Chilliwack
River Valley Fisheries Tour
The CRWS hatchery tour was held on October
20, 2005. The beautiful weather, the interesting sites,
and the wonderful salmon lunch provided by Soowahlie First
Nation youth group drew 24 individuals from all levels of
government, First Nations, and the community. Brief summaries
of the sites and some photographs are given below.
Tour Participants at Thompson Park.
Back row, left to right: Matt Foy (DFO), Harold
Beardmore (DFO), Brad Whittaker (FVRWC/UCFV), David Schaepe
(Stolo Nation), Frank Sobkowich (FVRD), Nelson Kahama
(Soowahlie First Nation), Ed Woo (DFO), Graham Danulez
(FVRD), Dave Barnes (DFO), Tom Cadieux (DFO), Jack Clegg
(Local Farmer). From row, left to right: Tara Friesen
(City of Chilliwack), Marion Robinson (FBC), Sylvia Letay
(MoE), Connie Williams (Teacher), Dale Patterson (DFO),
Ryane McIntyre (BC Parks), Krista Englund (FVRD/FVRWC),
Carson Clegg, Logan Clegg (local farmers). Missing:
Harold Archie (Skowkale First Nation), David Lamson (CRAC),
Bruce Usher (former MoE), Mark Johnson (DFO)
Chilliwack
River Hatchery
Bob Stanton of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
delivered a tour of the Chilliwack River Hatchery. Completed
in 1981 under the Salmonid Enhancement Program, the hatchery
helps immature salmon overcome threats posed during the
freshwater phase (e.g. predators, food limitation, etc).
Using eggs and spawn collected from adult salmon, the hatchery
fertilizes and incubates eggs and raises the immature salmon
to the smolt stage. Up to 6 million salmon smolts of five
salmon species including three chinook stocks, coho, chum,
pink, and steelhead are produced annually for the commercial,
sport and First Nations fresh-water and marine fisheries.
Chilliwack River Hatchery holding channels
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So many salmon!
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Tour guide Bob Stanton shows off some
salmon eggs and the rearing troughs.
 Matt
Foy and others from DFO led a tour of a large man made channel
designed to increase habitat primarily for pink salmon and
steelhead. Construction of the spawning/rearing channel and
pond complex began in 1996. Approximately 30-40,000 pink salmon
are produced from the site each year, providing an important
source of food and nutrients for the Chilliwack River system.
Steelhead benefit from the food source and coho benefit from
the 100,000 km2 of overwintering wetland habitat integrated
into the channel complex.
During our visit, we saw and
smelled many spawning pink salmon, but chinooks were also
spawning. Coho will come to spawn more in November, and steelhead
return in the spring (May).
We viewed a significant portion of the
large restoration site while walking on the Trans Canada
Trail, which extends the length of the Chilliwack River
Valley.
The group at Centennial Channel.
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Can you pick out the pink salmon? |
Dave Lamson of the Chilliwack River Action
Committee (CRAC) took us on a tour of recent restoration
work at Thompson Park/Lovely Pond. The restoration work
has taken place in a channel that was an historical tributary
of the Chilliwack River. The goal of the project was to
increase wetland area by 100% and improve access to this
habitat for adult salmon. In addition to the wetted works,
a trail system is being constructed and interpretive signage
will be installed.
Standing on the edge of a newly created pond.
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Dave Barnes of DFO inspects a dead salmon in the pond.
Many tiny coho fry were observed feeding on the dead salmon.
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The last stop of the day was
at the Tolmie and Slesse Slides. Tolmie and Slesse slides
are just two of the Chilliwack River Valley's "active"
clayslides. Dave Lamson of CRAC described the history of the
two sites and showed off the restoration works.
Slesse Slide first rumbled
in 1989-1990 (January 27 to be exact). At this time, an enormous
amount of clay slid down from the hillside and completely
blocked the River for nearly an hour. A significant amount
of work and resources have gone into stabilizing the bank
over the past decade, including raising the dike along a 400
m stretch of the River and conducting lots of willow staking.
The River at Slesse Slide.
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View of the dike in the slide area. |
The approach taken at Tolmie
Slide differs somewhat from the approach taken to deal with
Slesse Slide. Gryones were recommended for Tolmie Slide rather
than a dike. In total 21 "bundles" of rip rap, stumps,
granite boulders, etc. were installed along a 400m stretch
below Tolmie Slide. Just completed this past summer, the restoration
works provides fish habitat by creating pools and providing
shelter in the fast moving River.
David Lamson discussing Tolmie Slide. |
View of "bundles" at Tolmie Slide. |
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