By Rodney Hsu

Whenever the endangered state of our salmon population is brought up in conversations, almost everyone will point their fingers towards overfishing, habitat destruction such as logging and urbanization or natural factors such as the extreme climatic patterns that we have experienced in the past decade. One crucial factor that many of us don't often see or hear about is the contamination of groundwater and its effect to the salmon spawning streams.

Did you know that 2/3 of the freshwater on this planet comes from groundwater? Although majority of our streams are fed by rain, snow or glacier water, some of the important salmon spawning streams are actually fed by groundwater. Groundwater fed streams are good salmon spawning streams because groundwater is cold, one crucial factor that the salmonids love.

In the Fraser Valley, one such groundwater fed stream is Langley's Salmon River. This river has consistent run of spawning fish each season. However, as farms and houses increase in the Fraser Valley, this river's salmon stock will be threatened.

The number of farms and houses increases each year in the Fraser Valley, therefore the amount of nitrate that seeps into the soil from farm animals and septic systems escalates. Nitrate, a natural substance that comes from animal waste, is carried into the stream via groundwater. When concentration becomes too high, it causes problems such as disrupting metabolic activities of spawning fish. To make matters worse, the trend of urban farming to match the heavy consumer demand by cramping more animals in tight spaces increases waste production in exponential rate.

Groundwater is also a source of drinking water for Fraser Valley residents. When population increases, another problem will also arise. If too much groundwater is taken out, wouldn't it lower the river level because less is fed into it? Very true. Other concerns that residents have include fuel contamination in groundwater from leaks in gas stations or accidents. If groundwater is contaminated with fuel, the entire watershed can not be used for a lifetime.

With so many problems that Salmon River faces, it seems that it is almost helpless. That's not entire true. Groundwater hydrologists have been working very hard to ensure the salmon population in these rivers are saved. By designing models, they are able to predict how heavily an area will be used in ten years, twenty years, or thirty years from present. Areas are classified into different zones based on how heavily it is used. To solve the problems, the amount of development in one area is regulated to ensure the production of nitrate is controlled. These regulations include by assigning number of life units that are allowed to inhabit one unit of area. With tight regulations and strict enforcement, the future of many Fraser Valley streams look brighter than ever.