Today is Canadian Rivers Day, a day celebrated every year on the second Sunday in June.

It’s a day to remember the importance of conserving the heritage and health of our rivers.

Let’s spend this day keeping our freshwater top of mind. Because they need our help. There are four major threats facing our streams, lakes and rivers as well as the species that call them home:

#1 – Habitat Destruction

A machine places rocks and gravel in the streambed of Skwawolt Creek near Hope, BC. Skwawolt Creek is an important off-channel refuge from fast-moving flows for fish during spring flooding on the mainstem Fraser River. Fish are able to access the creek during very high flows, but during lower flows the two culverts (pipes) under the highway are perched too high above the water level for fish to enter. Once completed, this rocky constructed channel will help fish to get into Skwawolt Creek during all but the driest summer months. Photo credit: Al Jonsson, Kerr Wood Leidal.

Every year thousands of small projects like culverts, bridges and more across Canada go forward and destroy aquatic habitat. When these projects go ahead, it can lead to habitat loss that affects all kinds of freshwater creatures from salmon that can’t reach their spawning grounds to beavers that struggle with not having proper water flow. A whopping one-third of Canada’s freshwater fish are at-risk of extinction and habitat destruction only hinders our chances of helping them.

#2 – Barriers

The Halfway River Dam is Nova Scotia is one of more than 36,000 dams in the Canadian Aquatic Barriers Database. Before this innovative tool was created by CWF, only about 15,000 dams were included in national reports. Dams, waterfalls, railways and roads built over streams can be consecutive barriers to fish passage. Currently only about 400 of these structures have fishways to support migratory species and help restore aquatic connectivity. Visit AquaticBarriers.ca to explore the updated datasets which include dams, waterfalls and fishways. Photo by Fielding Montgomery, CWF

Over the years, we have built hundreds of thousands of dams, culverts, levees and road crossings.  There are more than 40,000 dams in Canada and only about 400 have fishways (which help them to pass through)! Unfortunately, these barriers impair the ability of many of our favourite fish species from migrating and have caused many populations to plummet.

B.C. salmon species, Atlantic salmon, Lake Sturgeon, American Shad, Alewife and Northern Pike have found themselves blocked time and time again as they try to make their way between different habitats in oceans, lakes and rivers.

#3 – Urban Runoff

runoff

Urban runoff is considered one of the largest water pollution challenges for a city, not to mention a main source of toxic chemicals for urban waterways. As rain and snow melt travels over impermeable surfaces such as roads, driveways, rooftops, parking lots, sidewalks, even lawns it picks up a variety of pollutants such as fuel, oil, rust, road salt, pesticides, fertilizers, sediment and pet wastes.

It should be no surprise that by the time all this runoff reaches a local stream, river or lake that this pollution cocktail contaminates water harming fish and other aquatic organisms.

#4 – Chemicals and Pesticides

Pesticides can truly do serious damage on our lakes, rivers and oceans. Neonicotinoids are currently the most commonly use pesticide in the world. It contaminates the soil of treated plants and when it rains, the residue of these pesticides are carried to waterways, where they become common contaminants of surface waters. They can harm all sorts of wildlife too – from aquatic invertebrates to amphibians.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is working hard to turn the tide on the threats facing our freshwater and the species that live there.

Canada’s freshwater fish, turtles and insects can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to us to speak up for them. This spring the Parliamentary Committee on Fisheries and Oceans will be meeting to review the effectiveness of the Fisheries Act. We at the Canadian Wildlife Federation believe that the Fisheries Act needs to be more effective on how it protects water and wildlife.

If you haven’t already, let the Parliamentary Committee on Fisheries and Oceans know that you care deeply about Canada’s freshwater.

Add your voice today >