Cleanup of the Millstream Creek Introduction
As part of the Veins of Life’s
ongoing restoration of the Millstream, the Year 2000 E-Team
spent one week cleaning up a section of the creek and bank.
The area of the creek that was worked upon was found to be jammed
with logs, thus impeding the flow of water (Figure 1). Large
amounts of garbage were also found littered in the creek, and
along the banks.
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Figure 1: Log jams in the Millstream Creek impeding
the flow of water |
Equipment
- Chain saw
- Hand saw
- Fish net
- Garbage bags
- Waders
- Rakes
- Crow bar
- PPE (steel-toed boots, hard hats, vests)
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Methodology
The first step towards cleaning up the creek was to remove
all garbage that was found in and surrounding the creek. The
diversity of the garbage found included objects such as plastics,
anti-freeze, food wrappers, tires, styrofoam, a children’s pool,
metals, a large barrel, a toboggan, glass, foam, carpet, and
large amounts of plywood. It was found that the most problematic
item to be removed was the styrofoam, as tiny pieces were found
to cover the surface of the creek. Removal of the styrofoam
was aided by the use of the fish net, which was used to skim
the surface waters (Figure 2).
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Figure 2: Diane and Crystal using a fish net
to remove the styrofoam from Millstream Creek
In total, 560kg of garbage was removed from a small section
of the creek (Figure 3).
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Figure 3: A small section of the pile
of garbage that was removed
The garbage that was collected was brought to the Point Ellice
dump, where it was separated and then recycled or safely disposed.
Besides the synthetic items that had to be cleared, it was also
necessary to remove a number of log jams and loose debris in
the creek to clear the waterway (Figure 4).
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Figure 4: E-Team members hard at work removing
the log jams
The larger of the logs were cut into manageable size pieces
through use of the chain saw operated by qualified personnel
outside the E-Team, while the smaller logs were cut using handsaws.
The cut logs were carried up the bank to the road, where piles
were made for free firewood. The loose debris in the creek
was collected by hand, along with the usage of the rakes.
The debris was dispersed along the banks to help naturalize
the area, and to cover up any paths that the team may have created.
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Figure 5: Clean-up site in December, three months
after debris was removed
Conclusion
Through the hard work of the teams, the Millstream Creek is
now flowing naturally, and is more aesthetically pleasing.
The Year 2000 E-Team hopes that its efforts will help to enhance
the trout habitat, and the beauty of the area. |