Is the CRD killing coho?

islandboy

islandboy

Well-Known Member
The solution to this is simple:

1) Open the gates so the lake goes down.
2) Each day (before the swimmers come) send a half-dozen or so BC Liberals up to the cliff tops and have them jump off.
3) If they surface, lower the lake some more...
 
Little Hawk said:
The solution to this is simple:

1) Open the gates so the lake goes down.
2) Each day (before the swimmers come) send a half-dozen or so BC Liberals up to the cliff tops and have them jump off.
3) If they surface, lower the lake some more...
Click to expand...

Post of the year
 
I hike Craigflower creek every month for the past 10 years. 10 years ago there were numerous salmon in the creek in the fall. In the last 5 years I've maybe seen 2 fish in total.
Today and yesterday I hiked the creek from the highway to upper section, No dead or alive fish to be seen, it appears this creek is dead.

In the last few years the water levels during the summer have been down to a few inches with a couple of deeper pockets maybe 2 feet deep at the most. It is easy fishing for the birds but even in the last few years there are no birds fishing so what does that tell you.

It also probably didn't help that when the highlands golf course was constructed there was a massive landslide into the creek which added a lot of vegetation and foliage into the creek.

The CRD has to keep the creek flowing during the summer. It's easy to see what effect lowering the water level over the past few years has had on the fish and their habitat.

I will be writing to the CRD and a letter to the editor of the paper regarding this issue.
 
It only takes a short time to wreck a stream but unfortunately it takes a very long time and lots of effort/money and political will to recover a stream - if possible at all. Some are beyond repair. Unfortunately pretty much every stream in Greater Victoria is either totally wrecked or 95% there. Very sad.
 
Check out the letter to the editor which appeared in the Times-Colonist on Sunday November 28. As president
of the Esquimalt Anglers' Association, who are trying to rebuild the Craigflower Creek coho run to sustainable
historic levels, I drafted the letter in response to the November 20 article which appeared in the T-C. The CRD
Parks mandate as stated in the Thetis Lake Park Management Plan is to work with the B.C. Ministry of Environment
to "...monitor water levels, maintain water control structures and release water from Thetis Lake to enhance conditions for salmon and trout in the Craigflower Creek system...". They have not been doing this and as a result
thousands of coho fry have been dying because of low flows and high water temperatures. Your letters of support are welcome and should be addressed to the CRD Parks Committee (ie. the politicians) @ 625 Fisgard Street,
P.O. Box 1000, Victoria, V8W 2S6. By all means also send letters to the editor of local papers like the T-C and News Group.
 
DOUG: The Craigflower Creek habitat is still fairly good. The main problem is the lack of water during the
critical June 15 to October 15 period each year. Up until last weekend there were only about 30 coho
spawners counted through the fence. However, in the last three days another 20 or so have entered the
creek. We are now up to 50 fish. This is still much below the normal return and an order of magnitude
below the best returns. The CRD's mandate is to release water from Thetis Lake for salmonids in the
creek. It is critical that letters be sent to the CRD Parks Committee (see address in my previous reply here)
over the next month as they have this issue on their agenda now. They will be dealing with this in the new
year and hopefully putting a plan into effect before the summer.

Colquitz Creek, a far more urban creek watershed, has had 250-300 coho through their fence, although most
have been jacks. Colquitz is regulated by the CRD through the adjustment of a flow control structure at the outlet
to Beaver Lake. Colquitz is a more productive creek and the coho smolts are larger when they migrate out in
the spring.
 
Silver Streak

I can see what you are saying about more fish. I hiked the creek today and saw numerous Coho and a few were nesting.

What you are saying is very interesting and I'd like to learn more about Craigflower creek.

I will write to whoever to support your suggestion. Please supply me a CRD name and address.

Do you have a sample letter of what main points you want to get across or should I just base my letter on what I've read to date.
 
DOUG: There is enough information in my previous two posts to draft a letter.
Send to the CRD Parks Committee as noted above. If you can get others to
write as well that would be great. It is important that we show public support
for the fish and a release of water from Thetis Lake. Your letter will be attached
to the CRD Parks Committee agenda of one of their future meetings. They will
send you a reply and you can check their meeting agendas (and minutes) on the
CRD website. Thanks for your help.
 
Thanks to all who wrote letters about the need for a water release from Thetis Lake
to Craigflower Creek to sustain coho salmon fry through the summer. Because of the
public exposure this subject has garnered and the political pressure applied through
the letters, CRD Parks staff have been told to make a trial water release happen this
coming summer. The CRD has received a letter from DFO Habitat Management stating
their support for the project. Because of the exceptional downstream benefits of a
multi-year trial water release, it is hoped that the water release will become a
management requirement of all agencies involved.

Thanks go to Juan de Fuca Regional Director, Mike Hicks, who raised this issue at
the November meeting of the CRD Parks Committee. He got this on the Committee's
agenda and, as a result, was instrumental in drawing public attention to it.
 
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