Alouette Watershed Salmon Habitat Assessment & Education Project
Thanks to the Pacific Salmon Foundation for providing $4425 to assist us in implementing our “Alouette Watershed Samonid Habitat Assessment & Education Project 2020”. Although it was a difficult year with COVID-19, we provided volunteers with free training in Pacific Streamkeeper methodology and offered employment opportunities to environmental post-secondary students to assess four (4) key tributaries for potential salmonid habitat enhancement work. These tributaries were Morse Creek, Latimer Channel, Coho Creek, and 232 Street Overwintering Channel. These tributaries are located below the ALLCO fish fence near ALLCO Park on the South Alouette River. We reached out to local residents along in these watercourses when we needed to gain access to stream sections for assessment and for streamkeeper training. Our focus was to look for ways to enhance these tributaries for various salmon species which reside in the Alouette River including coho, chum, pinks (in odd years) and chinook. We looked for potential habitat enhancements such as riparian plantings, large woody debris installations, and/or removing any fish passage blockages.
During the pandemic we remained committed to educating the public on salmonid habitat and species protection, however, we had to alter the way we operated as public hatchery tours and school visits were no longer allowed at the River Heritage Centre and Allco Fish Hatchery. We pivoted to offer, when restrictions allowed, small physically-distanced, RSVP only activities that focused on nature and the salmon in the Alouette Watershed. We were also able to make some improvements to the hatchery to better make future tours safer and more enjoyable.
Volunteer Ashley Chun chats with Loon Lake activity about salmon and other important wildlife in the Alouette Watershed.
Streamkeepers training at Coho Creek, September 2020 – small group, physically-distanced!
