| Water pollution creates an unhealthy environment for habitat and wildlife that live in and around waterways. Some wildlife and aquatic life can survive or adapt to living in polluted conditions, while others will not be able to exist.
Some fish are very sensitive to any change in the stream environment. Urban development can alter their habitat by polluting water, changing water temperature, degrading instream and riparian habitat, and altering the natural flow of rivers and streams.
The erosion of sediment into rivers and streams can be detrimental to fish and other aquatic life that need gravel and rocks to spawn and rear their young (i.e. fish and frogs). Erosion caused by construction and other activities introduces fine sediments that clog the spaces between rocks and gravel in streams, bury the eggs laid in these spaces, and prevent flowing water and oxygen from reaching the eggs and newly hatched fish. Sediment can also fill in pools that are an important part of fish habitat. Fish use pools for rearing and spawning, as resting areas during migration, and as a refuge to avoid temperature and flow extremes.
Sediment and other debris clog fish gills, damage fish habitat, and block the light aquatic plants need to survive. Sediments become contaminated with pollutants that settle to the bottom of rivers, streams, and lakes, making them toxic to aquatic organisms. Sediments in water can damage gills and decrease visibility, which can hamper the fish’s ability to find food. Sediments also can carry and store toxic pollutants and nutrients that can poison habitat. When green waste decays in water, it uses up oxygen and takes vital oxygen away from plants, fish and other aquatic animals. Fish can die in waterways with lower dissolved oxygen levels because of the excessive use of fertilizers.
When oil enters waterways, it can clog gills that fish use to breathe. Many spills can cause the loss of habitat. Oil slicks cast a rainbow effect on waters. It only takes four quarts, or about one oil change, of used motor oil to foul one million gallons of water.
Grass clippings and leaf litter that get dumped along a stream bank, drainage ditch or storm drain add nutrients to the aquatic environment that can cause unwanted growth of algae and reduce the oxygen levels in the water. This can harm fish and other aquatic life. Fertilizers and phosphates can cause algae blooms (explosive growth of algae suspended in water). When these blooms occur, oxygen levels in the water are reduced. With the reduced oxygen level, aquatic life dies. Pesticides also can kill aquatic organisms directly and even accumulate in sediments and tissues of fish and other organisms.
Litter clogs waterways and causes toxicity as it breaks down. It affects the health of birds, fish, other animals and plants that live in the waterways. Litter and debris can suffocate fish, turtles, and other aquatic life.
Metals from vehicles can be toxic to aquatic life. Improper disposal of materials can result in pollutants, heavy metals and toxic materials entering waterways which can create public health and environmental risks.
The quality and quantity of water directly impacts the ability to maintain a safe and secure water supply for human consumption, the safety of fish and other foods harvested from affected waters, recreational uses of rivers and lakes, and the ecological balances and interactions within our ecosystem. The next time you see a polluter, remind them that everything they throw down the drain will go into a nearby waterway. |
