“Leave no trace” signs often appear at campsites and at the beginning of hiking trails. But what about waterways? I don’t recall seeing a similar sign at put-ins on rivers that I have kayaked or canoed on. How many of us have come across a littered fire ring, bottles and cans on a riverbank, or even food wrappers floating downstream. These situations are a shame and just shouldn’t happen. It really is easy to pack out everything, which takes care of the waterways and land areas that we visit.
The American Canoe Association (ACA) published a short article with seven basic principles that help to ensure a safe trip. These principles also ensure that you leave the waterway in the same condition that you found it in. I remember golfing many years ago and someone suggested that everyone should fix there own ball mark on the green and one more. If everyone did this, there would never be a ball mark on greens. Maybe this can be referred to as “One More”. On rivers, we could pack out all of our trash plus pick up “One More” piece of trash that we find. If everyone followed “One More” there would be no trace left behind.
Remember to enjoy the waterways and leave them in pristine condition. To read the ACA article, click here.
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