It is important this year, more than ever, to conserve water for our creeks and rivers. The warm winter, lack of snow pack and little precipitation means that watercourses, already very low, will be struggling to keep flowing through the summer.
"Juvenile salmon and resident fish will suffer in shallow, warm pools, said Faye Smith, Project Coordinator for Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES), "and, later on, spawning salmon may not be able to access some streams which would be tragic."
One way that property owners can help is to allow lawn areas to go dormant by not watering. And if you display a yellow fish on the property, other homeowners may get the idea that they can help too.
"Your lawn may even appreciate having a rest" Smith adds. "In any case, it will come back nice and green after the first fall rains."
The Salmon Friendly Lawn program is part of MVIHES' Watershed Health and You, funded by the provincial government and other partners.
To get a free yellow fish ornament, please contact MVIHES at info@mvihes.bc.ca.
— Submitted by MVIHES