Tails from the trail and tips on training your human

If you’re a history buff or have even passing knowledge of how human civilization came into being, one commonality you’d find across the different ages would be water. Whether Indus or Mayan, ancient civilizations formed colonies in places where they had access to fresh water.

Naturally, most booming colonies were founded near lakes and rivers, with plenty of fresh water available for consumption, irrigation, and other uses. In fact, people from other colonies and tribes relocated to places with fresh water in easy access.

Since then, the human population has grown by billions. This means many of these natural water bodies and waterways have been depleted or are near that stage. There are plenty of urban rivers, or rivers that run through populated cities, that have become polluted to the point of no return.

This is why we must take action, learn from our past, and find new ways save urban rivers. Let’s break down how communities can bring about this change.

10 Ways to Save Urban Rivers

1. Making Dams

Making dams is one of the best approaches to save our rivers as they allow us to control the river’s water levels. Dams can also prove to be a source of power. In addition, dams can effectively protect the towns by facilitating flood control.

2. Decrease Water Pollution

Dumping waste into urban rivers is another mistake we must avoid to save our rivers. People dump industrial and household waste into urban rivers. Furthermore, rainstorms pouring directly into the river make the river’s natural water filthy and unclean to drink or sustain biodiversity.

3. Controlling use of Rivers for Recreational Activities

Recreational activities, such as fishing, boating, swimming, water sports, and other activities throughout the year may sound great, but if unregulated, they can impact the river’s ecosystem negatively. This is where local governments can play their part and set regulations against unchecked overuse.

4. Removing Invasive Flora and Fauna

When species not native to the river’s ecology enters it, they can produce devastating effects. You can find both animal and plant invasive species in urban rivers, which are often introduced by humans when they introduce plants or animals that populate urban rivers rapidly. These invasive species can damage the river’s biodiversity and change the ecosystem.

5. Improving Drainage Systems

Hard surfaces stop natural water drainage systems from working through the soil. Consequently, rivers experience increased floods, pollution, erosion, and loss of natural habitats. We can return the water flow to a natural state by reducing overflow through better drainage systems.

Another approach we can take here is establishing sustainable urban drainage to manage groundwater and reducing the overflow. This technique is extremely effective in preventing the degradation of urban rivers.

6. Improve Habitats

Removing hard riverbanks can restore habitats, improving urban rivers and their ecosystem.

This technique can help native plant species thrive and fish stabilize in the riverbanks. Hard riverbanks can reduce riparian planting (along the riverbank), but we can significantly improve biodiversity. When habitats improve, urban rivers continue to thrive. In some places, this means more opportunities for regulated and controlled fishing.

7. Getting Local Communities Involved

Urban rivers play a vital role in any environment. With increasing population, many urban rivers have been reduced to urban streams, which are used to remove wastewater and discarding waste.

It is important to create awareness among communities about the extinction of rivers. The majority of people do not even know the poor conditions of urban rivers in their cities. We need to build trust with local communities and educate them about these urban rivers’ importance. This can be achieved by informing them about urban rivers’ economic and social benefits.

Benefits of Urban Rivers

As discussed in the previous section, urban rivers were not originally meant to function in surroundings where factory and human waste along with continuous urbanization is a constant problem.

From being effective for flood control to providing ecological benefits, urban rivers still have a role to play for humans and other living beings alike.

Here are some benefits of urban rivers and why saving them is worth the collective effort:

Access

River restoration can improve the quality of family parks and other public open places. Urban rivers that surround public parks can offer higher biodiversity and better recreational activities for people coming to the parks. However, proper regulation is necessary to prevent overuse and pollution in the river.

Better Environment

Urban rivers definitely improve the air quality because of the presence of dense vegetation. This also means the levels of carbon dioxide and pollution in the atmosphere will be easier to manage. In this way, urban rivers make the environment better.

Flood Water Management

A healthy river ecosystem plays a vital role during natural floods. It can reduce the damage caused by the flood by regulating water flow and facilitating water drainage.

Beautiful Landscapes

Urban rivers can offer one of the most beautiful landscapes. With improved water quality and sustained ecosystem, urban rivers can be turned into natural parks, which increase aesthetics and adding environment benefits.

Wrapping Up

With that said, this wraps up our discussion on the ten ways to save urban rivers and the benefits of doing so. Urban rivers offer various benefits and play a vital role in the area’s ecology. Unfortunately, these rivers have lately been at risk of being excessively polluted, and people have started to take them for granted. We need to understand the importance of urban rivers, and we should stop repeating the same mistakes of the past. In addition, the government should implement laws to avoid any activities that may harm urban rivers.

If the government and local communities do their part in saving urban rivers, the collective effort may lead to a significant improvement.

by Bobby J Davidson

We are in business to provide great products for the outdoorsy hikers, campers and their dogs; and to help clean our parks, rivers and oceans for a better planet earth for hikers and their dogs.

Parks Clean

Parks are high-traffic areas in most cities. This means that trash is bound to show up in and around your park and playground.

When discussing ways your family can help clean your local park, don’t overlook a literal cleanup! Picking up trash will make a huge difference in the appearance and vibe of your park. A clean area will encourage others to keep the park pristine. When picking up trash and debris, make sure to wear gloves to protect yourself, and put trash in appropriate receptacles or lawn bags. You can also contact your local trash company to schedule a pickup when you are finished.

Rivers Clean

The storm drain on your street collects the water from your roof, driveway, and sidewalk and funnels it directly in your local lake or river. Nutrients from grass and leaves, pet waste, and fertilizers “enrich” our lakes and streams — feeding algae blooms and harming fish. Chemicals from washing your car in the drive and household chemical spills add up, taking a nasty toll on our favorite swimming areas and fishing spots. Soil can also be picked up by runoff, reducing the clarity of water and hurting fish.

So as you prepare your lawn and garden, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us.

Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away.
Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs.
Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves.
Keep paved surfaces to a minimum.
Capture water runoff with a rain garden and rain barrels.
Wash your car on the grass, where the water will get filtered.
Keep chemicals away from storm drains.
Collect your pet’s waste.
Aim your rain-gutter downspouts onto grass.

Beaches Clean (do it for the ocean)

In 2007, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed the National Clean Beaches Week Resolution to recognize the value of beaches to the American way of life and the important contributions of beaches to the economy, recreation, and natural environment of the United States.

Clean Beaches Week, celebrated annually July 1-7, offers the perfect opportunity to encourage stewardship and volunteerism along our coastlines. But where do you even begin? Follow these tips to get started.

Identify a clean-up site. Choose a place that needs some TLC, making sure that volunteers can safely access the site. Get permission, if needed, for your clean-up event, perhaps from the local parks agency.
Choose a site coordinator. (That might be you!) A beach clean-up takes a lot of work and needs an organized person to keep everything on track before, during, and after the event.
Visit the site in advance. The coordinator will need to know where to set up a volunteer check-in station, where to leave trash and recyclables, and what area(s) volunteers will clean.
Gather supplies. Depending on your location, you’ll need supplies such as trash bags, a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, wipes, and large coolers of water. You should also provide (or ask volunteers to bring) items such as reusable work/garden gloves, reusable water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Plan how to handle the recyclables. Reach out to recyclers in your area (and perhaps your community’s solid waste departments) to make arrangements for accepting any glass, plastic, and aluminum that you collect.
Line up event partners. Contact local businesses for donations of drinks, food, and supplies. Ask a local solid waste hauler to donate their services for trash removal.
Plan for handling hazardous waste. Determine how you’ll dispose of any medical and sewage waste you might find. One solution: A wide-mouth container with a tight-fitting lid, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. Clearly label that it contains hazardous waste.
Get volunteers to help. Recruit friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Create an event on Facebook and ask volunteers to sign up online. This will give you an idea of how many people to expect and will help communicate event details.
Stay safe. Be prepared for a variety of health emergencies, from minor cuts and scrapes to heat stroke.
Take photos! Post pics online to share the success of your event and recognize volunteers for their hard work.