Perhaps you see the perfect fishing hole or a source for drinking water. Maybe you see a cool pool for a refreshing summer swim, the ideal paddling route or just an abandoned shopping cart?
When I’m on the water, I imagine the river 200 years ago, with towering red and white pines along its shores and thundering rapids. Presently, in many sections I see extensive shoreline alterations, concrete, treeless gaps, pipes spouting waste, dammed rapids and dwindling wetlands. These blights are at variance with the impressive biodiversity of migrating birds, sturgeon, reptiles and mighty muskellunge.
I imagine the future. Will my daughter be able to swim in the river and eat its fish without the risk of unsafe mercury or dioxin levels?
With Ottawa Riverkeeper on the job, we hope the future is secure. We act to protect the ecological integrity of the river that flows through us. We want future generations to have safe access to the river for swimming, fishing and drinking.
Riverkeeper is on the job to raise questions and speak for the river. Right now we are looking at a proposal to build a new boat bypass in an ecologically sensitive area that filters drinking water and harbours spawning fish. We advocate that a perfectly good alternative for moving boats around the Chats Fall Dam already exists.
Why do we continue to pour raw sewage into the river when the technology exists to prevent it? Why is Atomic Energy of Canada Limited allowed to store radioactive and toxic waste in shallow trenches near the Ottawa River? We should learn from the notable plume of radioactive waste moving into the river from its Chalk River Nuclear Facilities.
Ottawa Riverkeeper is acting on these issues and others because the river needs our help. Our voice is only as strong as our membership. If you believe in the preservation of the Ottawa River and its many tributaries, you can help. Become a member of Ottawa Riverkeeper by visiting our web site at OttawaRiverKeeper.ca. Consider volunteering, or sign up for our free e-newsletter and find out what you can do to make a difference.
Meredith, an avid paddler and skier grew up in the Ottawa watershed. Her passion for healthy rivers led to the challenging and rewarding job of being the Ottawa Riverkeeper. She and her family currently live on the Gatineau River.