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[chris gadsden]

Went over to the Weaver Creek Spawning Channel the other days and shot this video. I thought these 12 to 14 inch salmon may have been chum jacks, they were in with a chum doe guarding her redd. I sent out a note to some that would know and I got this reply from Rod.

"Hi had a conversation with Dave Barnes about these a few years ago and he says those are just smaller female chums returning one year earlier, apparently pretty typical to see for the Chehalis watershed?"

https://youtu.be/o1mSM30lSh0

[Dave]

I don't recall saying that but my memory is failing

[Dave]

Watching this again makes me think something I can't remember saying a few years ago is being taken out of context ... those small fish appear to be males (jacks), most likely sockeye.  That is the typical Weaver sockeye coloration. To bad there isn't a better side view.

[chris gadsden]

Watching this again makes me think something I can't remember saying a few years ago is being taken out of context ... those small fish appear to be males (jacks), most likely sockeye.  That is the typical Weaver sockeye coloration. To bad there isn't a better side view.

Thanks, Don B. said they were sockeye too as Lew showed him the pictures I took. As you are not on FB you would not have seen them.

I thought if they were sockeye they would be in sockeye spawning colors but you chaps would know better than most of us.

Also I read in the brochure they bury the salmon next to Weaver Creek after they spawn and die. Why would they not put them back in the river for nutrients?

[Dave]

Also I read in the brochure they bury the salmon next to Weaver Creek after they spawn and die. Why would they not put them back in the river for nutrients?

Don't know but back in the day Weaver Channel would receive over 300k fish (sockeye, pinks and chums) ... that would have been nutrient overload on such a small system.  Nowadays returns are smaller so could possibly be put back into the water.

I was into Centennial and Angelwing channels on the upper Chilliwack recently and was happy to see Chilliwack River hatchery staff had added carcasses they had spawned to these off channel habitat areas.

[RalphH]

burying them may delay nutrient release. Dead carcasses in the water may not release so many nutrients as one may think as much will washed away in winter floods. Of course there's been work lately that shows bears and other critters that take dead salmon up into the bush to eat add nutrients both from decay and their own scat away from the stream bank; provides richer soil & green canopy with obvious benefits.

Regarding color I've noticed that Weaver fish may either be dull grey or green or the more typical bright red. On Kootenay Lake kokannee turn the same scarlet red as ocean fish. I noticed this both back in the 70s when thanks to Cominco's up river plant the lake was loaded with nutrients and later after the lake became nutrient deficient thanks to dam reservoirs forming upriver nutrient sinks.

[wildmanyeah]

burying them may delay nutrient release. Dead carcasses in the water may not release so many nutrients as one may think as much will washed away in winter floods. Of course there's been work lately that shows bears and other critters that take dead salmon up into the bush to eat add nutrients both from decay and their own scat away from the stream bank; provides richer soil & green canopy with obvious benefits.

Regarding color I've noticed that Weaver fish may either be dull grey or green or the more typical bright red. On Kootenay Lake kokannee turn the same scarlet red as ocean fish. I noticed this both back in the 70s when thanks to Cominco's up river plant the lake was loaded with nutrients and later after the lake became nutrient deficient thanks to dam reservoirs forming upriver nutrient sinks.

I thought the Great Big Cedar Tree in the forest was from the Salmon

[chris gadsden]

Don't know but back in the day Weaver Channel would receive over 300k fish (sockeye, pinks and chums) ... that would have been nutrient overload on such a small system.  Nowadays returns are smaller so could possibly be put back into the water.

I was into Centennial and Angelwing channels on the upper Chilliwack recently and was happy to see Chilliwack River hatchery staff had added carcasses they had spawned to these off channel habitat areas.

Good info. I will send you some pictures and post number of returns this year in Weaver when I return from the evening flight. First time out for ducks, hope they are not fishy.

[chris gadsden]

Good info. I will send you some pictures and post number of returns this year in Weaver when I return from the evening flight. First time out for ducks, hope they are not fishy.

Dave, the count at the Weaver his year was Sockeye 356 and chum 3,111. Dismal on the sockeye. As a side note the hatchery closes to vistors as of today.

I will send you the pictures tomorrow as I am downloading a video from another card now.

For those on FB page go to the Fraser Valley Salmon Society site for pictures from Weaver if you wish to see them.

[Dave]

Chris, nothing big, but Weaver Creek is a spawning channel, not a hatchery.

[chris gadsden]

Chris, nothing big, but Weaver Creek is a spawning channel, not a hatchery.

Thanks, correction made. http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sep-pmvs/projects-projets/weaver/weaver-eng.html

Pictures around the area now sent to you.

At least I did not call it a Fish Farm.

[KP]

lets put this to bed.  I have sampled thousands of these fish on Weaver and they most definitely are sockeye.

[Dave]

lets put this to bed.  I have sampled thousands of these fish on Weaver and they most definitely are sockeye.

Wow!! look who got out of bed

[chris gadsden]

Wow!! look who got out of bed