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Steps to save salmon
By Julia Prinselaar, Westerly News August 25, 2011
With federal funding looking unlikely, a local salmon hatchery took matters into its own hands to repair a damaged fish ladder.
"The fish ladder was badly damaged, so any fish that would have wanted to go through would've had trouble," said Richard Smith of the Thornton Creek Hatchery.
The ladder consists of a series of steps, walls and pools for the fish to jump as they make their way up the Maggie River.
Smith said after an August 10 meeting with representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and inspection of the ladder, he was uncertain the money for repairs would come in time.
"If we hadn't have done it, it would be too late now," he said, explaining the repairs required concrete work. "If you wait around for it to rain, the river comes up so much you can't do concrete work on it."
The hole was initially discovered a couple of years ago and was patched, but has grown in size, said Smith.
He explained that logs going down the river hit the bottom of the ladder.
"It's like a battering ram," he said. "This year the hole was worse. We decided we had to do it," he said.
The concrete repairs were done about a week after the meeting with DFO.
Smith estimates the cost at $3,000-$4,000, including use of a boat to transport equipment and supplies.
The money was pooled from accumulated funds and donations to the Thornton Creek Enhancement Society, after Smith said he was told by DFO the department "didn't have the money."
DFO provides support to hatcheries throughout B.C., including Thornton Creek.
"We appreciate the work that's been done by the hatchery," said Dan Bate, communications officer for DFO. He did not comment on whether the hatchery would be reimbursed.
Today about 1,200 to 2,000 Coho use the ladder, but Smith says he has old records showing salmon using it in the tens of thousands.
"I hope [DFO] offers us something for it," he said. "I just can't see the fish dying there, because we all knew about it and nobody did anything about it."
reporter@westerlynews.ca
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
Steps to save salmon
By Julia Prinselaar, Westerly News August 25, 2011
With federal funding looking unlikely, a local salmon hatchery took matters into its own hands to repair a damaged fish ladder.
"The fish ladder was badly damaged, so any fish that would have wanted to go through would've had trouble," said Richard Smith of the Thornton Creek Hatchery.
The ladder consists of a series of steps, walls and pools for the fish to jump as they make their way up the Maggie River.
Smith said after an August 10 meeting with representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and inspection of the ladder, he was uncertain the money for repairs would come in time.
"If we hadn't have done it, it would be too late now," he said, explaining the repairs required concrete work. "If you wait around for it to rain, the river comes up so much you can't do concrete work on it."
The hole was initially discovered a couple of years ago and was patched, but has grown in size, said Smith.
He explained that logs going down the river hit the bottom of the ladder.
"It's like a battering ram," he said. "This year the hole was worse. We decided we had to do it," he said.
The concrete repairs were done about a week after the meeting with DFO.
Smith estimates the cost at $3,000-$4,000, including use of a boat to transport equipment and supplies.
The money was pooled from accumulated funds and donations to the Thornton Creek Enhancement Society, after Smith said he was told by DFO the department "didn't have the money."
DFO provides support to hatcheries throughout B.C., including Thornton Creek.
"We appreciate the work that's been done by the hatchery," said Dan Bate, communications officer for DFO. He did not comment on whether the hatchery would be reimbursed.
Today about 1,200 to 2,000 Coho use the ladder, but Smith says he has old records showing salmon using it in the tens of thousands.
"I hope [DFO] offers us something for it," he said. "I just can't see the fish dying there, because we all knew about it and nobody did anything about it."
reporter@westerlynews.ca
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
