Plan hatched to return coho salmon to Coquitlam River after 105 years

I don't no this system that well but these projects where the dam remains in place and there is no fish ladder or fish passage have not been that successful in creating abundance. So they capture the fish and then transport them by truck into the lake. They release the smolts into the lake or upstream and they get flushed through the damn or smolt trap is put in place near the dam. Also someone has also pointed out to me it's likely that some of the best spawning habitat was flooded when it was damed. Then there is also the issue of drain down in the lake sometimes up to 10m. So if there is beach spawners they are really effected.

They release like 50k and only a few return and then everyone in the project claims victory. I wonder tho if this is the best use for the 50k smolts. Its usually to prove to BC hydro that a run is possible and then to get to appy into this step by step process (https://fwcp.ca/fish-passage-decision-framework/) (https://fwcp.ca/action-plans/). From what i've been told about the step by step process tho is each step can take decades.

IT's great that people are going through the headache but the solution is build fish passage or remove the dam. Instead these things turn into endless study. I have donated money to a few and it's just never ending soul sucking work for those involved where BC hydro makes you jump though never ending hoops.
 
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Absolute waste of time. A great PR campaign that gets eaten up by the clueless general public.

You want to see more fish return to the Coquitlam? Get rid of the silt problem from Cewee first. Any rain or release from the ponds absolute chokes out anything downstream.

Second, much like Alouette stop the huge fluctuations in water from the dam.
Any redds get ripped apart with the flood like releases and then they drop the water so quick the fry get washed up everywhere.
 
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You are absolutely right Gil. So easy to diss the work of thousands of volunteers that put their hearts and souls into what seems an insurmountable task.
 
This has nothing to do with with dissing the volunteers who are the lifeblood of our small streams.

This has to do with bigger issues that these streams have and should be focused on. All the volunteer effort isnt gonna help out these streams if the issues of siltation and yoyo water flows by BC hydro arent addressed.
 
No one is dissing volunteers and I believe wildmanyeah and whitebuck are correct in that there are bigger issues in play. Having said that perhaps a salmon presence will help push for these necessary changes.
 
'Quite dire': Fraser River sockeye salmon run expected to be worst ever recorded

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/2020-fraser-river-sockeye-record-1.5682765

"The Fraser River salmon runs, the Early Stuart and Early Summer, will struggle to make the migration, according to the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC).

"The majority of those runs will not reach their spawning grounds," said Catherine Michielsens, the commission's chief of fisheries management science. "

 
i took my new kayak up coquitlam river. water was crystal clear. not a single fish, small fish spawn or anything else for the whole day. and you can see the bottom clearly. no life at all, just a few car tires.
there is a first nations reserve up on the coqutilam river so if there were any fish a single net could span the river and kill all of them anyway so huge waste of time trying to put fish in when you have a part of society which can literally filter entire rivers at will by dragging huge nets across them like they do to the fraser. laws need to change so its hook, line and rod only along any river until they get to the ocean then its open season.
 
wildmanyeah said:
I don't no this system that well but these projects where the dam remains in place and there is no fish ladder or fish passage have not been that successful in creating abundance. So they capture the fish and then transport them by truck into the lake. They release the smolts into the lake or upstream and they get flushed through the damn or smolt trap is put in place near the dam. Also someone has also pointed out to me it's likely that some of the best spawning habitat was flooded when it was damed. Then there is also the issue of drain down in the lake sometimes up to 10m. So if there is beach spawners they are really effected....
Click to expand...
Acknowledging the efforts & good intent of volunteers and others involved in these projects - but WMY brings up some important points that are often either ignored or overlooked.

The dam is obviously the problem - and w/o things like fish ladders and trucking - the upriver run is obviously doomed. But....

Some of those "solutions" associated with dams also have their issues, and are combined with the issues that the dam presents: Introgression from extended long-term stock assistance, fish ladders ineffective due to design or placement, changes in spawning gravels due to increases in lake/impoundment levels as well as scouring downstream of the discharge, changes in downstream instream temperatures & water levels & timing, barrier between migratory patterns and separation of fish stocks & assemblages downstream and upstream of the dam, and entrainment into the non fish-friendly turbines, etc.

Many lessons to be learned besides don't dam the river. I think it is both responsible and hopefully productive to look @ the issues both successfully and unsuccessfully resolved in other similar situations - and learn from them. I don't think it needs to be coached in terms of offhand dismissing efforts & good intent of volunteers and others involved in these projects, neither. This report sheds some light on those deliberations as to best approaches: https://www.researchgate.net/public..._AND_PRELIMINARY_CONSIDERATIONS_FOR_MACTAQUAC

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-...-study-starts-on-mactaquac-headpond-1.2661062
 
Dave said:
No one is dissing volunteers and I believe wildmanyeah and whitebuck are correct in that there are bigger issues in play. Having said that perhaps a salmon presence will help push for these necessary changes.
Click to expand...

Dave -- you know that the best allies that salmon have is an informed public. If nobody gave a damn , many runs would have gone the way of the dodo. Things are bad now, but look at the number of volunteer projects, enhancement, education, stream keeping etc and I see hundreds of success stories that have helped keep our salmon alive. People need to open their eyes and say "thank you" to the thousands that have fought for the resource. BTW-- Coho returning to the Coquitlam ? Well they never left. Thanks to the PoCo Rod and Gun who have worked for decades to improve the runs through habitat restoration and the Al Grist hatchery. Getting above the dam is just the next step to increasing the population size. Nice to see some potential money come on board.
 
Bryan Allen said:
Nice to see some potential money come on board.
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“Officials don't anticipate the new project will require extra funding.”

Bryan Allen said:
Coho returning to the Coquitlam ? Well they never left.
Click to expand...

again this is why it’s just useless process for the sake of process. Everyone knows what the issues are but BC hydro insists on makiNg the hard working volunteers spend thousands of Dollars and man hours to prove to them that the habitats behind the dam is capable of sustaining a salmon population.

Nothing I said is against volunteers treating the symptoms but they wouldn’t have to if BC hydro wouldn’t put up endless road blocks to get to the cure.
 
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Absolutely hats off to the habitat restoration on the Coquitlam.
One cant speak enough praise for our local volunteers.


I dont think he quite understand the issues that the volunteers and fish have with the problems below the dam WMY.

Before we even start talking about working above the dam, the issues below the dam need to be addressed. Do you really think we are over the carrying capacity of the stream below the dam?
We barely have a chum run that returns anymore!

Bryan, do yourself a favour this fall. Go for a walk spend some time on this river.
Look at some of the problems this river is facing. Preferably after some rain.
 
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Whitebuck said:
Absolutely hats off to the habitat restoration on the Coquitlam.
One cant speak enough praise for our local volunteers.


I dont think he quite understand the issues that the volunteers and fish have with the problems below the dam WMY.

Before we even start talking about working above the dam, the issues below the dam need to be addressed. Do you really think we are over the carrying capacity of the stream below the dam?
We barely have a chum run that returns anymore!

Bryan, do yourself a favour this fall. Go for a walk spend some time on this river.
Look at some of the problems this river is facing. Preferably after some rain.
Click to expand...
Oh I am FULLY aware of the issues below the dam.... Take some time to review what has been done to keep the river and its salmon alive. http://www.coquitlamriverwatershed.ca/hatcheries-habitats/ And, when DFO got serious about putting a stop to the silt dumping from Cewe. it was volunteers that blew the whistle on the midnight dumping by Cewes crew that led to charges being laid.
 
I understand your skepticism about DFO being serious.. And when I look at how DFO works now, and I see a lot of internal skepticism from the employees too. They have been largely removed from doing anything based on science and practicality , and also have had their meaningful job roles gutted or they have been laid off for doing their jobs. One of the best DFO Habitat Biologists Otto Langer was retired before he wanted -- have a read what he had to say: https://openparliament.ca/committees/fisheries/42-1/36/otto-langer-1/only/. But to imply that the efforts of the salmon volunteers is/was a waste of time is dead wrong. The target is in Ottawa and Vancouver-- those civil servants who dont give a damn about fish-- just climbing up the ladder while currying favour with the politicians of the day. Never underestimate a delegation of school kids writing to the mayor asking him why he allows salmon and trout to die in municipal watersheds.
 
Just a heads up for all the volunteeers and the people who have put a lot of hard work into the Coquitlam and it’s salmon runs. There has been netting all week at the mouth of the Coquitlam. Nets were seen up colony farm as well.Apparently nets were strewn completely across the lower river. DFO was apparently called and OK with it. This is a slap in the face to the volunteers and the work that has been done to this river.

Truly a shame what DFO is allowing especially with numbers of wild coho staging in the lower!
 
I grew up fishing the Coquitlam for coho and steelhead as a youth. It is an amazing urban river with lots of resilience despite some mega challenges from the gravel industry and of course the dam. Kudos to DFO for listening to dedicated caring volunteers and now taking the initiative to reintroduce coho to the upper river. Having had the opportunity to fly the upper watershed, I can state it is pristine for the most part and affords some incredible habitat. This can't happen fast enough IMO. Never dreamed that in my life time the dam barrier issue would be tackled.
 
every pool has coho in it over the last few rains. they push up fast with every rainfall and tide.. i am betting there near zero wilds and all are hatchery unmarked.
large chins still return every year. i have seen tyee sized many days. the hatchery should be funded/volunteer work, partially by the band if they are benefiting for sure. i thought this fish ladder business was all about getting the wild sockeye to come back. my buddy got a dozen (coho) the other day and none of them clipped. Clipping must be mandated for all hatchery releases.IMHO
 
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