December2012

Stream keepers.

A Jolly Holiday season to all and May the New Year be kind to all.

Over the past month we have been very busy helping the Wild Chum move up the streams. One stream has a Beaver dam about 4 feet high where the Bear was sitting and fishing. With no Chum moving beyond this point we managed to clear a small channel around the dam allowing the Chum to move further upstream. This Beaver dam was a very valuable addition to the stream during the summer months impounding water all the way back to the highway giving the Wild Coho fry and Trout’s valuable habitat during the otherwise dry summer and fall. The same on another stream but this time it was a large log jam from last winter that was blocking upstream passage. We had some advice telling us that we should get a machine in during the summer to remove the jam. Easy advice to give but logistically it would have caused more damage to the riparian zone getting the machine into the creek so it was dismissed as ill advised to go this route. Instead we were able to clear a small channel around the jam where the stream had decided it wanted to go. This channel was plugged with small woody debris and leaves which took a couple of attempts over two days to clear the debris and allow the Chum to move further upstream. By the time you read this we should have a good return of Wild Coho moving upstream on all the streams from the Englishman River to Bloods Creek. We will be planting more trees to replace the ones removed by the Beaver and planting some Willow and Red Osier to further vegetate the stream banks over the next few weeks.

We also took a walk along the high tide line at the estuary in Nanoose Bay to remove garbage and other debris accumulated over the summer months.

We are in the process designing and acquiring new signs for Bloods and Upper Knarston and should have them installed by the time you read this in December. Remember to get out and about and enjoy the forest and the beaches.

 Pack out what you take in and leave only footprints.