Rock slide in Fraser River, B.C., may hinder salmon passage

I will be viewing the Early Stuarts being held at the Cultus Lake Salmon Research lab this week, and hope to learn of the plans for these last remnants of this cycle.
Any word on the outcomes of those Early Stuarts being held at the Cultus Lake lab, Dave?
 
They are doing well and slated for release by the fall (fall smolts). Sorry I can’t comment on some release strategies vs others but I’m sure it’s seen as better for their survival.
Thanks for the info. Some good news for a change.
 
They are doing well and slated for release by the fall (fall smolts). Sorry I can’t comment on some release strategies vs others but I’m sure it’s seen as better for their survival.
Covid-19 is having big impacts on hatcheries ability to function with only one staff member allowed to be at the Hatchery at a time. From what I understand they're just focussing on feeding fish and keeping things going but not much else.
 
SEP Update

Laurent Frisson, SEP

DFO verbal update covered the following:

• New fish marking trailer is primarily to meet PST commitments, not mass marking for fisheries. Staff training for this had to be postponed due to COVID border closure.
• Conuma mass marking pilot: to inform management on implications of alternate management strategies. Program started ~3 weeks ago and marked just over 700,000 chinook before they had to pause work due to COVID.
Discussion

• Why was Conuma chosen for the pilot?
• DFO: One issue that needs to be addressed is potential of mass marking to affect accuracy of the CWT program.
• Q/A: Sea pen programs are being reviewed on a case by case basis due to COVID concerns.
• Longstanding programs such as Quinsam have been curtailed due to COVID social distancing requirements.
• Q/A: Conuma mass-marked fish are not tagged (not part of CWT program).
• Coho yearlings to be released in coming months are already marked so disruptions should not impact this. SEP has a whole year to mark the next year’s releases so there should be minimal impact.
 

Whenever I read the Tyee I take it with a grain of salt. Although I agree this is a multi-year endeavour, I think it’s a bit premature to say there’s not going to be any natural passage until it’s monitored with hydro acoustics in-season including the sonars located at some of the terminal areas (i.e. Chilko). Some good progress was made this winter and spring on the slide. There was natural fish passage after late August with no blasting done when river discharges dropped below threshold levels for those salmon migrating past the slide. I will reserve judgment until I see some new data.
 
Big Bar landslide response information bulletin
April 9, 2020

Crews will continue working through the Easter long weekend from April 10 to 13, 2020.

Ongoing onsite operations
Crews continued preparing the site for the upcoming installation and operation of a pneumatic fish pump system. This week, construction began on a concrete block fish ladder that will guide fish to a holding pool, from where they will enter the pump system. Close to 500 concrete blocks will be utilized, each being 1.5 metres in length, 0.75 metres in width and 0.75 metres in height.

Other activities underway include:

  • improvements to the overland access route for the potential movement of fish by truck
  • drilling on the East Toe in preparation for a final blast to widen the channel
  • continued progress on the staging area
All in-channel blasting is now complete.

Sharing winter progress updates with First Nations
The First Nations Leadership Panel (FNLP) was recently reestablished to provide guidance on the Big Bar landslide response as the project moves forward. On April 2, DFO and provincial staff, and First Nations Joint Executive Steering Committee (JESC) members met with the FNLP delegates to update the group on the winter work progress, and upcoming plans for spring and summer work. When the FNLP last convened in September 2019, it endorsed options for winter construction and implementation. On the April 2 call, the FNLP reached consensus and endorsed the proposed mitigation options for fish passage and emergency conservation enhancement at the site. It also requested a follow-up discussion related to components of the emergency enhancement plans.

On April 7, DFO shared similar information with attendees at the Forum on Conservation and Harvest Planning hosted by the Fraser Salmon Management Council (FSMC). Participants were pleased with Peter Kiewit Sons ULC’s progress in the last three months and acknowledged the hard work of those involved.

2020-04-09-a.jpg

Aerial view of the site, including (L-R) the concrete block fish ladder construction, the completed “nature-like” fishway and the protective rock fall canopy.

2020-04-09-b.jpg

Crews drilling the East Toe in preparation for the second large blast, which will occur in April.

2020-04-09-c.jpg

Concrete blocks being assembled for the fish ladder to guide fish to a holding pool, from where they will enter the pneumatic pump system.

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pacific-smon-pacifique/big-bar-landslide-eboulement/index-eng.html
 
Am I dumb for saying I’m thinking survival over that will be very high this year with all those systems in place and the blasting that’s been done
 
I think we all hope that enough will be done to get most past but more work will be needed next winter as different flow levels may or may not allow fish passage.
 
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