Rock slide in Fraser River, B.C., may hinder salmon passage
- Thread starter wildmanyeah
- Start date
GLG
Well-Known Member
Fraser River Panel Weekly Report - Pacific Salmon Commission
Aug 9, 2019
The Fraser River Panel (Panel) met today to review assessment data on Fraser River sockeye and pink salmon. The landslide at Big Bar continues to be a major source of concern for the Panel as migrating sockeye salmon will need to pass this area to reach their spawning grounds. It is estimated that about 59,000 sockeye will have reached the Big Bar site as of August 8 based on abundances observed at Mission and approximately 6,700 total fish (5,200 sockeye and 2,200 Chinook salmon) have been transported upstream from the slide via helicopter. A fish-wheel, intended to increase the efficiency of capturing salmon prior to transport, has been delivered and will undergo testing soon. As of August 4, a total of 144 salmon had been radio tagged to monitor their upstream movement. Some of the tagged fish have been transported by helicopter to evaluate the success of the upstream relocation efforts. There is now evidence that two radio tagged salmon, transported past the rock slide, made it to the northern portion of the watershed. Excluding the salmon transported by helicopter, none of the radio tagged salmon released below the slide have been detected above the Big Bar slide thus far. High water levels at the landslide site due to heavy rainfall in the northern part of the watershed have delayed the rock manipulations required for the completion of the natural fish way and have also required the temporary removal of the hydroacoustics monitoring stations.
You can find the full report here.
https://www.psc.org/publications/fr...nformation/fraser-river-panel-weekly-reports/
Aug 9, 2019
The Fraser River Panel (Panel) met today to review assessment data on Fraser River sockeye and pink salmon. The landslide at Big Bar continues to be a major source of concern for the Panel as migrating sockeye salmon will need to pass this area to reach their spawning grounds. It is estimated that about 59,000 sockeye will have reached the Big Bar site as of August 8 based on abundances observed at Mission and approximately 6,700 total fish (5,200 sockeye and 2,200 Chinook salmon) have been transported upstream from the slide via helicopter. A fish-wheel, intended to increase the efficiency of capturing salmon prior to transport, has been delivered and will undergo testing soon. As of August 4, a total of 144 salmon had been radio tagged to monitor their upstream movement. Some of the tagged fish have been transported by helicopter to evaluate the success of the upstream relocation efforts. There is now evidence that two radio tagged salmon, transported past the rock slide, made it to the northern portion of the watershed. Excluding the salmon transported by helicopter, none of the radio tagged salmon released below the slide have been detected above the Big Bar slide thus far. High water levels at the landslide site due to heavy rainfall in the northern part of the watershed have delayed the rock manipulations required for the completion of the natural fish way and have also required the temporary removal of the hydroacoustics monitoring stations.
You can find the full report here.
https://www.psc.org/publications/fr...nformation/fraser-river-panel-weekly-reports/
Last edited:
GLG
Well-Known Member
Information Bulletin: Water Flow at Big Bar Landslide
Aug 9, 2019
Water flow management is critical to the success of salmon being able to navigate past the Big Bar Landslide. Without correct water conditions, it can be difficult or impossible for the migrating fish to travel past the obstruction zone.
If the water flow is too fast, salmon will not be able to move upriver since the current would be too strong. If the flow is too slow, it will leave shallow pools which the salmon would then be unable to leap out of. What is needed is water movement that is neither too slow nor too fast, but just right. At the slide site, water flow is 2,900 m3/s (cubic metres per second) at various times which is currently presenting a significant obstacle for fish passage.
There are many tools at Incident Command’s disposal to manage water flow. Large rock manipulation has been critical to the success of this project. Altering the rock landscape by removing, moving, or adding rock to the site can change water flow and velocity patterns to better allow fish movement.
Another tool is managing water flows from regulated tributaries upstream, including the Nechako River. Ongoing summer releases by Rio Tinto Alcan, from the Nechako River system, allows the cooling of water to help salmon; however, due to this emergency situation, the Province had ordered that flows be reduced to assist in operations at the slide while still meeting temperature requirements.
The Province is committed to working with Rio Tinto Alcan to ensure that releases from the facility balance the needs at the Big Bar Landslide and the resident fish in the Nechako, including the endangered sturgeon population.
Altered flow releases from the dam have assisted efforts at the Big Bar Landslide by providing stable water flows at the site; however, as of August 8, 2019, based on temperatures in the Nechako river predicted by Rio Tinto modelling, Rio Tinto Alcan was asked by the Province to release water to provide cooling and to immediately revert back to maintaining regular flows as per its summer temperature management program. Rio Tinto Alcan has accommodated this request.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p...-2019/19_71w20ay_water_flow_august_9_2019.pdf
Aug 9, 2019
Water flow management is critical to the success of salmon being able to navigate past the Big Bar Landslide. Without correct water conditions, it can be difficult or impossible for the migrating fish to travel past the obstruction zone.
If the water flow is too fast, salmon will not be able to move upriver since the current would be too strong. If the flow is too slow, it will leave shallow pools which the salmon would then be unable to leap out of. What is needed is water movement that is neither too slow nor too fast, but just right. At the slide site, water flow is 2,900 m3/s (cubic metres per second) at various times which is currently presenting a significant obstacle for fish passage.
There are many tools at Incident Command’s disposal to manage water flow. Large rock manipulation has been critical to the success of this project. Altering the rock landscape by removing, moving, or adding rock to the site can change water flow and velocity patterns to better allow fish movement.
Another tool is managing water flows from regulated tributaries upstream, including the Nechako River. Ongoing summer releases by Rio Tinto Alcan, from the Nechako River system, allows the cooling of water to help salmon; however, due to this emergency situation, the Province had ordered that flows be reduced to assist in operations at the slide while still meeting temperature requirements.
The Province is committed to working with Rio Tinto Alcan to ensure that releases from the facility balance the needs at the Big Bar Landslide and the resident fish in the Nechako, including the endangered sturgeon population.
Altered flow releases from the dam have assisted efforts at the Big Bar Landslide by providing stable water flows at the site; however, as of August 8, 2019, based on temperatures in the Nechako river predicted by Rio Tinto modelling, Rio Tinto Alcan was asked by the Province to release water to provide cooling and to immediately revert back to maintaining regular flows as per its summer temperature management program. Rio Tinto Alcan has accommodated this request.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p...-2019/19_71w20ay_water_flow_august_9_2019.pdf
It’s not acoustic equipment. It’s a net pen used to store salmon before they are lifted out.
Could be the only thing holding up that side from falling in like the other side did already.
What are you doing right now at Big Bar to assist?
Calm areas are not necessarily great acoustic sites. Before the slide those areas immediately above the slide (like French Bar) could have probably been good. However, after the slide, it backed up the water more where it almost resembles a lake. In those situations, Sockeye can potentially migrate further away from the banks because the flow is reduced. The Fraser River is very wide enough to begin with, but even more in that area immediately above the slide now. With salmon potentially moving further away from the banks that makes it more difficult to detect and count fish with the sonars being used. After a certain distance, sonars will switch to lower frequency with signal return weakening the further you go out. You may see fish at 60m but probably not very good. The water is also deeper making it difficult to ensonify the water column and be confident you are not missing fish.
The key is to find areas in the river where the flow forces salmon to be more shore oriented. Migrating salmon expend less energy closer to the banks and closer to substrate whereas the river can be literally ripping in the centre. If you were a migrating adult Pacific salmon with a finite amount of energy where would you want to be? When the salmon are closer to the banks you can cover more of the water column with the sonar being used and be more confident in your counts. You also have the added advantage of higher frequency creating better resolution in the images. Chinook can potentially migrate a bit further from the banks than Sockeye and Pink, but and you can see them with sonar.
Don’t kid yourself.....The “moderate” bump in water can be enough to send debris down the river and take out the acoustic equipment. This is not cheap equipment. Remember it’s the FRASER RIVER as I have been repeatedly saying here. Perhaps more rigorous stations could be developed if time, money, and flows permitted, but these luxuries likely didn’t present themselves at the time. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the update Shuswap. The people not familiar with the Fraser will greatly appreciate it.
Any drone footage of these 60000 sockeye that are possibly not making it past the slide? That would be a lot of sockeye stacked up in the top end of the back eddy and lots of fish attempting to shoot the rapids.
Does anybody have any numbers for fish that have made it past the slide?
Acoustic soundings were up?
Any drone footage of these 60000 sockeye that are possibly not making it past the slide? That would be a lot of sockeye stacked up in the top end of the back eddy and lots of fish attempting to shoot the rapids.
Does anybody have any numbers for fish that have made it past the slide?
Acoustic soundings were up?
Last edited:
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
or how about the early chinook runs, it's been reported that this is a total blockage does that mean they are still still sitting there from May, June and July?
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
I was told that 650 chinook were estimated to have gotten by the slide prior to the Chilcotin flood.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
GLG
Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update.
• As operations ramp up, the safety of all personnel working on this incident remains a top priority. All risks are being identified and steps are continuously being taken to mitigate all potential hazards. This proactive approach to safety is intended to avoid injuries, which would further delay operations.
• Safety measures for additional scaling personnel on the west rockface continue to be implemented. The rockface on the east side of the landslide is being assessed for further exploration.
• As landslide mitigation operations warrant further ground disturbance, Incident Command continues to work closely with local First Nations to ensure both archaeological and cultural heritage resources are respected.
• Fish wheel operations continue to be tested today, with progress made on moving towards implementation
• Fish capture and transport operations are continuously ramping up and remain successful. As of today approximately 6,000 Sockeye and 2,400 Chinook salmon have been transported by helicopter upstream of the landslide.
• Two 1,000 litres fish transport tanks (Figure 1) will be delivered in Lillooet today. The addition of these tanks will increase helicopter fish transport capacity.
• A pescalator (Figure 2) arrived at incident command post in Lillooet yesterday, and will be assessed for use alongside the fish wheel. This prefabricated fish transport device is placed on an angle and gently turns to move fish. The pescalator is one of several technologies under consideration to move fish from the fish wheel to the helicopter transport tanks.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p.../update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_10.pdf
• As operations ramp up, the safety of all personnel working on this incident remains a top priority. All risks are being identified and steps are continuously being taken to mitigate all potential hazards. This proactive approach to safety is intended to avoid injuries, which would further delay operations.
• Safety measures for additional scaling personnel on the west rockface continue to be implemented. The rockface on the east side of the landslide is being assessed for further exploration.
• As landslide mitigation operations warrant further ground disturbance, Incident Command continues to work closely with local First Nations to ensure both archaeological and cultural heritage resources are respected.
• Fish wheel operations continue to be tested today, with progress made on moving towards implementation
• Fish capture and transport operations are continuously ramping up and remain successful. As of today approximately 6,000 Sockeye and 2,400 Chinook salmon have been transported by helicopter upstream of the landslide.
• Two 1,000 litres fish transport tanks (Figure 1) will be delivered in Lillooet today. The addition of these tanks will increase helicopter fish transport capacity.
• A pescalator (Figure 2) arrived at incident command post in Lillooet yesterday, and will be assessed for use alongside the fish wheel. This prefabricated fish transport device is placed on an angle and gently turns to move fish. The pescalator is one of several technologies under consideration to move fish from the fish wheel to the helicopter transport tanks.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p.../update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_10.pdf
Oh ive done more than my share over many many years for the betterment of Salmon.
Volunteered at hatcheries. Net pen projects. Stream cleanup and rehab. Avid angler program . fundraising etcetc. To name a few. Dam near 60 yrs old so over many many years.
Yes calling Wilkinson a liar. His quote. Weve been on this a few months. Oh really. We thought you said we just found out about the slide beginning of July. No it happened last fall 2018. Calling them out .....its a total blockage. BS! Its not nor has it been. Also Natives havent been fishing down river.....completely false as they have had dozens and dozens of openings. Of course not monitored.
Then theres the black market .....do we need to go there ?
Im calling it for what it is. Yes the slides not good and hats off to those working it. We commend you. But Wilkinson and his gov and others are using it again for Political means. Posturing. BS. Shame on them .
As for what am i doing for the slide. Natta. Not with my health now. Yet i continue to do the best i can and am involved in trying to right this sinking DFO and Liberal BS of mismanagement of our coast for too long.
Many dont like the truth. Dont like to be exposed for what takes place. Be it dumping of salmon that didnt sell. Be it not following Sound Proven Science by DFOs own Staff.
Yes im proud of what ive tried to do for our future generations of fishers.
I call for ACCOUNTABILITY by ALL sectors. Show your true real numbers. Stop the slaughter for special groups.
Just be ACCOUNTABLE!
These closures weve faced since April have done nothing to grow more Salmon. Its BS. Gov and DFO turning their back on some of the true causes for declines. Hobnobbling with big business re fish farms and the big share holders of our licenses and quotas for chosen groups. Shame on them.
Until the real issues are addressed. The BS will continue.
Start with accountability by all. Look to the USA for examples of making more salmon for everyone. Canada its stupid policies and apathy do not grow more fish. So keep going the way they have for decades and decades and yes it will be gone.
GLG
Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update.
• Engineers, geologists and scaling personnel will continue to manipulate boulders on the west bank of the river. By using inflatable airbags they are able to move large rocks into strategic locations in the river. The purpose of this work is to create a series of pools, short drops and back eddies to allow fish an opportunity to naturally swim upstream beyond the slide.
• The Kitsumkalum fish wheel was repositioned yesterday due to a decrease in water level. Further testing will be undertaken today with the intention of moving salmon via helicopter, that the fish wheel captured.
• A thunderstorm warning in the area caused operational delays yesterday. Scaling personnel were pulled off of the rockface as a precautionary safety measure. Weather delays today could further hinder personnel onsite.
• More than 1,000 salmon per day are being transported above the landslide as a result of the addition of multiple beach seining sites over the last week. A total of 7,343 Sockeye and 2,608 Chinook salmon have been transported by helicopter upstream of the landslide.
• 44 Sockeye and 36 Chinook salmon have been tagged and transported upstream of the landslide, which allows fish biologists to monitor upstream movement of salmon.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p.../update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_11.pdf
• Engineers, geologists and scaling personnel will continue to manipulate boulders on the west bank of the river. By using inflatable airbags they are able to move large rocks into strategic locations in the river. The purpose of this work is to create a series of pools, short drops and back eddies to allow fish an opportunity to naturally swim upstream beyond the slide.
• The Kitsumkalum fish wheel was repositioned yesterday due to a decrease in water level. Further testing will be undertaken today with the intention of moving salmon via helicopter, that the fish wheel captured.
• A thunderstorm warning in the area caused operational delays yesterday. Scaling personnel were pulled off of the rockface as a precautionary safety measure. Weather delays today could further hinder personnel onsite.
• More than 1,000 salmon per day are being transported above the landslide as a result of the addition of multiple beach seining sites over the last week. A total of 7,343 Sockeye and 2,608 Chinook salmon have been transported by helicopter upstream of the landslide.
• 44 Sockeye and 36 Chinook salmon have been tagged and transported upstream of the landslide, which allows fish biologists to monitor upstream movement of salmon.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p.../update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_11.pdf
[QUOTE="GLG, post
• 44 Sockeye and 36 Chinook salmon have been tagged and transported upstream of the landslide, which allows fish biologists to monitor upstream movement of salmon.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p.../update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_11.pdf[/QUOTE]
Thanks for these updates GLG. Not sure if I read an earlier post correctly, when it said to date none of these radio tagged fish had been detected by hydroacoustic equipment upstream of the slide. Can anyone respond to this question?
• 44 Sockeye and 36 Chinook salmon have been tagged and transported upstream of the landslide, which allows fish biologists to monitor upstream movement of salmon.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p.../update_big_bar_landslide_incident_aug_11.pdf[/QUOTE]
Thanks for these updates GLG. Not sure if I read an earlier post correctly, when it said to date none of these radio tagged fish had been detected by hydroacoustic equipment upstream of the slide. Can anyone respond to this question?
GLG
Well-Known Member
There are two groups of radio tagged salmon. One group was tagged and released below the slide and the other group was tagged and released above the slide. The information that was released said that none of the tagged group, that were released below the slide, has been detected further up the river above the slide.
Similar threads
