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[rides bike to work]

What project needs to be done on the vedder to sustain and increase runs of salmon and steelhead on the vedder river

[Sam Salmon]

That's easy-make it 100% C&R, the snaggers would disappear overnight and there's be thousands and thousands of more fish spawning.

[bbronswyk2000]

That's easy-make it 100% C&R, the snaggers would disappear overnight and there's be thousands and thousands of more fish spawning.

Yup and thousands of less people buying salmon stamps meaning less money for the hatchery.

Money is what would make it have more fish. Enforcement, and more hatchery enhancement would make it have more fish. Both of which takes more money and lots of it...

[bentrod]

I'd like to see an end to gravel mining, land purchased and some side chanels established.  I'd also like to see something done about stabilizing the clay banks.  These are all achievable, just takes a good volunteer base, some political will and money, (not necessarily in that order).

[JordsyU]

Hatcheries are not always the answer, but in this case I believe the production of hatchery fish and Enforcement could increase to help the numbers. I agree tho, a lack of funding is not helping the salmon numbers. I believe a different government would be a wise desicion if we want larger runs of fish. 

[dennyman]

Seeing how much money is being thrown at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, (tongue in cheek) the Vedder should be declared the official river of the 2010 Olympic Games. If even a fraction of the money being spent on Games security found its ways to some of the projects like stabilizing  the clay banks, better fisheries enforcement things would improve dramatically on the Vedder.  However, with out a clearly laid out plan by the Minister of Environment, who also lives in the area, it will be same old, same old. Lot of talking but nothing happens.

[Dave]

Good post, RBTW.  I expected and hoped for a greater response as the Chilliwack-Vedder (CV) is the most fished river in the Province and is so prominent on this forum. 
Perhaps your question is a bit to general … are you advocating for angling opportunity (ie. more fish to harvest) or, what’s best for the fish?

 I believe each salmonid  species in the CV has it’s own issues, although there is often much overlap.  So if I may, let’s take it one species at a time …  the fish most dear to my heart, steelhead.  IMO this is “what needs to be done to sustain or increase runs”.   I think I am with both angler and fish on this.

1) Fund enumeration studies - determine what we have. Data on wild steelhead populations, adult spawners especially, is limited (OK, very limited) and hatchery harvest, including released juveniles, is about the same.  Until we have this data all else is pretty much irrelevant.  Gotta know what you’ve got/had before you think/know you have a problem.
2) Fund yearly maintenance work for the optimal, multi species function of each of the off channel habitat restoration sites on the CV (Peach Creek, Centennial, Yukalup, Angelwing, Borden, etc)
3) Close CV to angling above Tamihi Creek starting Feb. 28/9 –July 1, until data from (1) above is analysed.
4) Insist a proportion of the gravel mined from the lower river is replaced to the upper river in areas lacking quality spawning gravel.

[adriaticum]

What project needs to be done on the vedder to sustain and increase runs of salmon and steelhead on the vedder river

Probably nothing. Maybe increase spawning areas.
Vedder is probably already producing maximum fish it can produce.
A river can only produce so much fish. The capacity is fixed and it depends on the square footage of the spawning area.
Anything more than that is a waste as there is only so much spawning area.
Most people think that the more fish return, the better.
But that's not true necessarily.
For example pinks and chum spawn in the same kind of water.
Now that the pinks are done chum will move into their spawning ground and probably destroy a good percentage of their redds by digging redds for themselves.
So only increase in the physical area will help that.
Coho spawn in their own water and chinook in their own.
Coho are probably in most danger, I think
I agree with bbronswyk2000 , C & R is never going to work.

[speycaster]

Allow a special season on the Tamahi section, two people per day as long as they are holding a fishing rod. The harvester gets to keep their gear, just turn in the ears to show it was a proper harvest. Digital photo of the subject just before they were taken will help to show that they were legal at the time.

[buck]

Dave

We have asked the Dept. of the Environment on 2 or 3 occasions that we would like to see to see the section from Tamihi to Sleese closed to angling April 1. However we didn't get much satisfaction at all.
Apparently they would have to do a survey to determine the economic impact on the fishing community. Shows you how concerned they are about fish populations. Steelhead start to spawn the last week of February and this would go a long way in protecting and eliminating the catching wild spawners.
There has been a 1000 cubic meters of gravel set aside for fisheries needs each year that gravel mining takes place. The problem is the cost of trucking this material to the upper river. If I'm not mistaken some  of the gravel went to Hope slew for gravel pads for chinook , chum and coho.
Enumeration should be a priority , be it adults or juveniles.

[doja]

Well this isn't specific to the vedder but increasing the cost of a salmon tag probably wouldn't hurt. More money going in would probably lead to an increase of fish output.

And if you think about how much money you spent on fishing, an extra $40 isn't a whole lot if you factor in gas and fishing stuff. Remember, more fish should come of it, as that's an extra 3x the money the hatchery's receive(in theory).

But for the mean time I'll just spend hundreds of dollars each year to drive some where else for better fishing. Unfortunately though that money, is going to the gas man instead of the local hatchery's and increased local fish output, sad.

I'm sure some people will say the cost of a license is already too much but an extra bump on the salmon tag side should not effect too many people as most people fishing for salmon in rivers could very well absorb the extra cost. It's not with out benefit.

Further more, since when has a increase to the tags been implemented? have they been the same for ever? Is it time for a change?

Just a though...

[BwiBwi]

Vedder/Chilliwack is hatchery enhanced.  It's there for angling.  With the new boundary restriction during red spring migration so far there has no brood stock problem.  Why would more section need to be closed off?


Slides - cause high concentration of suspended sediments - detrimental for fish and eggs.
Allison Run
Slesse Park
Thurston Camp
Anderson Run
Chilliwack Campground
Willow Run
Ranger Run

Decreasing fish output at the Vedder Hatchery is also not helping.

Coho
2006   1095590
2005   1891701
2004   1558071
2003   2107555
2002   2181685
2001   1919489
2000   1988529

Chum
2006   1403135
2005   2026803
2004   1742687
2003   1623937
2002   1612557
2001   1809284
2000   1314928

Chinook
2006   1573151
2005   1994888
2004   1723484
2003   1999199
2002   1590378
2001   1057671
2000   1632985

[Rp3Flyfisher]

-First off, I would say there needs to be a HUGE river clean up!!!! Not just a river day (Though this does help a bit) but a MASSIVE clean up from the fraser right up to the hatchery.

-Second I would say this, and some won't like it.
Make a large section of the river C&R and have a section for catch and keep. Reduce the limits in the Catch and Keep area as well (Cut them in half) Not to sure where you could draw the line, but maybe from the Vedder crossing down to the Fraser would be C&R and the rest could be Catch and keep?

-Third, we need to get some sort of infusion of cash into the DFO. They can't do the job needed with so few people. If we could get a DFO force of 40-50 people watching those who do break the regs, this would help in management as well.

-Close the river to ALL fishing 3 days a week. Can't fish Monday, Wed, Friday, or something like that. Allow some of these fish to actually make it through. How the hell can we expect the numbers to stay like they are when we have thousands of rods in the water EVERY day!!!

Rick

[skaha]

--enhance the Thompson, Nicola, Fraser steelhead runs
--short term hatchery at Spenser's bridge
--education of all fishers , sport and commercial working tether for a sustainable fishery.

--Whats this got to do with the Vedder?....restore fisheries on other systems to give anglers a chance to fish other areas, increased diversity of angling experience to allow for broader management  alternatives.
--Closing or restricting the fishery to match the current hatch should not have to be an option, should be bring fish back to healthy sustainable populations then allocations wouldn't be such an issue. 

[chris gadsden]

-First off, I would say there needs to be a HUGE river clean up!!!! Not just a river day (Though this does help a bit) but a MASSIVE clean up from the fraser right up to the hatchery.

-Second I would say this, and some won't like it.
Make a large section of the river C&R and have a section for catch and keep. Reduce the limits in the Catch and Keep area as well (Cut them in half) Not to sure where you could draw the line, but maybe from the Vedder crossing down to the Fraser would be C&R and the rest could be Catch and keep?

-Third, we need to get some sort of infusion of cash into the DFO. They can't do the job needed with so few people. If we could get a DFO force of 40-50 people watching those who do break the regs, this would help in management as well.

-Close the river to ALL fishing 3 days a week. Can't fish Monday, Wed, Friday, or something like that. Allow some of these fish to actually make it through. How the hell can we expect the numbers to stay like they are when we have thousands of rods in the water EVERY day!!!

Rick

We have 3 cleanups a year including the BC River's Day event and at one time we have had 4 and the CVRCC has being doing cleanups for nearly 8 years and have taken 60 tonnes off the river. I really donot think there is a lot out there as we just had 250 people out a month ago and they did a good job. But saying that there always unfortunately will be some as there is a lot of very careless anglers that throw every thing possible where they are fishing. I checked yesterday along the bank of the Vedder Canal and where there was some popular spots there was fair amount of small  stuff laying on the banks. You would think they of all people would be more responsible.

I would suggest that in between cleanups you do what I and several others do, cleanup a bit every time you are out there, that will help a bit until the next scheduled cleanup..