2017 Salmon Carcass Transplant

We had a great time on Saturday, January 14th “tossing” carcasses into Douglas Creek, which flows south to north through the easterly portion of Mount Douglas Park in Victoria, BC.

"The 2017 Douglas Creek Carcass Transplant was possibly the best yet. We had around 70 participants and well over 100 carcasses. We are indebted to the Howard English Hatchery at Goldstream for the carcasses and their on-going support of our Douglas Creek restoration. http://mountdouglaspark.ca/web/PhotoAlbums/2017-CarcassTransplant/index.html

Peter McCully from the hatchery provided us with an entertaining and educational overview of the importance of these carcasses in the restoration process and how it mimics natural processes in other streams. Also, a big thank-you to the volunteers from the hatchery for their work there and also for bringing the carcasses and their help at the event.

Saanich Councillor Dean Murdoch, chair of the Parks & Rec committee accepted a cheque for $10,000 on behalf of Saanich for their creek restoration work last summer. The funds are from a grant from the Pacific Salmon Foundation. PSF funding support and also project endorsement have been instrumental in the successful restoration - salmon are returning every year; thank you PSF!

A long time local resident reported that in the early 1960s the creek was full of spawning salmon and also cutthroat trout, but that was when the Gordon Head watershed was mostly farmland where rain soaked into the ground replenishing the water table. Urbanization started shortly after that, along with impermeable streets and rooftops sending rain water into the storm pipe system causing huge surges that washed out all the spawning beds and eroded the stream banks. Our restoration has been armoring the banks to stop the erosion and creating new gravel spawning pools.

Thanks to all the participants and supporters!
--
Darrell Wick, President
Friends of Mount Douglas Park Society":

Photo's above were graciously supplied by Shanna Baker / Hakai Magazine & Ben Eardley