What is Yellow Fish Road (YFR)?
Yellow Fish Road™ is a
free storm drain painting program that promotes awareness about urban runoff pollution with various groups such as school classes, eco clubs, youth groups, neighborhood groups, or even your family/friends!
Sign up your group or family today!
For more information or to sign up contact:
Stephanie Vehnon
403-320-4988 yfr@lethbridge.ca
Note: The Yellow Fish Road Program is FREE if you participate through the City of Lethbridge, and the kit must be returned. If you wish to have a kit permanently,
Trout Unlimited sells Self Discovery Kits. More information at the bottom of this webpage.
2023 Blitz Days:
Day 1: TBD
Day 2: TBD
Day 3: TBD
Information for Blitz Days
- Blitz Days are an opportunity to show up and paint storm drains! No need to rsvp, just come on out if you would like to participate!
- Adults must be present for duration of the event.
- They are weather dependent: if it is raining or there are extreme winds >60km/hour the event will be cancelled.
- Be prepared to walk distances to find storm drains.
- Bring a water bottle or snack, if you would like.
- Remember to have fun and bring your friends and family out!
How does YFR Work?
The City of Lethbridge has partnered with Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) and Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) to lend you a painting kit that has everything you need, so you can paint at your leisure this summer.
It's easy as 1, 2, 3
1. Contact us to borrow a kit and receive a brief information session.
2. Paint as many storm drains as you'd like and deliver door hangers to mailboxes on the streets you painted. There are 4 roles to consider:
- Tasks:
-
Rotate roles within your group
-
Safety: 2 people must wear safety vests at all time, ensuring safety for those painting
-
Painting: Use the stencil and paint provided. Use minimal paint, and have someone hold the stencil.
-
Door hangers: Please place door hangers in mailboxes, if possible, so the wind does not blow it away!
-
Recording: Tally the stormdrains painted and door hangers placed in mailboxes, and mark the painted stormdrains on the maps provided
3. Return the supplies to 4th Floor City Hall, or contact the person who lent you the kit for pick up.
When can I participate?
You can participate April through August. You can keep a kit for up to 2 weeks in order to paint everything you want to paint.
What do I need in order to paint?
- An adult to paint with the youth
- Water bottle
- Paint friendly clothing
- Good walking shoes (you may be required to walk to stormdrains in the area)
Where should I paint?
You can paint in your neighbourhood or anywhere within the community!
To the right is a map showing where stormdrains have been painted since the program started. Click on the image to look at the stormdrains that have been painted around Lethbridge and in your neighbourhood!
Why does the Yellow Fish Road exist? 
Painting yellow fish beside storm drains reminds your friends and family that
storm drains are NOT connected to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Water from storm drains in Lethbridge empty directly into the Oldman River UNTREATED! This is one way you can help.
What types of pollution can enter storm drains?
| | | Yes | 1 | Pesticides are used to get rid of unwanted pests, including: - insects (insecticides)
- vegetation (herbicides)
- rodents (rodenticides)
- fungi (fungicides)
Improperly applied pesticides can enter the water system and can cause deformities, reproductive problems, and even death in fish and other aquatic life. How can you help?
Hand-pulling and spot spraying weeds are good ways to reduce the amount of pesticides that need to be used. If pesticides must be used read and follow the instructions carefully. | | | | Yes | 2 | Fertilizers are nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium) applied to the soil to help plants grow faster and larger. Fertilizers that wash into the river cause aquatic plants to grow more too. This can cause river weeds to grow out of control which can take up space, light, and oxygen from other aquatic life that needs it.
How can you help?
Using natural fertilizers such as compost, mulch, and grass clippings (grasscycling) can eliminate the need for undesirable synthetic chemical fertilizers. | | | | Yes | 3 | Oil and gas leaks from vehicles, accidental spills, or dumping are highly toxic to aquatic plants and animals.
How can you help?
Cleaning up spills properly, not hosing down driveways to clean them and ensuring to fix leaky vehicles quickly will reduce oil and gas residues in the Oldman River.
| | | | Yes | 4 | Pet poop contains nutrients and bacteria that can be washed into our river. The nutrients can cause:
- excess plant and algae growth (the same way fertilizers do)
- diseases
How can you help?
Being a responsible pet owner and picking up after our pets is the only way to keep these toxins out of our river. | | | | Yes | 5 | Dirt is everywhere in a windy city and is a difficult problem to manage. Too much dirt in a river causes a dirty, cloudy river, but most aquatic plants and animals prefer clean, clear water. How can you help?
By sweeping up dirty driveways instead of hosing them off which allows the dirty water to run straight into the river. Keeping storm drains clean will help as well because often large lumps of dirt, litter and branches are trapped by the grates. | | | | Yes | 6 | When we don't dispose of garbage responsibly, it can end up in our local waters. This creates a poor living environment for aquatic species. How can you help? With the wind in Lethbridge, ensure you tie your bags of garbage, close garbage lids, and dispose of garbage in receptacles around the city if you are away from your home or business. You can also participate in a Coulee Clean Up and/or Shoreline Clean Up to help clean the community year round. |
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Looking to purchase a kit you can keep in your household or school permanently?
Our exciting self-delivery model provides all the resources and supplies needed to complete a Yellow Fish Road program over and over again. If you prefer to pick up your kits at our Calgary office, the cost is as shown below plus taxes. Order a package that suits your needs for the upcoming season!
To learn more about the Yellow Fish Road program please view the Introduction and How to Paint infographics videos for your program from this page or on our Trout Unlimited Canada’s YouTube Channel.
Learn More About Trout Unlimited Canada
Other programs related to preventing water pollution
