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[Fishin Freak]

Thought we could use something a little positive around here...


By Jennifer Feinberg
The Progress
Aug 19 2005

Re-establishing chinook and other salmon runs in the oxygen-depleted Hope Slough is the aim of a project being initiated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada with community partners.
The habitat restoration project is focused on a small in-stream section of the historic waterway. The equipment will be in the water on Aug. 29 and DFO habitat biologist Matt Foy says the goal is to create "riffles," or a stream with a bed of gravel in quick-moving, shallow water.
Workers will be re-jigging the channel, loosening up the gravel and removing the fine sediment to create the right conditions for the oxygen-rich habitat needed for salmon spawning and rearing, he says.
"The Hope Slough was cut off from the Fraser River years ago, but it is quite a rich fisheries resource," Foy says. "I don't want to minimize the problems, but I don't want the slough written off yet either."
The waterway is now fed by springs and other tributaries. Although many people mistakenly believe the slough is already dead or choked out, in fact it is home to several fish and wildlife species, from chum and coho salmon, to catfish, trout, pikeminnow, chub, to otter, beaver and herons and more.
Heavy machinery will be used to dig out the slough, starting from the section near the entrance to the park that's closest to Young Road. Foy says the resident wildlife will likely temporarily vacate the area during the work, and return when it's done.
A public information meeting was held at the Hope River - Corbould Park Monday night, drawing the interest of several nearby residents.
The work may cause "minor sediment disturbance or colouring of the water downstream," says project coordinator Meeri Durand, an FVRD planner representing the Fraser Valley Regional Watersheds Coalition. The sediment will "dissipate" within a few days, she adds.
"Some may ask why we're doing this since there's not even a chinook population in the slough," says Durand. "In fact chinook historically were known in the Hope Slough but they haven't been here for years."
It's a "hardy" fish stock, she says adding, "they're survivalists" which is fuelling hopes the fish stock will adapt well to the Hope Slough.
The slough channel will be reconfigured to improve the fish habitat, in part to address the ongoing decline of local fish stock populations. Most of the gravel needed to create the undulating riffle patterns in the fast sections, is already in the stream bed, says Durand.
A similar project was successful in re-establishing a chinook population in the Maria Slough near Seabird Island, which has similar physical characteristics to the Hope Slough. A small number of spawners are expected back.
One of the ideas for the Hope Slough project is to also build some vandal-proof interpretive facilities once the in-stream work is done and the fish stock is returning, such as a path to the stream, some interpretive plaques and a viewing platform.
Some residents who showed up at the info meeting expressed concerns about not having been consulted before the in-stream project was planned.
Some of the issues raised included the potential for increased traffic, vandalism, and garbage, once the little park becomes a viable fish-bearing waterway again.
"What about the traffic in five years?" asks resident Kevin Moore.
He suggests if the project goes well, by the fall of 2009 there could be 200 cars lining up to get into the little park. He says he and other neighbours took the initiative years ago to get the park closed off to vehicle traffic to reduce the vandalism and partying there.
"Before you turn the park into an interpretive centre, maybe the residents should have been consulted," Moore says.
But city parks official Dave Snider clarified that the interpretive idea was something DFO offered the city, but the scaled down plan is for a simple detour path, using recycled, non-flammable materials and no roof.
"Some of the terms might be misleading," he said. "It sounds like we're talking about the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve or something. Definitely not. It will be nothing grand, nothing flammable."
Durand said as a result of concerns about the interpretive facilities, she would recommend holding another open house event to discuss the design plans after the in-stream work is completed.
Thelma Hops wanted to know what would happen to the resident wildlife during the disruptive channel work.
Many of the dozen or so residents agreed that they would rather see a larger scale project that would see the slough flushed out thoroughly all the way to the Fraser River, rather than only concentrating on a small section of the waterway.
Sandy Ritchie of the Chilliwack Fish and Game Protective Association recommended putting pressure on Environment Minister Barry Penner on that score. He points out that urbanization in the Fraser Valley has led to the filling in of about 1,700 fish-bearing streams.
"We're down to one-tenth the fish populations that we had 100 years ago," Ritchie says. "And with the bad news over the last couple days about the sockeye this year, the difficulties are continuing year after year. So anytime we can take an area to enhance salmon, it's something the whole community should get behind and support."
In terms of the neighbour's concerns, he says, "I don't see any interruption to your way of life from the project. It's a beautiful park. It's a jewel it really is."
Resident Shatara Auffray says five years ago he was able to kayak all the way to Rosedale up the Hope River and supports the idea of cleaning out the entire waterway to the Fraser River.
There was general agreement that if water flows didn't improve in the Hope Slough, it was unlikely to provide good habitat.
At one point during the meeting, someone piped up with, "This is 50 years overdue."
To which Durand replies, "It certainly is."
The slough work will be underway from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2.
The project funded by the Pacific Salmon Commission, administered by the Fraser Valley Regional District. Partners include Fisheries and Oceans Canada, City of Chilliwack, FVRD and the Chilliwack Fish and Game Protective Association.

Source: http://www.theprogress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=39&cat=23&id=478103&more=

[chris gadsden]

Good stuff. I wanted to go to the meeting but slipped by me. Lets hope something comes of it this time as it has been discusssed several times before but nothing happened but it looks like it will this time.