Colquitz River fish
From: Dorothy Chambers
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2018 10:29 AM
Subject: Colquitz River fish fence, 2018 salmon spawn
Dear Salmon supporters:
It was a long dry, low, warm water season, ....well, until recently ! (now, we can’t get the fence panels out because the river is too high) !
Only 218 Coho salmon counted with one Searun Cutthroat Trout this year.
-2017.... 315 salmon.
-2016....1121 salmon.
-2015...265 salmon
-2014....1584 salmon
-2013....1348 salmon, and still counting on Dec. 21.
11 sudden deaths of adult salmon in 36 hours, prompted the removal of the fence panels, multiple water samples, and necropsies with organ investigations. Nothing definitive showed up, and after two weeks, the fence panels were installed again. It is a mystery how many salmon may have passed up stream during the open fence, but Craigflower Creek had none at that time.
https://www.vicnews.com/news/
In mid October, a three day river clean up happened, in the area of the counting fence and the Burnside off-ramp culvert. An unbelievable amount trash was removed, and many truck loads hauled away. The fence volunteers were assisted by World Fisheries Trust, Saanich Parks, and Saanich Storm and Wastewater crews. https://www.saanichnews.com/
Saanich Parks completed a wonderful fenced in viewing area, at the rivers’ edge, where hundreds of school kids were able to safely and easily observe all the river wildlife !
We had a really fun crew of volunteers join us this year, sadly, I wish they had been put to work more often hauling salmon !
Teaming up with Esquimalt Anglers has been a great partnership, and we hope to get some fence repairs done in the off season.
As always, thank you for your interest and support of the Colquitz watershed, and the amazing Cuthbert Holmes Park ! See you next October !
Sincerely,
Dorothy, Sara and the whole fish gang,
Salmon in The City project....