Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: chris gadsden on October 08, 2012, 06:58:59 PM
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http://www.yarrowbc.ca/pioneers/veddercanal.html
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Nice post, :) , Why was Sumas lake drained?
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Nice post, :) , Why was Sumas lake drained?
I think to create more fertile farm land of course that cut down on the curse of the Valley, mosquitoes but lots of prime fish and wildlife habitat was lost in the process.
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I can only imagine how good the fishing would have been back then.
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Apparently there were natives that lived on stilt houses on the Sumas flats. Where did they relocate to?
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I also read (not sure the veracity of the information) that white sturgeon lived in Sumas Lake, and, after the lake was drained, lived for a surprisingly long period of time in the mud and were even dislodged by farmers who were tilling the soil of the old lake bed for farmlamd.
Don't quote me on that...
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I also read (not sure the veracity of the information) that white sturgeon lived in Sumas Lake, and, after the lake was drained, lived for a surprisingly long period of time in the mud and were even dislodged by farmers who were tilling the soil of the old lake bed for farmlamd.
Don't quote me on that...
My dad grew up in Sumas Prairie and told me the same thing. I think their is some truth to it.
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Interesting read as i have lived the last 20 years in greendale
Thank you for posting this Chris
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I also read (not sure the veracity of the information) that white sturgeon lived in Sumas Lake, and, after the lake was drained, lived for a surprisingly long period of time in the mud and were even dislodged by farmers who were tilling the soil of the old lake bed for farmlamd.
Don't quote me on that...
I was told the exact same thing by an old friend about the little lake(pond?) Just outside of the Island 22 gate. Apparently was drained some time ago and they found surgeon in the mud laying there dormant or hibernating there years later. Again, I don't know as to the validity of such a story.
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Awesome bit of local history. And a VERY interesting read to boot.
Thanks for posting that Chris.
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I also read (not sure the veracity of the information) that white sturgeon lived in Sumas Lake, and, after the lake was drained, lived for a surprisingly long period of time in the mud and were even dislodged by farmers who were tilling the soil of the old lake bed for farmlamd.
Don't quote me on that...
I remember watching a documentary about Fraser sturgeon few years back and they also mentioned something amongst those lines.
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I remember watching a documentary about Fraser sturgeon few years back and they also mentioned something amongst those lines.
"Mystery of the River Giant", Omni Productions, 1995. I have it on DVD. They cite stories that farmers were plowing up live sturgeon from the dried muds up to 5 years after the lake was drained.
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Awesome bit of local history. And a VERY interesting read to boot.
Thanks for posting that Chris.
And thanks o Bruce U. for sending this to me to share.
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"Mystery of the River Giant", Omni Productions, 1995. I have it on DVD. They cite stories that farmers were plowing up live sturgeon from the dried muds up to 5 years after the lake was drained.
Yep I believe that's the one.
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That was a very interesting read... I always wondered if it was natural - never took the time to research it.
Thanks for the link Chris.
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I also read (not sure the veracity of the information) that white sturgeon lived in Sumas Lake, and, after the lake was drained, lived for a surprisingly long period of time in the mud and were even dislodged by farmers who were tilling the soil of the old lake bed for farmlamd.
Don't quote me on that...
just did :)
heard that same story. Sturgeon 12' and bigger in the drainage ditches, farmers tail looped them and draged them home.
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great read Chris and Co, many thanks.
Chris, My Dad talked of a bucket dredge that was parked/moored above Chilliwack back in the 50's. Dad's partner wanted him to buy it for gold dredging. would that be the old relic up by Rosedale? Remember him pointing out us when we were here in 70 but can't quite remember the location.
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re hashing an old thread....intersting read on the canals origins. a native fellow once told me sumas lake used to contain giant freahwater clams in the shallows. also they hunted ducks and geese by the hundreds on the sumas lake before it was drained. I wonder if the sumas lake was a breeding area for sturgeon coming in from the fraser river as sturgeon were fished heavily by the natives in the area. Quite the ecosystem sumas lake was.
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I enjoyed the read. Had no idea there was a huge lake there at one point.
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Very cool,,thanks!
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Very cool . Would have been cool to have had a diversion plan at the Chehailis ,years ago ;) .
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Actually a diversion was attempted on Chehalis several years back, however it wasn't very well engineered, probably due to lack of funds. All they did was dig the Gravel channel expecting the river to follow. It isn't that simple
What they needed to do was how they diverted the river into the canal with a strong barricade and piles driven for support. If they had done that Chehalis would be back flowing passed the hatchery.
Next large gravel slide on the upper Chehalis will be interesting to see where it all goes and how in changes the lower end course.