Growing fears that flooding has damaged salmon runs in urban rivers and creeks
There are some major concerns about Vancouver Island's urban rivers and creeks after heavy rains caused them to overflow their banks.
“My marine biologist people feel that this has really done a lot of damage to our salmon run this year,” said Dorothy Chamber, of the Salmon in the City Project.
On Tuesday, the Colquitz River was five feet higher than it currently is.
Raging waters pushed logs and other debris down the river.
“Which then takes out the reds, which is the gravel nest where the salmon eggs are,” said Chambers.
This year has been a challenging one for coho salmon in the Colquitz.
Summer drought nearly dried up the river. Then otters got into fish counting pens and ate a good number of returning salmon. Now, it’s too much water, all at once, that has possibly wiped out any progress the salmon did manage to make.
It’s not all bad news though. The damage could have been worse, according to Eva Riccius, Senior Manager of Saanich Parks.
Last September, Saanich completed work on the river, creating side pools in increase salmon habitat. Those pools overflowed during the heavy rains, but that also took pressure off of the river, slowing it down and preventing further damage.
“This has stood up amazingly,” said Riccius. “I mean, the water was very high, but still, I think without it we would have fared worse.”
Over on Millstream Creek in Langford, waters are still raging and the concerns are the same.
“At this point in time, the coho eggs that would be in here would be very fragile,” said Ian Bruce, executive co-ordinator of the Peninsula Streams Society.
“Any sort of shock to them, it’s going to kill them.”
Bruce estimates the waters in narrow parts of the creek rose by three meters.
He fears this year's coho return could be in jeopardy, but says we won’t know how bad it truly is until the spring. That’s when fry begin to hatch.
“So we’ll know how many of these eggs survived because we’ll know by the number of fry that we see,” said Bruce.
He says B.C. is seeing more major storm events, and it’s only expected to get worse.
He wants to see municipalities planning developments better along the banks of urban waterways. This would allow for floodplains, so that rivers can safely spill their banks and not be forced to push all that extra water down-stream.
“Don’t build so close to the creeks,” said Bruce. “Use those areas for playing fields and parkland that can be flooded during storm events without property damage or without confining the water to a channel.”
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says it is closely monitoring the situation. Once the storm waters recede, DFO will work with its local partners to help asses the long-term impact the floods had on Pacific salmon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.