Salmon Enhancement And Habitat Advisory Board (SEHAB) Roundtable
Date June 28, 2010
Area: North coast
Representative:Jan Lemon
Community Advisor: Rob Dams
Challenges/Issues and Opportunities/Successes of the Volunteer Aquatic Steward
1.All groups continue to struggle with reduced funding, however the economic climate is beginning to pick up again and with that will come more public support.
2.Pending pipeline and mining development along the Skeena Watershed continues to pose serious concerns to all volunteer groups
3.Cutbacks to Federal and Provincail departments continue to spin-off to the local levels with less effort for proction, monitoring, assessment and enforcement.
Habitat - Freshwater (Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement)
Most of he groups in this area continueworking with the habitat issues for their particular projects,.
1.Terrace Rotary Club
Skeena River (Rivers Day) clean-up continues to expand. Now covers most of the Skeena Below Terrace
Habitat - Oceans, Estuaries and Marine (Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement
1.WWF - Prince Rupert
Active partner with Oldfield Hatchery. Working on Eelgrass transplants also conducts various outreach projects.
2.Kitimat Naturalist Club
Working on large eelgrass bed restoration projects, and mapping in the Douglas Channel. Also helping with the Pine Creek protected area signage and trail upgrades.
Salmon Enhancement (Oceans, Habitat and Enhancement)
1.Oldfield creek--for the 2009 winter - nearly 100 Keggswere taken from 3 species and 5 stocks. Excellent survival to date - ponding this month.
Released 5K chum into Silver Creek in April - was a successful pilot and should go ahead again this summer (30 K egg target).
2.Eby Street Hatchery 2009 brood -
25 K coho from Zymachord River - egg to fry survival at 98 %.
3.Oona River Resources Association returned the chum fry to Kumeleon, completing the four year study and enhancement work on these fish stocks..In late July a crew will begin to assess the returnsof thechum salmon, beginning the evaluation of the effects ofenhancementdone for the last four years..They have approximately 6,000 coho fry hatched and ponded which will be used for the 2110 education and public awareness programme. The logging access road is very close to the Salt Lagoon and their twoSummer Students will begin atrail from the road to the lagoon which will be used for future assessment and enhancement work.
4.Lakeelse Watershed Sociatycontinues to work ontheir sockeye recovery plan and web site development. As a working group,they we secured 100 K to take 300 sockeye eggs from Williams Creek again this summer. Also have 40 K for restoration. Egg takes did not occur in 2009, due to funding problems linked to the market failure. In 2009, we were able to secure 15K for the LWS to complete various stewardship projects. The LWS are now working with DFO to develop various projects this summer (eg: Scully Creek diversion, channel development, recover marked adults to assess hatchery contribution, and a possible adult camera on Scully Creek) See last meeting minutes and project lists for details. The new LWS fisheries Director is Richard Olson. Marg Kujat is working with them through special funding with the Regional DistrictLakelse watershed
Stewardship & Community Involvement
1.Oldfield Hatchery - Smoltfest will be a big event again this year and posters around town have caught people’s interest. This group is raising funds to rebuild the hatchery with an interpretive centre and has had some successto this point. Other past projects are continued (trail, kiosks, spawning habitat restoration, habitat monitoring & public education etc). Note: In 2009, the MOT donated a new bailey bridge for their interpretive trail. This is a cooperative project between the CA, RRU, PR Habitat staff, PRSES volunteers, PSF funding, MOT and the City of Prince Rupert. It should be installed this summer.
2.Terrace Beautification Society -
Continues working on Howe Creek nature trail upgrades and fish / fish Habitat signage. Also small habitat improvement projects along the stream (problem culverts and riparian planting). Now a partner with Eby St Hatchery. Recently built a greenhouse at the hatchery for planting around town.
3.Eby Street Hatchery (NWES)
Serviced bathroom and dry lab area now completed at the hatchery (12K in funding was collected from local service groups). The NWES has now expanded to include at least two local schools for help with feeding and grounds maintenance. Hatchery education tours have also increased (from the public as well as students). Also now linked with Terrace Beatification Society - see above.
4.Kitimat Rod & Gun
Working on Kiosks along waterfront.
5.Bear River Society
Has regrouped for 2010. Has nearly finished a public interpretive centre on main street in Stewart. A full time volunteer now works in the donated building. DFO donated a classroom aquarium. Several fry were retained from the local school SIC tank to help promote public awareness during the summer months. This group helps with adult monitoring and other streamkeeper type projects.
6.Oona River Resources Association continues their education and outreach programmes. This summer they will be assisting a graduate student in geology who with his assistant will be continuing the study of the rock formations on Porcher Island. It is the hopes that they will also be able to bring back information of fry presence in some of the more remote streams around the Salt Lagoon area.
7.Lakelse Watershed Society continues to tackle issues onstewardship and community Involvement. Last year they partnered with the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine to help fund a lake coordinator for Lakelse. Margaret Kujat continues to work hard at this jobto pull together the many independent interests (government and others) in the watershed.
Treaty & Aboriginal Programs—(although this information may not fit under this heading it is included here as both these facilities are in First Nations communities)
1.Hartley Bay CEDP - going well - took 500K Coho eggs last fall - good survival to release. Rrebuilt the incubation room in 2009 and added a new baffled aluminum head tank in 2010, being optimistic the head tank baffles will reduce problems with sediment, and help with egg survivals. Also rebuilding the lake trail boardwalk.
2.Kincolith CEDP - major ice jam and flood in Jan 2009. Waiting for DFO managers to decide what the future holds for this project. An interim contract was generated for April and May 2010. Cummunity Advisor expects that the Nisga'a Youth Stewardship Program will be supportedthis summer. Enhancement activities seem doubtful for 2010.
Environment Canada and Province of BC
Friends of Wild Salmon continue on their vigilant work around water quality on the Skeena watershed by being active in all the pending mine and pipeline applications and processes.Public awareness continues to be raised around the needs forhealthy and adequate water quality for salmon.