About 80 storm drains around downtown Prince George now have a yellow fish painted beside them, along with the words "Dump No Waste, Drains to River."
The Fraser Basin Council and Pacific Western Brewing Company held the drain-marking event October 16 to increase awareness in the community about what's going into the local watershed.
Water, and whatever comes with it, enters the city's storm drains and continue, untreated, into the rivers, affecting wildlife such as salmon.
The event was very successful, said Jillian Merrick, youth program coordinator at the Fraser Basin Council.
"We had just the right about of volunteers, using all the supplies we had. Throughout the day we had lots people asking the painters, and me, lots of questions," Merrick said.
"There is heavy pedestrian traffic in the downtown area, and people will notice. People need to be reminded that everything we dump onto the streets go right to the fish."
There are usually at least two storm drains at every intersection, if not more, said Merrick.
That means there are hundreds of drains just in the downtown area alone, with thousands across the city, she said.
The event received funding from the Pacific Western Brewing, which has sponsored other clean water projects across the province.
"The company has been involved with a variety of green initiatives," said Ben English, territory manager for Pacific Western Brewing. "The owner of the company is very environmentally savvy. This is one way he likes to help out and give back."
One volunteers said she's surprised the city doesn't have the drains marked already.
"I grew up on the coast, and it was normal to see these signs everywhere. I came out today because it's important to teach my daughter that this is an important issues,' said Jen Herkes.
"I don't think people realize that these drains lead straight to the watershed and our rivers. They associate them with sewers and they definitely aren't."
The event tied in a lot of the work the Fraser Basin Council has been working on this year, said Merrick.
"Youth programs have been one of the major focuses this year. We're encouraging local youth to get some hands on experience and be more involved in watershed issues that they can actively work on," she said.
After working hard at finding and marking the storm drains on their maps, volunteers were invited to enjoy a salmon barbecue.
