Anybody know why the fishing boundary on Mamquam River is CN Railway Bridge just for Pinks, but not for the other species?
The train bridge was chosen by the local Sport Fish Advisory Board as a good boundary due to quality of fish concerns as the run progresses. Above the train bridge fish will be spawning in large numbers starting in late August and this regulation was implemented to discourage people from fishing them off of the redds. Still happens but at least people will not be legally allowed to kill the fish caught in this area. Was a tough call as the fish are clean in the early part of the return but change fairly quickly once they have started to stage prespawn. This regulation was implemented to preserve the quality of the fishery and to try and limit the gong show.
The Mamquam is running dirty as Ring Creek is putting out lots of silt. That watershed is very unstable in the upper reaches as well as having lots of glacial till. Now that the winter snow is gone for the most part and the glaciers have receded the melt water runs thru the silt and it ends up in the river. When it cools down up top it will clean up again unless we get a good rain.
Have lived in Squamish for close to 30 years and I have seen this happen a few times before. Is worse on years when the snow pack is low or gone.
Forgot to add that the Dyke is closed by the District of Squamish as they do not want vechile access on the dykes. Evidently they are concerned about the integrity of the dyke system in Squamish. The only Dyke that you can drive on is the one down to the wind sufers site at the end of the Spit.
One nice thing about reduced vechile access is the reduced amount of garbage at the Mamquam bar this year. I guess it's just too far to pack all of your junk in if you can't drive it close.