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[redside1]

Hi there,
 
You have volunteered your email address as part of the Gold River Steelhead Public Forum that took place in Campbell river in February 2019. 
 
This email is to provide everyone with a brief update on the current status of the project, and results from the stock assessment completed in Summer 2019 and more recently February 2020. If you would no longer like to be a part of this group, please email ‘STOP’ back to me, and I will remove you from the mailing list.  In addition please feel free to disseminate this information to any other interested parties.
 
Highlights (lowlights??)
 
•   Sport Fishery
 
o   Gold River Winter-run sport fishery has remained closed.
o   Heber River summer run fishery - status quo
 
•   Snorkel Surveys
 
o   Peak count during 2019 Steelhead Winter-run season was 4 adult steelhead with in the Standard index section ~8km in the lower river between the Main bridge in town down to the Ucona Confluence (Garbage Dump).
o   Latest Count in 2020 (Feb 20, 2020) Zero fish observed in the Standard Index Section.
o   Heber River summer runs in 2018 count was 259 (right at long term average) and in 2019 count was 77, well below long term average.
 
•   Standing Stock Fry Abundances in summer 2019
 
o   showed Very Low fry densities (Below 25% of estimated capacity) in the Lower Gold
o   showed Low fry densities (Below 50% of estimated capacity) in the Upper Gold
o   Heber River showed good fry densities (near 50-100% of estimated capacity)
 
•   Predator monitoring, occurring over 10 days in March and April 2019
 
o   Seals observed on three separate occasions in the “lake Pool”
o   Seals, up to 6, observed in and around the estuary on 9 out of 10 visits
o   No Seals/predators observed in other River Locations (Big Bend, Pumphouse, Helicopter run, Ucona confluence etc.)
 
 
 
HCTF has continued to fund Stock Assessment activities for the 2019/20 fiscal year.  We are awaiting response for the 2020/21 fiscal for two separate proposals for continued stock assessment as well as limiting factors/predator investigations.  If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email or call.
 
 
Regards
 
Jeramy Damborg,. 
Senior Project Biologist
BC Conservation Foundation

[CohoJake]

Thank you for sharing, but wow this is depressing.  The only silver lining I see is that if the actual fish numbers are so low, why would the seals bother to show up? Wouldn't they just move on elsewhere if they weren't finding any prey?

[Dave]

Thank you for sharing, but wow this is depressing.  The only silver lining I see is that if the actual fish numbers are so low, why would the seals bother to show up? Wouldn't they just move on elsewhere if they weren't finding any prey?

Thanks for this update redside1.  Good question re the seals CJ, doesn't seem worth their while to be there.

[Robert_G]

I understand that there are multiple issues facing the west coast salmon/steelhead, but management must take the time to learn just how big a problem the seals are now.
Its not just the seals in a vacuum either.

1. The population of seals has skyrocketed.
2. What compounds the problem is that people don't understand the changes in estuary structure. Estuaries used to be well covered with obstructions like logs, weeds, grasses, fallen trees, driftwood...etc...etc.... If you look now....most estuaries are clean enough to pass my mom's 'clean room' inspection. The fry have nowhere to hide in so many systems now.

Those 2 points compounded together …...and then compounded again.... with ie...overfishing, habitat destruction, ocean pollution......etc....etc....the fish have zero chance at recovery. It's just a disaster.

[RalphH]

Over half the Gold River estuary has been turned into an industrial park.

[Robert_G]

I just took a look on Google Maps....looks terrible. There are so many things wrong with that picture...

[clarki]

Indeed. Take the Seymour River, for example, That estuary is about a sterile and industrialized as they come. It was estimated that 78% of salmon died during their transition through the estuary. Half a million bucks was spent planting, adding woody debris and otherwise complicating the estuary.       

https://www.nsnews.com/news/seymour-estuary-enhancement-underway-1.1310266
http://seymoursalmon.com/projects/estuary-work/

[firebird]

Quote "Indeed. Take the Seymour River, for example, That estuary is about a sterile and industrialized as they come. It was estimated that 78% of salmon died during their transition through the estuary. Half a million bucks was spent planting, adding woody debris and otherwise complicating the estuary.       

https://www.nsnews.com/news/seymour-estuary-enhancement-underway-1.1310266
http://seymoursalmon.com/projects/estuary-work/"

The survivors of the estuary ambush must continue through the gantlet of the main harbour and its city night lights.

The hatchery fish are getting a lift nowaday to the outer harbour. Hopefully, the naturally-spawned fish will benefit from estuary habitat restoration efforts.