Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[chris gadsden]

Attended an interesting meeting tonight at the University Colledge of the Fraser Valley. Tjhe guest speakers were Dr. Michael Church from the Geography Department University of British Columbia and Dr. Laura Rempel, Research Scientist, Northern Energy Research Development Arctic Research Division of FOC.

An interesting and timely topic with the gravel excavation and fish kill that went on recently.

I video taped the one hour presentation and will analyze it later.

I found the closing remarks of Dr. Church interesting when his theory is and it is only his theory. Not as much gravel is coming down the Fraser River watershed as some people think. He said that in the 19th century there was so much gold mining going along the banks of the river and so much gravel thrown into the river from the placer mining it has settled into the reaches around Chilliwack. Along with Highway and railway construction more disturbances along the terraces of the river occurred. He added as gravel moves fairly slowly this gravel is now reaching the Valley. If this is the case gravel recruitment may slow down and no gravel needs to be removed in the years ahead at the expense of fish habitat.

More info can be seen at www.geog.ubc.ca/fraserriver

[GoldHammeredCroc]

Thats a good point for sure.  I'm sure no records were kept back in those days as the priorities were geared about getting the shiny stuff.

[Sandy]

I'd say the lighter ( sediments ) materials would be more likely to be a problem in the lower Fraser, the fast water may move gravel, but the sediments will have a chance to settle as the slopes lessen and the flow rates are spread out over a wider area.

[BwiBwi]

How far back does water level record exist for Fraser? Maybe water discharge rate has droped and this will also slow down gravel deposit in the lower Fraser.

[chris gadsden]

Buckeye is working on providing the video I filmed last night. He will be posting the remarks about the theory Dr. Church has about the placer mining causing the buildup of gravel.

[Rodney]

Video available now.

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/video/church.avi

I'll leave it on the server until next Friday.

[Eagleye]

How far back does water level record exist for Fraser? Maybe water discharge rate has droped and this will also slow down gravel deposit in the lower Fraser.

according to Otto Langer's letter posted by rod some time ago, water levels have dropped on the Fraser over the last 20 years.  The gravel companies are just using flood control as a guise for ecomonic opportunities.  As Otto pointed out in his letter, he learned from a dfo staff that of the 4 gravel extractions approved on the Fraser only one could provide some flood control, 2 would not provide any and the 4th could actually increase the risk of flood.

[fishman]

one interesting point about Fraser river levels is the river used to be navigable all the way up to Yale. Several stern and side paddle wheelers used to ply their trade all the way up to hope.
I'd love to see them try now!!

Here's the list of boats http://www.destinationhopeandbeyond.com/sternwheelers.htm

or
http://www.nwpl.ca/nwheritage.org/heritagesite/orgs/samson/Fraser%20history%20page.htm

or

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/yale/trans/steamers.htm

So obviously the water was a lot deeper then than it is today.

[chris gadsden]

Of course it depended on the time of year they were traveling. Of course we had higher water flows because of higher snow packs due to different weather patterns. Even as the last few decades we could not bar fish on some bars until Auigust because the river levels were too high.