ChilliSpoons
Well-Known Member
I understand the potential for more blockage but would argue that damaging fish below the slide is minimal to the potential that these fish probably won’t get through on their own anyhow.
Rock slide in Fraser River, B.C., may hinder salmon passage
- Thread starter wildmanyeah
- Start date
GLG
Well-Known Member
Sept 1, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update
• A trial will be undertaken today of having crews start fishing earlier, when catches tend to be higher, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of fishing efforts.
• After cultural heritage and archaeological assessments were completed, work on the east side of the river has commenced. A helipad has been constructed, and further rock scaling is required before anchors can be installed that will facilitate further work to restore natural passages through the landslide.
• Tests of the road and systems to load and unload salmon for ground transport have gone well. However, ground transport was delayed yesterday due to a mechanical issue with the truck. It is currently undergoing repairs and is anticipated to be operational shortly.
• Salmon continue to swim past the blockage. To date, an estimated 20,521 salmon have swum through the passage.
Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2388 Chinook: 95
Total to Date Sockeye: 46024 Chinook: 8358
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_sept_1.pdf
• A trial will be undertaken today of having crews start fishing earlier, when catches tend to be higher, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of fishing efforts.
• After cultural heritage and archaeological assessments were completed, work on the east side of the river has commenced. A helipad has been constructed, and further rock scaling is required before anchors can be installed that will facilitate further work to restore natural passages through the landslide.
• Tests of the road and systems to load and unload salmon for ground transport have gone well. However, ground transport was delayed yesterday due to a mechanical issue with the truck. It is currently undergoing repairs and is anticipated to be operational shortly.
• Salmon continue to swim past the blockage. To date, an estimated 20,521 salmon have swum through the passage.
Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2388 Chinook: 95
Total to Date Sockeye: 46024 Chinook: 8358
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_sept_1.pdf
outbeen
Well-Known Member
I heard there is a second large crack/fissure in the rock above the river and mass blasting has the potential to make this a lot worse.
I think it's safe to say the Early Stuart sockeye on this cycle are done. Despite the best efforts of both provincial and federal veterinarians, fish health professionals, biologists, fish culturalists, hatchery managers and contractors from UBC and SFU, of the 177 sockeye being held at the Cultus Lake Salmon Reseatch Laboratory, only 17 females were successfully spawned. Using matrix spawning, over 50 different matings were accomplished, with app. 60, ooo eggs taken.
The fish arrived at the lab in very poor condition ( heads worn away, fungal and bacterial infections) and were no way near sexual maturation. The fact these people were able to induce spawning in even a handful of these fish is a testament to their skill. Having done this same thing with Cultus sockeye, I applaud their efforts.
Three possibilities exist for these eggs, which will be far fewer on the first shocking :
1) eggs are reared to the fry stage and released into a tributary creek/s, or one or all of Stuart, Trembleur, or Takla Lake
2) eggs are reared to smolt stage and released into one or all of the lakes
3) eggs are reared to adults and used as a captive brood program. The fact genetic diversity is lacking suggests this is not an option.
This is a very sad state of affairs and most likely will include other sockeye stocks, such as Stellako, Nadina, Upper Adams and Horsefly. The only stock I believe will weather this catastrophe is Chilko, the strongest sockeye the Fraser produces.
The fish arrived at the lab in very poor condition ( heads worn away, fungal and bacterial infections) and were no way near sexual maturation. The fact these people were able to induce spawning in even a handful of these fish is a testament to their skill. Having done this same thing with Cultus sockeye, I applaud their efforts.
Three possibilities exist for these eggs, which will be far fewer on the first shocking :
1) eggs are reared to the fry stage and released into a tributary creek/s, or one or all of Stuart, Trembleur, or Takla Lake
2) eggs are reared to smolt stage and released into one or all of the lakes
3) eggs are reared to adults and used as a captive brood program. The fact genetic diversity is lacking suggests this is not an option.
This is a very sad state of affairs and most likely will include other sockeye stocks, such as Stellako, Nadina, Upper Adams and Horsefly. The only stock I believe will weather this catastrophe is Chilko, the strongest sockeye the Fraser produces.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Chilko will probably be okay considering they are still entering the fraser and some are using the new natural passage but earlier stocks are screwed.
It also look like early fraser chinook are done this year as it done gone never to come back dead.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Thanks for this information and fish quality seems to be lacking from the update and when they do report on it it always seems to be the fish are in great condition.
browningmirage
Active Member
Things will be slow to recover, but they aren't lost at this point. Plasticity in life history expression exists in both sockeye and chinook, the chinook 5-2 stock aggregate is not all 5-2, sockeye aren't a rigid 4-2 either.
We just need to get the blockage cleared this fall/winter and plan for long term monitoring of not just this site but the entire river
We just need to get the blockage cleared this fall/winter and plan for long term monitoring of not just this site but the entire river
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
these runs were already going to be listed for review under Sara. Yes 50-1oo years and no one fishing these stocks and they will be okay pending climate change is not going to finish the job.
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
The federal government has chosen to stick their head in the sand and ignore this pending disaster Fraser chinook. It was already critical and this year was the final kick in the nuts! There still is no recovery plan?
It's time for real action and not smoke'n'mirrors politics!
Dave, thanks for the update.
Yes thankfully we have the age class overlap for a lot of these stocks. However every single one of these fish will be needed on the spawning grounds next year and many many years following. The only way that will happen will be to zero netting from April till he end of summer.
The unfortunate part about that,is that means the rec fleet will to be shut down as well with the same closures as this year. There is no way DFO can keep the nets out of we are fishing.
I really hope that FN is lobbying for major hatchery plans for the future on a lot of these tributaries. I feel that is the only way for both parties to get what they want.
Hatcherys are the only answer on these rivers that have Chinook stocks that.are basically functionally extinct already.
Yes thankfully we have the age class overlap for a lot of these stocks. However every single one of these fish will be needed on the spawning grounds next year and many many years following. The only way that will happen will be to zero netting from April till he end of summer.
The unfortunate part about that,is that means the rec fleet will to be shut down as well with the same closures as this year. There is no way DFO can keep the nets out of we are fishing.
I really hope that FN is lobbying for major hatchery plans for the future on a lot of these tributaries. I feel that is the only way for both parties to get what they want.
Hatcherys are the only answer on these rivers that have Chinook stocks that.are basically functionally extinct already.
GLG
Well-Known Member
Sept 2, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update
• A successful trial run of transporting salmon by road was conducted yesterday. This method is now available to use. Ground transport will be vital to handle increasing numbers when pink salmon run arrives. It also presents the possibility of continuing to move fish into the evening, when helicopters can no longer fly, though the logistics and safety of this are still being assessed.
• Yesterday was a productive day for rock scalers, who succeeded in moving two large boulders. Today, they will conduct rock scaling on the east wall of the canyon to latter allow the installation of anchors and wire lines that will facilitate the continuing restoration of the passage. To date, an estimated 28,780 salmon have swum past the landslide.
• Water levels continue to drop, which is beneficial to operations and contributes to an easier passage for fish travelling upstream. The constantly changing conditions require rock scalers and other crew members to continually re-assess plans and adapt.
• The team continues to work on a number of strategies to increase the number of fish caught and transported, including working on a second fish wheel and the possibility of dip-netting. The potential for road into the base of the slide, as well as moving a specialized excavator to the site, continues to be investigated. These measures would substantially aid efforts to restore the natural passage.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_sept_2.pdf
Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2,542 Chinook: 48
Total to Date Sockeye: 48,556 Chinook: 8406
• A successful trial run of transporting salmon by road was conducted yesterday. This method is now available to use. Ground transport will be vital to handle increasing numbers when pink salmon run arrives. It also presents the possibility of continuing to move fish into the evening, when helicopters can no longer fly, though the logistics and safety of this are still being assessed.
• Yesterday was a productive day for rock scalers, who succeeded in moving two large boulders. Today, they will conduct rock scaling on the east wall of the canyon to latter allow the installation of anchors and wire lines that will facilitate the continuing restoration of the passage. To date, an estimated 28,780 salmon have swum past the landslide.
• Water levels continue to drop, which is beneficial to operations and contributes to an easier passage for fish travelling upstream. The constantly changing conditions require rock scalers and other crew members to continually re-assess plans and adapt.
• The team continues to work on a number of strategies to increase the number of fish caught and transported, including working on a second fish wheel and the possibility of dip-netting. The potential for road into the base of the slide, as well as moving a specialized excavator to the site, continues to be investigated. These measures would substantially aid efforts to restore the natural passage.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_sept_2.pdf
Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 2,542 Chinook: 48
Total to Date Sockeye: 48,556 Chinook: 8406
Last edited:
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
I think even Dr Carl Walters would agree that a hatchery program is needed at this point. We are now talking about many of these species going extinct, as you pointed out WB. DFO has some successful Hatchery programs happening on the Cowichan and the Squamish. Using New Age methods and it is resulting in solid returns and the recovery of these Chinook stocks. Our Fisheries Minister though chooses just to bury his head in the sand. Hatchery programs should have been happening long before this year given the incredibly low number of Chinook coming back to some of these systems. Minister Wilkinson though keeps throwing roadblocks at volunteer groups that are trying to do this in the upper Fraser watershed.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Only 600k sockeye returning this year and almost half are jacks. That's crazy, the marine survival for these 4 year olds must be incredibly small. Also keep in mind that this is the dominant year for Chilko fish.
The estimated escapement of Early Stuart, Early Summer, Summer and Late Run
Sockeye past Mission as of September 2 is 25,900, 91,100, 297,800 and 13,400
respectively. Four year old Sockeye make up approximately 53% to 62% of the age
composition from recent river test fishery samples.
The fifth spawning ground report of the season was provided by DFO Stock
Assessment on August 29. Low numbers of Sockeye have been observed in several
Early Stuart spawning tributaries to date. The Scotch Creek fence was installed
on August 6 with 431 Sockeye enumerated to August 28. The Early Stuart program
has now been terminated. The Stellako River hydroacoustics site was operational
on August 1 and 706 Sockeye have been observed to date with the majority likely
to be Nadina stocks. No fish have been observe at the Nadina spawning channel
or the Nadina River at this time. The Chilko and Quesnel hydroacoustics sites
were operational on August 9 and 12 respectively and 26 and 9 Sockeye have been
observed to date. The Cultus Lake fence was installed on July 30 and no Sockeye
have been observed to date. Water temperature in Sweltzer Creek is 23° Celsius.
The Gates Creek spawning channel is now operational with 670 Sockeye counted
into the channel at this time. The Birkenhead River hydroacoustics site was
operational on August 27 with 21 Sockeye estimated to have passed the site to
date. Visual surveys have begun in a number of other tributaries with Sockeye
observations in several systems at this time. The next spawning ground update
will be provided on Thursday, September 5.
To put this in perspective here is the notice from 2018 and it was done 6 days earlier....
"
The fifth spawning ground report was released on August 23. Early Stuart
Sockeye migration is now over with the final survey occurring on August 19. The
Scotch Creek counting fence was operational on August 9 with 13,855 sockeye
enumerated to date, the majority of which being in good condition. Some fish
had net marks and wounds. The Eagle River Hydroacoustic site was operational on
August 10 with 20,123 fish having been estimated to have passed the site to
date. The Nadina Spawning Channel operations continue to be influenced by
forest fire in the immediate area. Water has been turned on in the channel and
several thousand fish have entered the spawning channel at this time. The
Stellako River hydroacoustic site was operational on August 1 with a total of
117,058 sockeye estimated to have passed to date. The majority of these fish
would be Nadina sockeye at this time. Sockeye have recently been observed in
Gates Creek however none have been permitted to enter the spawning channel at
this time. The Chilko River hydroacoustics site was operational on August 3
with a total of 71,149 sockeye estimated to date. In the Quesnel River the
hydroacoustics site was operational on August 7 with 187,843 sockeye estimated
to date. The counting fence at Sweltzer Creek was installed on July 31 and 12
Sockeye have been counted into Cultus Lake to date."
The estimated escapement of Early Stuart, Early Summer, Summer and Late Run
Sockeye past Mission as of September 2 is 25,900, 91,100, 297,800 and 13,400
respectively. Four year old Sockeye make up approximately 53% to 62% of the age
composition from recent river test fishery samples.
The fifth spawning ground report of the season was provided by DFO Stock
Assessment on August 29. Low numbers of Sockeye have been observed in several
Early Stuart spawning tributaries to date. The Scotch Creek fence was installed
on August 6 with 431 Sockeye enumerated to August 28. The Early Stuart program
has now been terminated. The Stellako River hydroacoustics site was operational
on August 1 and 706 Sockeye have been observed to date with the majority likely
to be Nadina stocks. No fish have been observe at the Nadina spawning channel
or the Nadina River at this time. The Chilko and Quesnel hydroacoustics sites
were operational on August 9 and 12 respectively and 26 and 9 Sockeye have been
observed to date. The Cultus Lake fence was installed on July 30 and no Sockeye
have been observed to date. Water temperature in Sweltzer Creek is 23° Celsius.
The Gates Creek spawning channel is now operational with 670 Sockeye counted
into the channel at this time. The Birkenhead River hydroacoustics site was
operational on August 27 with 21 Sockeye estimated to have passed the site to
date. Visual surveys have begun in a number of other tributaries with Sockeye
observations in several systems at this time. The next spawning ground update
will be provided on Thursday, September 5.
To put this in perspective here is the notice from 2018 and it was done 6 days earlier....
"
The fifth spawning ground report was released on August 23. Early Stuart
Sockeye migration is now over with the final survey occurring on August 19. The
Scotch Creek counting fence was operational on August 9 with 13,855 sockeye
enumerated to date, the majority of which being in good condition. Some fish
had net marks and wounds. The Eagle River Hydroacoustic site was operational on
August 10 with 20,123 fish having been estimated to have passed the site to
date. The Nadina Spawning Channel operations continue to be influenced by
forest fire in the immediate area. Water has been turned on in the channel and
several thousand fish have entered the spawning channel at this time. The
Stellako River hydroacoustic site was operational on August 1 with a total of
117,058 sockeye estimated to have passed to date. The majority of these fish
would be Nadina sockeye at this time. Sockeye have recently been observed in
Gates Creek however none have been permitted to enter the spawning channel at
this time. The Chilko River hydroacoustics site was operational on August 3
with a total of 71,149 sockeye estimated to date. In the Quesnel River the
hydroacoustics site was operational on August 7 with 187,843 sockeye estimated
to date. The counting fence at Sweltzer Creek was installed on July 31 and 12
Sockeye have been counted into Cultus Lake to date."
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cohochinook
Well-Known Member
21 Sockeye on the Birkenhead? That's beyond horrible! That stock went from one of the best performers to in substantial trouble in the last 10 years!
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
This is how its going to go in october anglers are going to go to their SFAC meetings, Then DFO is going to tell them how bad the slide is and how little fish spawned. Then come spring its will be time for thoes SFAC meetings again and it will be restrictions restrictions restrictions.
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
I think at the fall meetings everyone has to press hard for accountability from DFO on what the recovery plan is beyond restrictions? With no recovery plan restrictions aren't going to do anything to help these stocks!
The federal government better start treating our salmon stocks as much more valuable, then a cap in hand fund that kicks out 20 million dollars a year as a smoke screen for a recovery plan! Also known as the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.
Big Green Machine
Well-Known Member
@@^^^^^^^^this for sure
GLG
Well-Known Member
Sept 3, 2019 Big Bar Landslide update
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_sept_3.pdf
Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 1,484 Chinook: 43
Total to Date Sockeye: 50,050 Chinook: 8449
- An estimated almost 14,000 salmon swam past the landslide on August 31, a significant increase from previous days. This is due to the ongoing efforts to restore the channel, along with lower water levels. More than 42,000 salmon to date have swum past the landslide.
- The first fish wheel was repositioned due to changing water levels and is back in operation, while work on the second fish wheel is ongoing. It has presented numerous challenges but its crew is making significant progress.
- A helicopter slung equipment to the east side of the canyon to allow rock scaling on the east wall to begin today.
- The trial of having a fishing crew start early in the morning that took place on September 1 did not see significant improvements in the number of fish caught. Work remains ongoing to find ways to capture and transport higher numbers of fish.
- Drone footage was collected yesterday to inform plans to get the first heavy equipment - a spider excavator - to the base of the slide. First Nations archaeological monitors and an archaeologist are overseeing all plans for the site.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/p..._update_big_bar_landslide_incident_sept_3.pdf
Salmon Transported by Helicopter
Daily Total Sockeye: 1,484 Chinook: 43
Total to Date Sockeye: 50,050 Chinook: 8449
Last edited:
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
Jonathan Wilkinson was really busy yesterday announcing funding for Recovery of Suckers and Dace:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=344997619714895&id=557185544397560
It just gives me such confidence that there's a great recovery plan for Upper Fraser Chinook and this massive disaster of a slide!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=344997619714895&id=557185544397560
It just gives me such confidence that there's a great recovery plan for Upper Fraser Chinook and this massive disaster of a slide!
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
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