INSIDE I Sign o f better times 2 Highlight on north SETG suppo11 2 <·cntral interior 3 Opinion 2 Here & There. 4 '!'ricks of the Tr~dc 4 ~I :;, I I ~~~- ~· -~'\'f Ott~ h .. r1t11. ... ::> , ""' " ~l~.~GET CUTS Coquitlam River progresses When seeking ways to FEB 2 7 1. 95 n1:1.ke this year•s reductions, P~agle River u1auagcn1c11t Cann.: to lhe 'fJw Coquiflam hmm~s b;!/m;; will liave a more enjoyable b()d!f ofwoter at ~~~i~!LOUfS w~en Htf! ·lat;?$_f­ rlifficnlt decision that closure of work on /111· CrJr111illam River system is completed tliis fall. Once-stagnenf Oxbow Lake will carry 11 hatchery Ellglc River h:Jtchery was flou.1 of tl'nfer dii1ertt!d fro1n tlh~ river to iucr~ase the systeuJ's spn1oning and rearing areas. es!,ential. ~El' n1anagcrs are unm1irn<>us in opposing funher will close "across the board" cuts (e.g .• cut every project by JO percent). Such cuts erode the M~·U1y of oi..•r rea<le>J'S cnay .... ork of •II 5"°1' pruj<:<:ts. 11lre:1rly kno\v ;ihout the closure Productioll cuts are also seen as of Ea~lc Ri vcr hat~hcry. 'fhc .:ounter-produclivc. unless reason is clear: SEP has •"<quired fur biological or ·,111clergQne yer ;inother round of J1sberi ..~ s managenl~nt reasons. budget cu ls. ·fhc progra1u ·~ Clo.ing one project. while budgec peal.:.ed in J990-9 l at r~grcttable . is more cfti cienL S38 1ni1Jion. Now. a S'-=itnt four The choice of a project to years later, it has b\:.cct ..:uc to cut was based on ossessmeot of S29 million - a reduction l\f economic perlbrmance and cllore than 2.'l pc.r<.:\.:nt Jt is conrn but ion to slock . -- never i;a.~y to nntkt: <. ut:; of !-.UCh ri.: built.ling. Other factors that rnngnirude. and SEP rnanngcr!\. were considered included with inpul from Lhc Pacific oppor1 unilies for native people. Rugional CouncH and rhe ecnployn1cnt, regional Saln1onid F.nhanccn1en1 Task development, public awareness. Ciroup. had tu cslahlish a set of education and asscssrncnt. priorities before making their Under the guidelines, the Eagle decisions. River project was selected. While sea1'Ching fo r It is important to note that, potential saving::; chroughout the in order to continue 11ecessary Work that hcgan \Vilh several kilon1e1res downstreain~ homeowners whose properties progra1n. nuu1agcn1c:11t clcete.d enhancement or chinoolc and assured water flows is continue rl1e co-operative line its shores. to ntinitnize i1np;icts on arens of coho stocks, production progressing nicely on the program of improving und The projecr has been hi ghe~ t priority; hahilat previously carried out at Eagle Riv-.:r h;.tlc~ h\"'ry will t'(lnt!n1u: g,1 C0<luirh:u11 RiveJ· with oew enlarging fish h;1hihu on the caJTied out with considerable resto,ation. co1n1nunity channels and ponds lhat \Vt::re Coquitlam. care as it sits on land that is P'•r1 prog.ram"i and high pcrfonnancc the Spius Creek hatchery. + constrocted thi8 ;ummer by In the first project. on the of Coquitlam's park system and operarional facilities. Df'O':-; Resource RcscoraLion C<1S t bank of the river, a is very popular with walkers Unit. Severn! •pecies. primafily spawning channel and pond are and cyclists. With the heavy coho. sreclhead ond chum . being constnicted parallel to the work done. ll'ees, shrubs and "Our experience" should tx..--ncfi t, and their buman river's present course. The grasses were being replante<l to neighbours will gain pond will allow control of fresh restore the beauty of the area. son1e1hing, too. water which will now in from A similar project, also with Last January, StreaJJ1Talk the river at about fi ve cubic feet a concrete v.•a1er iolet, sits a repo1ted on signing of the flow per second. From the pond, shon distance upstream. on the agrecn1ent and on B.<:. Hydro 's inflow pipes will re-i ntroduce Coquillam 's west bank. There. iuvol vemcnt in hubital fresh water flows to Oxbow too, ponds and channels will i1nprove,ncnrs to rhe are:a Lake. The project will re-open restore water t1ows to areas that immc<liatcly hcJow the danl. a good spa,\>·ning complex have been dry except during This s111nmer's two pr0jects. do\vnstreacn, y.•ill add spawning periodic flooding. Rearing and rearing areas conditions for coho should be and make excellent as the channels Oxhow Lake. meander among cottonwood now largely trees and willow thickets. • stagnant, more attractive for the B11cke.fs of fish surround the release team from Tsawnfairm•k (Kiuxconud Htuul School a~i th1~y pre,,an~ to release fry fr(>1n the clt1s~roorn inr:ubt1tur. U is un ex,,erlenc:t: :y}u,red /Jy 5 tudt~nts ,frotn c:on11nunilies, .'arge and sn-ui.'l, throu,'{lu>rll lhe regh>n t'f.1Ch 5pting. Slud~nrs fron1 ~/c 'viii receive some more Tsa,vataincuk Bant! .School 10 n1ise- 11~ xr year as it l1as look tiJnc to po11heir feelings be.:.:omt: one nf our grcarest on ptlper after releasing 1heir lra<li uon~. ·· classroon:-rcan..:d fry. ·rhcy -.~Je<inerte Da'»$OO ...vere :tlso klnd e.nough ro share "Ever)•body v.:as ahvuys sonic thoughts will> us. fighcin ~ over v.1hose rum 1l \\tas "We had a lot of fun to take care or them. since 1 am releasing th(..."Tll 1n Ga'h::ilec 'mall and quici. I really fell Strca1r1. We all .sat there and :err 0111. Next year. when the watched Mike hold ihe ice grade seven wiil he out of our cream bucket in the watef uni iJ class .. wom. J will be feeding A ·w•>rk i11 pmgre'". iu july (t1IJOi't!), /he Coquillam they all Id( it. Then we sat and rhe frys." Riv.-r project wos complete In; Sep/ember (right!. watched the1n swiin around in - Lulu Wel>hcr //'s nice for kids, Im/ good for fish, tvo. their new home. Cont. page 2 "School" OPINION THE SETG NO CHLORAMINE Changed water volumes Support for community A sign of affecting salmonids enhancement projects better The following material periods of freshwater rearing, times? was drawn from a paper could be diSMll'OU.<. We had the Second in a series of Group's support. The SETC written by Rob Bell hvlng, fO<Csighr to csrablish, maintain a rticles about the history watched with plc.>surc as the Enhancement wO<keJS and Vancouver Island writer and • and expand a vigorous. multi­ and wol1< of the Salmonid number of Public lnvolveme11t volunteers rhroughou1 the a fish culturist working at faceted enhJlncemcnr program. Enhancsment Task Group. Projects grew from 15 in 1977 Lower Mainland had reason to Quinsam hatchery. The lf we fail to provide rbe narurnl to more than 700 (including cheer this summer as the theory he expresses may be habitat these fah require, nur Al the out~~ of SEP, schools) in 199 l. l)uring thwe Grcaier Vancouver Regional of interest to our readers, chances for success arc slim and most of the cffon appeared to years. tho number of Uistrict Bo3Jd announced that it especially those living in the cost, in lost comrnercial and be directed 1oward Commu11i1y Advisors expended hnd ''. rejected chloramine as urban areas. r~.crearional fisheries, will be construction of major to the pre:;cnt level of 15. nlso n r,ccontlary disiofectan1 in i1n1nense. hatcheries. Task Group with ocrive suppot1 frum the favour of chlorine, and has ·mere seems to be a I am speculating that mcntbc.rs. hov.·c\'Cr. favo\lred a Task Group. approved funher pilot testing of tendency for residents of a successful restoration of variety of enhanceJ nent Always anxious 10 Ste ozMc as a possible primary community to assu1ne that the compromised watersheds may rechniqucs and rcqucsLcd communiry-based enh•ncenienr disinfect.an t in conjunction wilh local stream has alwuys dried not be possible, al least not on a small. oatnral and se1ni­ strengthened, Lhc Ta.<k (;ruup filtration." (from G.V.R.D. up in 'ummcr and flondcd fairly pennancnt or self­ na1ural pr0 jects. Since supported the odminisrrmive Reflections, Issue No. 3, August durin& rainstom1s, but 1ha11 nay susrnining basis. unle<s rhe co111munity support for SEP union of Che Public lnvolvenienr 1994) nOI be the case. It is quire likely water volumes. e~ 1uaries , antl involved volunteers working ProgrJm and the Community Members of SEP public that re~earch into historic wutcr sp~1wn i n g and rearing areas are on SEP projects, the Task Economic Development involvement groups had volumes \\•ouJd rcvc~1 a restored to a close proximity to Group championed the hiring Program into rhe Communi1y opposed chloramiue because of diflheot story. their historic state. uf six Coccununity Advisors tnvolvcrnenr Unit. the danger of extensive fish T11c causes of reduced In many of the most (CAsj to assi,,t the volunteers Task Group members wilt kills. Hundreds of groups and waler volumes HJC easy to extreme cnses. we may not be 'Nith technical expertise and continue co chJmpion thousands of individuals were identify; they indude able to restore historic water help tllem through the "red developmeni. which ensure the appalled a1 the thought that the agriculturul an<l dornc~ ti c watc.r flows and other conditions, but tape" of applications and continuatioet of comnn1nir}'· fish they raised so carefully, use. water di v\!rsions, drained there arc things we can do. approval~. driven enhancement projects and the streams they worked so onashlands. and i;mundwntcr Surely we could take advamage 1be concept of direct.