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| MORE WATER SHOULD MEAN MORE FISH |
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Extended stop-log supports will allow for increased water storage in Cameron Lake for fish conservation purposes
Much improved water security, described by fish biologists as a missing piece of the puzzle, is now available to central Vancouver Island’s Cameron Lake and Little Qualicum River system.
Living Rivers - Georgia Basin and Vancouver Island (LR-GB/VI) has completed a $350,000 project at the outlet of the lake providing an enhanced water storage capability for the
drought-prone summer months and much improved access between lake and river for native trout.
The six-year project, which involved consultations with the owners of lakeshore properties, has involved a number of different agencies. These include the provincial government, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), which maintains and operates an important salmon spawning channel and hatchery on the river, and Living Rivers’ delivery partner, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF).
Water flows from the lake are controlled at the outlet to the river by a combination of a wooden weir and a new, sophisticated, pre-fabricated aluminum fishway and automated gate. The gate can be raised and lowered at any time by way of a VHF radio signal from DFO’s Big Qualicum Hatchery thus providing fine-tuned control of water levels, critical in summer and early fall when young coho and steelhead are rearing and adult salmon are beginning to spawn.
A new provincial water license allows DFO an additional 1,355 acre-feet of Cameron Lake water storage for fish conservation purposes. This is in addition to the 2,400 acre-feet of storage already permitted under DFO’s first license, issued 30 years ago by the B.C.Ministry of Environment.
James Craig, a BCCF project manager for LR-GB/VI, explains that only 15 cm has been added to the maximum water storage level behind the weir, by raising the height of the steel supports for the stop-logs. However, a total of 50 cm of additional low flow augmentation storage has been secured by a new and innovative re-design and management protocol for the weir structure.
“We have managed this by a combination of new bottom storage, achieved by lowering the channel for 50 metres upstream from where it leaves the lake and for 180 metres downstream of the weir, and by adding the 20 cm of storage no longer needed by DFO following operational improvements to the spawning channel,” Craig says.
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B.C.Conservation Foundation project manager James Craig at the new fishway where Cameron Lake flows into the Little Qualicum River
He is confident the additional water being made available will lead to an increase in the numbers of coho salmon, chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the Little Qualicum River, which also supports cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout.
“Our new fishway is an important addition where the resident trout population is concerned,” he says. “The design of the original fishway made it very difficult for immature trout, spawned below the weir, to enter the lake where they prefer to rear. The flow for much of the time was just too strong, but that is no longer a problem and migration conditions are now much closer to a naturalized state. We also expect greater fish production from the five kilometres of trout rearing habitat between the lake and Little Qualicum Falls.”
Craig adds that both Living Rivers and DFO would like to see an automatic hydrometric (flow measuring) station again operating on the river. Stations were in place from 1913-1922 and 1969-1993, at Cameron Lake’s outlet, and near Qualicum Beach from 1960-1986. Real-time stream discharge data is an essential ingredient in supporting successful fish flow targets but no budgets are available to underwrite the costs of installing and maintaining a new station.
Wise flow management and storage release will become even more important in future with the prospect of more frequent and extended droughts under climate change.
Streamflow monitoring is of continuing concern to DFO and LR - GB/VI, and efforts are being made to identify potential partners that might be prepared to financially support a real-time Little Qualicum River monitoring station.
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CONTACTS:
Craig Wightman, RPBio
Senior Biologist
Living Rivers-Georgia Basin
B.C.Conservation Foundation
Nanaimo
Office (250) 716-8776;Cell (250) 713-2810
James Craig
Project Manager
Living Rivers-Georgia Basin/Vancouver Island
B.C.Conservation Foundation
Nanaimo
Office (250) 716-8776;Cell (250) 714-3088
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Article |
Topics |
Date |
| 1. |
Fishing the Tyee Pool in Campbell River |
Salmon |
Aug 2013 |
| 2. |
Jigging for Coho |
Salmon, Tackle |
Aug 2013 |
| 3. |
TKO ing Big Springs |
Salmon |
Jun 2013 |
| 4. |
Spring Fishery Updates 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Mar 2013 |
| 5. |
Fly Epoxy Chum Fry |
Flys |
Feb 2013 |
| 6. |
Best Fishing Story of 2012 |
|
Feb 2013 |
| 7. |
Salmon fishing outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon |
Jan 2013 |
| 8. |
Fly Tadpoles |
Flys |
Jan 2013 |
| 9. |
Fishing Outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon, Sturgeon |
Dec 2012 |
| 10. |
Fly Steelhead Muddler |
Flys, Steelhead |
Dec 2012 |
| 11. |
Fly Bacon n eggers |
Flyfishing, Salmon |
Dec 2012 |
| 12. |
Keeping a journal |
Technique |
Dec 2012 |
| 13. |
Fly Egg-sukin leech |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 14. |
Fly Steelhead Madness |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 15. |
White Lake |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Aug 2012 |
| 16. |
Fly Orangesicle |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 17. |
Fly Blue Morrison baitfish |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 18. |
Fly fishing the Estuary (Amundson Thompson Chaser Fly Rod Review) |
Flyfishing, Tackle |
Jul 2012 |
| 19. |
Sockeye Strategies |
Salmon |
Jul 2012 |
| 20. |
Ultimate Squid TUBE |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 21. |
Roche Lake |
Flyfishing |
Jun 2012 |
| 22. |
Fly Coho Blue-zer |
Flys, Salmon |
Jun 2012 |
| 23. |
Flies Webflyzers |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 24. |
Vancouver Island's Esperanza Inlet |
Halibut, Salmon, Vancouver Island |
May 2012 |
| 25. |
Fly Purple Peril |
Flys |
May 2012 |
| 26. |
Trolling for trout |
Trolling, Trout |
Apr 2012 |
| 27. |
Fly Blue Note |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 28. |
Fly Kalumlow |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 29. |
Fly Skeena Scar |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 30. |
Fly Polar Express |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 31. |
Sturgeon fishing in Vancouver British Columbia |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 32. |
Strategies for Catching Sturgeon |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 33. |
Fly Copper Gammarus |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 34. |
Fly Alley Alevin |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 35. |
Fly Hilton Boss |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 36. |
A Guided Steelhead Trip on the River |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 37. |
Fly Polar UV shrimp |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 38. |
Egg-sukin Beaver Leech |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 39. |
Fly Chardolas Bait |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 40. |
Don't be afraid to try anything |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 41. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 Ryan Spannier |
|
Feb 2012 |
| 42. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 by Bob Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 43. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 David Sandquist |
Kids, Salmon |
Feb 2012 |
| 44. |
Fly Reeds Spey |
Flyfishing |
Feb 2012 |
| 45. |
Jet Boat Maintenance |
Boats |
Dec 2011 |
| 46. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe BBQ and Honey |
Recipes, Salmon |
Dec 2011 |
| 47. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Dec 2011 |
| 48. |
Fly Blue Charmer |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 49. |
Fly Muddy Waters |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 50. |
Fly - The Excursion Leech |
Flyfishing |
Nov 2011 |
| 51. |
Herb and Garlic Crusted Halibut with oven roasted ratatouille |
Halibut, Recipes |
Oct 2011 |
| 52. |
The Banner Season |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Jun 2011 |
| 53. |
voteforsalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 54. |
Votesalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 55. |
Rivers Inlet Hatchery Program |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 56. |
Mayday for Wild Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Mar 2011 |
| 57. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story David Sandquist |
Flyfishing, Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 58. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Honourary mention Ron Gibson |
|
Feb 2011 |
| 59. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Bog Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 60. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Brian Wong |
Salmon |
Feb 2011 |
| 61. |
Does Fish Cooking Techniques Matter |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 62. |
Mediterranean Fish Fillets |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 63. |
Virus Killing Fraser Sockeye |
Conservaton, Fish, Salmon |
Jan 2011 |
| 64. |
Halibut Fishery |
Conservaton, Hallibut |
Dec 2010 |
| 65. |
Salmon Virus watch |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2010 |
| 66. |
Disease Information |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 67. |
Sea lice kept secret |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 68. |
Catch the Dream |
Halibut, Salmon, Trolling |
May 2010 |
| 69. |
Oak Bay Marine Group Newsletter |
Salmon |
Mar 2010 |
| 70. |
Quesnel Lake |
Trout |
Jan 2010 |
| 71. |
Art of Curing and Smoking Fish |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 72. |
Bradley's Famous Hot Smoked Salmon |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 73. |
Salmon fishery action suit |
Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 74. |
Save B.C. Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 75. |
Winner of the Giver on the River Free Charter |
Fish |
Sep 2009 |
| 76. |
Oven bbq salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 77. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Aug 2009 |
| 78. |
Salmon Creole |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 79. |
Australia Fishing |
Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 80. |
Horseradish and Dill Butter Salmon Steaks |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 81. |
Navigating a boat purchase |
Boats |
Jul 2009 |
| 82. |
Salmon with a Homemade Grain Mustard Crust |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 83. |
Halibut with Fennel Broth |
Halibut, Recipes |
Jul 2009 |
| 84. |
Cedar Plank Salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jun 2009 |
| 85. |
Islander Winner 2009 |
Tackle |
Jun 2009 |
| 86. |
Just Get In the Water |
Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 87. |
Saltwater Night Fishing for Salmon |
Salmon, Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 88. |
Steelhead & Salmon Warfare |
Salmon, Steelhead |
Jun 2009 |
| 89. |
Deep Running Giant Salmon |
Salmon |
May 2009 |
| 90. |
Salmon Scampi |
Recipes |
Apr 2009 |
| 91. |
Dandelion Stuffed Chaunigan Trout |
Recipes, Trout |
Apr 2009 |
| 92. |
Living Rivers - Georgia Basin and Vancouver Island |
Conservaton |
Apr 2009 |
| 93. |
Salmon steak recipe |
Recipes, Salmon |
Mar 2009 |
| 94. |
Chaunigan Trout Recipe |
Recipes, Trout |
Mar 2009 |
| 95. |
Best catch of 2008 |
Flyfishing, Kids, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout |
Feb 2009 |
| 96. |
The Great Chilko Bear Adventure |
Bears |
Feb 2009 |
| 97. |
Seasonal Outlook for 2010 |
Salmon, Seasons, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Trout |
Jan 2009 |
| 98. |
A Fishing Trip with REEL OBSESSIONS Vancouver Island. |
Salmon, Trolling |
Jan 2009 |
| 99. |
Carp fishing from a different angle |
Carp |
Sep 2008 |
| 100. |
Fish British Columbia With a Timeshare |
Accommodation |
Apr 2008 |
| 101. |
Hurt by aquaculture industry |
Salmon |
Nov 2007 |
| 102. |
BC wild salmon endangered by failure to contain sea lice from salmon farms |
Conservaton |
Sep 2007 |
| 103. |
Go Fish |
|
Aug 2007 |
| 104. |
Studies show harmful impact of BC coast salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon |
Salmon |
Aug 2007 |
| 105. |
Lynn's Fishing Adventure |
Sturgeon, Trout |
Jul 2007 |
| 106. |
Chilliwack River Action Committee |
Conservaton |
Apr 2007 |
| 107. |
Indian Candy Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Mar 2007 |
| 108. |
Fishing Articles and archived fishing posts |
|
Mar 2007 |
| 109. |
Curing Eggs |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 110. |
Fishing for Chum Salmon |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 111. |
Salmon Eating - After They Change Colour |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 112. |
A guides Perspective - The Fraser River |
Salmon, Seasons, Sturgeon, Trout |
Aug 2005 |
| 113. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Dec 2004 |
| 114. |
Fishing in Harrison Hot Springs |
|
Aug 2004 |
| 115. |
Jet vs. Outboard |
Boats |
Aug 2004 |
| 116. |
Helpful Hints, Tips and Tricks |
Tackle |
Mar 2004 |
| 117. |
Uncle Wes - Farewell Old Friend |
|
Dec 2003 |
| 118. |
Cow Paddy Pond |
Trout |
Oct 2003 |
| 119. |
12 Seasons of Fishing the Kitimat |
Flyfishing, Salmon, Seasons, Trout |
Apr 2003 |
| 120. |
Sara, Guardian of the Lake |
|
Jul 2002 |
| 121. |
Portrait of a Mountain Man |
|
May 2002 |
| 122. |
Carving the Salmon Pie |
Salmon |
May 2001 |
| 123. |
Spoon Fishing Lakes From The Bank |
Tackle, Trout |
Mar 2001 |
| 124. |
Vedder River Fishing “Fall options” |
Salmon, Seasons |
Mar 2001 |
| 125. |
Slippery Spotted Owls |
Salmon |
Jul 1998 |
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