you are working in areas with deep and/or fast-moving water you should have some knowledge of basic water safety and rescue procedures.

- Always keep a long branch or stick close-by to reach out to someone who may need assistance. Think before you jump in after someone. Many people drown trying to save someone else.

- Wear sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself from damaging ultra-violet rays.

- Keep a first aid kit near the working site.

- Have an emergency plan for getting help if you are working in a remote area.

- Carry a cell phone.
 
Document Your Work
Where possible document your work by using slides, photographs, and video. Keep minutes of your meetings and a logbook of activities to help you write a yearly summary and report.

Documenting your work is valuable for the following reasons:

- Your slides and photographs will help to publicize and promote your program as well as the benefits of good stewardship around watercourses.

- You will develop a Natural History record for your community that will be useful for other projects in the future.

- You can use the documentation to get funding for future projects.

- Groups and volunteers are more inclined to continue working if they develop a sense of pride. Documentation shared with the community (either through newspaper articles or slide presentations) helps develop this pride.

- Groups in other parts of the province who decide to join the Adopt-A-Stream program will be able to benefit from your experience. A visual and written record of your project will be an inspiration and a practical guide.