Thursday 29 April 2009

Releaseing the Fry into Nanoose Creek
All netting the fry for the children.
Today we were asked to assit with the release of the fry raised in the local school by the children. Al and Roy went to the school to use our tank for the transport of the fish to the creek. I met them at the bridge at Mathew Crossing just as the school bus pulled up disgorging 50 young folk along with teachers and parents. As Roy and All placed the fry into small pails (4 fry per child) the children carried them down to the pool above the bridge where they carefully released thier charges. This was two classes so everyone got fish to release with the extra being released by Roy. After the children had a assignment to draw pictures of the habitat they released the fish into. I was only able to peruse a few drawings and was surprised to see how much detail some drew into the scene. Cynthia had taken a frisby down to the waters edge and managed to scoop some stream invertabrates for the children to look at. All in All it was a good experience for all involved, maybe we will get some future streamkeepers out of the 50 children present.

Tuesday 27 April 2009

Today was a slow day with a visit to the fish box and a walk to the Beaver pond. No fish, after we stopped at the Hogweed to see how the tiger torch did , though they were well roasted brand new shoots are growing out of the trunk. Next plan will be to dig out the roots which appear to be quite shallow, hopefully they will not be like Horseradish which sprout new growth from the smallest root left in the ground.

Saturday 25 April 2009

Today was the day to build our spilling wall ( Willow wattle) at the base of the slide on Nanoose Creek. We had a visitor from Edmonton who pitched right in to help. First we retreived the bundles of Willow from the upstream pool and selected the biggest size for stakeing. As I drove in the iron bar to make a hole Rolph pushed in the sharpened Willow stakes left full length (10+Ft) untill they bottomed out in the hole, then they were cut off at the required height of the wattle. Leaving them full length allows for the stake to be pushed into the substrate as far as possible without ending up with ones too short as some of the holes when we got away from the clay bank ( like concrete) went in up to 4 ft, this will allow for the stake to remain in contact with the water table as the creek levals drop and allow for better rooting. Once we moved further downstream our weaver Terry began to weave the smaller diameter lentghs into the stakes , then as more rooom was available everyone took a turn at weaveing untill we had a spilling wall about 18inches high by 20+ feet long along the base of the slide. As this is rather late to be doing this we will only be doing the base untill next winter when the Willow goes dormant giving the stakes a better chance of rooting as they do not have to start to put all thier energy into leaf production as will be the case with this time of year. We will go back and remove up to 80% of leaf to reduce the desication caused by leaf evapouration. Next we will get some established Cedar trees and plant behind the fence, this will do untill next fall then we will plan to build some more wattles further up the slope creating terraces to stabiloize the slope. While we did this Bryan took the younger members up to the fish box to check for fish, no fish.

Tuesday 21 2009

Today was a Giant Hogweed day, we have been trying to eradicate this noxiuose plant for a couple of years now. We have decided to try less envasive methods than chemicals and the landowner does not want any chemicals used on his property. First we used salt and vinegar, cut the stem and filled the trunk, this knocked it down but it grew back this year. On Tueday we used a tiger torch to burn the growth down to the ground. This seems to work though we will check back to see. After we went to the fish box to see if we had any fish, empty with the temp at 6c so we have to wait awhile longer for the water to come up in tempreture though I think we need some rain to help flush them out of the pond.

Saturday 18 April 2009

Hauling the bundles to the creek

Tying bundles of Willow for transport

Today was another beautiful day around the bay and in the mountains. We went up into the bush to cut some Willow for building our spilling wall on Nanoose Creek. After meeting at the security gate at Northwest Bay logging camp Roy took the group up to the site we have been using for years to cut our Willow. This is a very wet area and grows a good stand of Willow, as we have been cutting there for a long time the Willow has copsed very well.

(Willow cut down and allowed to re-grow over and over providing a good stand of long relatively straight lengths of Willow perfect for weaving and staking)

While Roy was cutting, myself and Al went up to check our fish box. We had no luck with the temp being a low 6c so no need to clean the fence as water levels are just right with debris blocking just the right amount of flow to allow the pipe to remain below levels.

After we went to meet Roy and the rest of the crew. They had cut about 4 bundles by the time we returned and Al and myself cut and helped with a couple more bundles then tied them up and loaded my truck. Afterward we went for coffee and tea then down to the slide site.

We placed the Willow into the creek in a back eddy to soak for a week and next Saturday when we have a full contingent of volunteers we will begin the staking and weaving at the base of the slide then plan for another Willow wall up-slope next fall. We now are pushing the planting window for the Willow to get roots before the summer heat. We will probably go back when the Willow begins to flush with growth and remove most of the leaf to help stop the dissection of the Willow giving it a better chance of growing. If funds are available we may buy some potted Cedar to plant along the base before it gets too dry. This will help with the stabilization of the slope's base.

Next meeting day is Tuesday when we plan to attack the Hog weed.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Today I played hooky away from Streamkeepers and had a day in Victoria. While I was gone the rest of the crew were down in the estuary checking on the pond to see if it was possible to enter the water to re-align the pipe. Alas, Roy said it was still too deep. Afterwards they went for a walk around the estuary and up Bonnel Creek to see if they could spot any fish. Then they went back through the estuary and checked the old woody debris jam on Nanoose Creek. Roy said it was relatively clear of blockage by small debris and this time no one fell in (someone stepped off the log up past her gum boots last fall and blamed me! My only fault was I was too slow to snap a pic of the wet leg).

Saturday April 11 2009

Spring is here. Flowering Current Bush

A very rare Green Winged Pink Breasted Dicky Bird

Our first fish of the year.

Sculpin.

Today was another great day out and about. We went up into the mountains to Swan Lake for a walk. We checked our fish box and got our first fish of the year: a Sculpin. This proved to be quite entertaining as all the young folk crowded around the box as Cynthia tried to net the Sculpin. After many attempts, very fast at the evasive manoeuvres, she managed to net it [see pic] long enough for a quick picture then released it back into the creek.

Temperature was 7c , a little cold for the fish to be moving downstream yet. We will be checking the box every few days from now on, then every day once the fish start to move. On the way back down we stopped in the gravel pit to check on the Hog Weed. We have a small patch which over the years we have tried every non toxic method to be rid of it, Salt and vinegar seems to knock it down but it soon grows back. This year we will try the tiger torch to burn it down to the roots before it gets going again.

After coffee we stopped to check a report of fill being dumped over the bank into Nanoose Creek by the Island Hwy bridge. This turned out to be erosion from the upland hill where several trees had fallen over and unravelled the slope exposing fresh soils. Next week while we still have time we will build a Willow spilling wall along the base to catch the soils before they reach the creek then next fall plant some trees in the face of the slope to help stabilize it. 

I forgot to mention Roy returned from Maui today, to the disappointment of all the volunteers he did not wear his grass hula skirt he acquired while there.

Tuesday 7 April 2009

Dead prey?

One step too far

Taking in the beauty of it all

Nanoose Creek estuary

Today was one of those days when you just feel good about being out in nature, the sun was shining the dicky birds were singing everybody had a smile. We went into the estuary to check our fish pipe in the Ducks Unlimited pond. The water levels were too high to do the placement of the pipe so we just laid the pipe in the pond and dropped the steel post over the top to hold it down. This will do until levels drop to allow the safe wading out to drive a new post and attach the end of the pipe about 2 feet off the bottom. This will allow the fish to find their own way out into Nanoose Creeks estuary.

Afterwards we walked down through the estuary and along the tide line to Bonnel Creek. Visiting the estuary at this time we try to be very careful as the Geese and Ducks are nesting along with all the other dicky birds. We came across a dead vole (?) - we were not sure what it was but was interesting to see the cycle of life from nesting birds bringing new life to the estuary and the death of a small animal due to probably falling prey to one of the many predator visiting at this time of year, probably a Owl or Hawk.

Interconnectedness

137 species rely on Pacific Salmon for nourishment.

The forest raises the Salmon, but the Salmon raises the forest.

Eventually your neighbours runoff becomes your tap water.

- Salmon Nation

Saturday April 4 2009

Today we were at Swan Lake checking the outflow pipe in the Beaver Dam which allows for the passage of fish as they migrate downstream. When the dam is flowing over the top the fish can find their way out but as the water levels drop they have no way out other than wiggling through the dam where ever they can find a hole.

Last year a 4 inch big-O pipe was installed to allow for easier passage. In the winter the pipe is lifted on the downstream side of the dam. Today we went in to re-lay the pipe below the dam. Ed and Terry went downstream to the box to check for fish - no fish too cold yet. The Geese were on the pond making nests and as Brian, Craig, Laura and Rebecca rowed passed they made quite the racket, three flew off and one stayed to protect the nesting site.

No sign so far this year of the Elk which like to use our trail to access the Lake. No fresh Beaver sign though we know they are around, maybe when we return they will have fresh mud on top of the dam where Al and myself walked out to do the pipe.