Actions When Visiting Rivers/Streams/Lakes

Enter and leave the water only at authorized access points. Don't just scramble up the bank anywhere. Using unauthorized access points increases erosion, removes important vegetation, and reduces wildlife habitat.

Obey all regulations regarding motorized vehicles. Exhaust and spillage from these vehicles add petroleum products to the water. Such boats also produce noise that can scare away wildlife, and may damage shoreline ecosystems. So please use them only where and how permitted.

Do not remove large rocks, logs, or other natural items from the water or the streambanks. Such items provide essential homes and shelter for many kinds of animals, from insects and crawdads, to fish and small mammals. Taking rocks and wood is prohibited in many public areas. Even on private lands, keeping such items in place provides real help to water-loving plants and animals.

Don't trash the river; follow a carry-in/carry-out policy. Take trash home with you or place it in a designated trash can. Do not dump trash or leave leftovers in the water or along the shore. Instead, you can bring an extra plastic bag (and maybe yard gloves) and pick up whatever extra trash you see. (If you see trash that looks dangerous to handle, avoid it yourself; instead, inform proper authorities, such as a ranger).

Use proper sanitation facilities. Use designated bathrooms, before arriving at the water's edge, at parks and parking lots, and other developed facilities. Human solid waste, even if deposited on shore, becomes part of the river or lake when water levels rise, adding contaminating bacteria to water others will be using.

Obtain hunting and fishing licenses as required. The fees collected from fishing licenses go toward maintaining and improving fish habitats in many states, as well as to restocking lakes with more young fish. To help assure that there are fish for tomorrow, pay for fishing today.

Follow all hunting and fishing regulations. Wildlife professionals carefully count and monitor populations of each species of fish, bird, mammal, and other sport wildlife in each state. Based on numbers of animals, mating and birthing seasons, the state has established rules about the timing and extent of hunting and fishing permitted. If followed, these regulations will allow future generations to enjoy at least as much fishing and hunting as people enjoy today. Use only the types of fishing gear and bait permitted.

Don't feed the animals. It's cute to see ducks following your trail of stale bread, and you might want to take a picture of that charming little fawn eating out of your child's hand, but feeding human food to animals can harm them – and you. Animals who receive human food come to expect it, and don't develop strong hunting and foraging skills. So, in winter, when people aren't around, those animals may starve. They may also seek out human areas for their food – such as trash bins and garbage pails. Moreover, the human food can actually make them sick, because it doesn't contain the proper balance of nutrients those animals need (and they may get rotten teeth, which keeps them from obtaining sufficient food in the wild).

Finally, even a cute-looking animal may bite the hand that feeds it. Others carry fleas, ticks, and other parasites that can transmit life-threatening diseases to humans. So, watch them, but don't feed them. Thanks!