Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Coho Cody on February 24, 2005, 01:43:12 PM
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has anybody fished the coquitlam lately??? :-\ :-\ :) :-\
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Have not seen anyone down there. I live about a 1 minute walk away. Not unexpectantly, it is extremely low at present. I believe the steelhead run (or what is left of it...probably in the teens by now) is late spring. There are always lots of nice shopping carts in it if you need one....makes me sick to see that.
It's hard to believe but I was reading an historical account of the river and at one time there was a big fishing lodge up the river that the 'rich folks' would stay at to fish one of the best steelhead rivers in BC, at the time. They would be transported by boat from New Westminster. It's amazing to think that this beautiful river could have been destroyed by one person and nothing done about it, save for a few small fines.
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Coquitlam (Kwikwitlem) stands for "little red fish". The Coquitlam R. used to have one of BC's most prolific runs of Sockeye until, like the Fraser R. now, it was over fished. I caught my first steely on the Coquitlam about 20 years ago, I haven't fished it for at least 15 years.
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The Coquitlam R. used to have one of BC's most prolific runs of Sockeye until, like the Fraser R. now, it was over fished.
Could you please elaborate on that. I believe what destroyed the Sockeye stocks was the building of the dam. Habitat destruction probably did more damage then overfishing. What the present problem is right now is the gravel pits and garbage dumping problems. Doesnt take a genious to figure out why the river blows out after an hour of rain.
Speaking of garbage I was out for a stroll last week and in the lower end alone I seen over 20 shopping carts. These are both in the bank and river itself. Do I hear another FWR Coquitlam River Cleanup date like last Spring? Randog, Rodney, Garry/Jordan from Riverside Fly And Tackle? Can we get it rolling?
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yes thats what destroyed the sockeye run was because of the dam. :'( :P
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The gravel pit definitely is screwing up the river in large ways. The silt release and build up in the river is discusting. What chance do the eggs have when they're covered with silt all the time? I used to fish the Coq. regularly when I was a kid, targeting cutties mostly. I would fly fish and spinner fish with Panther martins and Mepps spinners. Every March/April I would un-intentionally hook what I later found out to be steelhead. And on a regular basis. I'm talking about 20 years ago or so. When I got enough money saved up, I bought the proper gear for the big boys. Back then my friends and I were also catching lots of big dollies as well. If I wasn't fishing it, I was constantly around it and would quite often see fellas around the fire hall area and up Shaughnessy park area catching Steelies. I moved to Maple Ridge when I was 12 years old so I couldn't fish it much at all any more. About 8 years ago or so I made several trips back to the river to try and find some steelies. I managed only one small 7/8 lb. wild buck in about 8 trips. I haven't been back since.
I heard from the Chehalis hatchery fellas a few years back that the Coquitlam hatchery was getting shut down because they were illegally doing fish projects on their own, without gov. knowledge. I believe they told me they were charged under the SPCA act. for cruelty to fish and improper care. They were also in violation of illegally supplying a brood fisherman with an illegal permit to catch and hold wild steelhead for the purpose of hatchery production. I was told they did not have the gov. permision to raise hatchery steelhead.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm trying to remember the info as correctly as possible. I am not sure if the hatchery is functioning again.
Sure would be nice to see some enforcement on these gravel operations. What a travesty. As well as Damming these rivers. What about fish ladders? I know they're not 100 percent efficient, but they have to help matters some what.
A clean up on the river is a great idea. Every effort helps. It's nice to see some caring soles out there. Good on you!
Tight lines
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I believe if you check with The Coquitlam Fish and Game club they will give you the info on the steelhead hatchery situation. I believe it was going along well until the old Ministry of Environment which is now called WLAP got involved and fouled it up. Randog may have a contact with them or know about it but if not PM me and I will give you a name you could talk to about it.
Yes Randog and a number of others did a great job on a cleanup of the Coquitlam a while back.
It would be great if a group would adopt it like CVRCC has with the Chilliwack/Vedder. Our group I am sure could give anyone that wanted to start a similar program on the Coquitlam some info that we have and could prove useful.
My personal wish would be all our BC rivers would have a similar program in place. What a wonderfull thing that would be to have happen, to return them to theirorignal pristine past before so many people became so careless and turned them in a lot of cases nothing but a garbage dumping grounds.
Disgraceful is too polite of a word to use. :o
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Coquitlam river spring clean up is in the works, Just trying to hammer down a date. I'l let Rod know and he'll spread the word.
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Coquitlam river spring clean up is in the works, Just trying to hammer down a date. I'l let Rod know and he'll spread the word.
Well done. I hope I can make it this time and a few others from our area can attend your cleanup as you have supported ours so well in the past.
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Great work Randy, it really is starting to look disgusting down by the river. :-X Like Chris had said, it would be nice to see a group formed like the CVRCC on the Coquitlam. I can tell you right now......I would be very interested in helping get it started as I am sure also the names mentioned above who have been involved in the organization before as well would.
Well done.
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Additcted to steel: Currently they are looking at ways to get salmon above the dam. They have already released coho and chum fry above it to determine if the can pass over the dam on their way out to the ocean. As for the sockeye, they are lost forever. At leaste genetically wise. Coquitlam sockeye traditionally ran in may, kinda unique in the world of sockeye.
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well they are not lost forever. they are thinking of building a new fish ladder. :D
but we'll wait and see ;) ???
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Count me in on the clean up effort too. I can see the river from my back deck and would love to help out.
As for my comments that the Sockeye in the Coquitlam River were over fished, I take that back. I had read some 15-20 years ago in a regional history book that the Coquitlam R. was over fished by early settlers (not natives). Of course, I'll probably never find that book again to prove my source. However, after some searching on the net, I have found lots of more recent information to support the idea that it was the damn that killed the Sockeye run et. al. There are lots of good bits of information, but the best one I found is this one...
http://www.watershed-watch.org/PDFs/RedFish_Mar6_2004.pdf It's an excellent article written by Scott Simpson of the Vancouver Sun from March 06, 2004. I recommend it.
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With so many organizations, fishing clubs and concern residents surrounding the Coquitlam River, it wouldn't be as hard to develop a similar program like CVRCC. Something worth looking into for sure.
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Hydro, by piping water away from the Coquitlam to Buntzen lake (for its generator there), is the main cultpit of destroying the Coquitlam, besides the gravel pit. There is simply not enough flow released to the Coquitlam to flush away siltation. The Vedder can flush itself of all the clay slides, but not the Coquitlam. If the dam is like the one in the Stave, where all damed water is released downstream, there should still be enough flow to be like a river. Now it is just a lifeless muddy creek most of the time. There is practically no kill fishery any more. Even the kids' favourite summer fishery of stocked trouts was stopped after many years of fun for local kids. Too bad fishery cannot get Hydro to release more water to the Coquitlam, and stock the river like Alouette, Kanaka, or Little Campbell.
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Funfish;
The two dams, or rather reservoirs: the Stave and Coquitlam are very similar in the way that they both divert water to different areas. The Coquitlam diverts to Buntzen, and the Stave diverts to the Alouette. The Stave's divertion is at the top reservoir, above Hayward Lake by way of a turbine tunnel connecting the Alouette and the Stave.
Actually, only a few years ago did Hydro come to an agreement with Fisheries biologists about increasing the flow to the lower Stave in order to accommodate late season spawners during low water months. The Redds are now in better shape during this time. Much like the Alouette's situation with low flow. Thankfully Hydro is responding positively to both situations.
The Coquitlam has had many problems over the years. I believe a combination of them all is impacting the fish. It's nice to see that Fisheries is trying to do some experimenting with placing fish above the dam. I understand they have been trying this on the Alouette as well. I hope fish ladders are placed on all dams. I have read that in the USA, trucking fish above dams have proved very un-successful. Hopefully we have better results here. I do agree with you that the Coquitlam has too little flow during dry times, hopefully Hydro will also address this problem. Why fix one problem, and not the others?
Tight Lines
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You are right A.T.S, I am thinking more on the flow volume of the dam. The Stave seems to have a much larger release than the Coquitlam. It just trickles in summer. How can fish or smolts survive? A while ago, Hydro did came out and said they would release more flow, but from a layman's visual observation, I cannot honestly say there are more flow than before. Still a ditch in summer.
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Hydro will need to reconstruct the dam soon. It is in poor shape for an earthquake. I saw a report in the paper that people are fighting the plan to use material from the reservoir side to construct the dam rather than that from the current pits. Rather than fight the reconstruction (Because it will get built) maybe interested parties can fight for more water release and better fish access?
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Addicted to steel....................you almost have it correct....the Alouette flows into the Stave through a tunnel, which you wll see about a third the way up the lake on the west side. this is to regulate the water levels of the stave for the power dam.....As for the coquitlam lake it is Hydro,s first prority to see that buntzen maintains its water level(again for power generation), they really don,t give a rodents fat rump about the coquitlam river..........
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Freddy;
You are correct. The tunnel, and Alouette dam were first installed in order to feed the Stave's reservoir more water for more supply of Hydro power. However, unless I heard incorrectly, or mis-interpreted, I believe the tunnel is now used both ways. When the Alouette is low, and needs more water for fish cover,etc. they will draw water from the Stave side, and when the Stave needs more water for Hydro or fish cover, they will draw water from the Alouette side.
I am still in contact with the Hydro person I have talked with in the past. I will try to contact him again to see what the exact function of the turbine tunnel is.
Isn't a sad state of affairs when mans need of power is more important than the needs of nature. Why is the Coquitlam river being side stepped. Other dammed river's needs are being answered, why is the Coq. not as important? We have one screwed up government agenda here in Canada. When everybody stands up and makes a big enough stink, then SOMETIMES things get done. Until then though, the gov. will keep taking advantage of their position, as long as money plays a part. And what does money not have a part in?
Lets hope the Coquitlam has a reserection day. Sure would be nice to see that river back in shape!
Tight Lines.
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Coquitlam Lake is also used by GVRD to provide the lower mainland with potable water. They and BCHydro are continuing to study the effects of introducing salmonids up past the dam. Their study will look how this will affect water quality. Imagine the rotting salmon like Stave in the fall, up in the Coquitlam watershed and then serving it up as potable water. :P
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It's not a tunnel , it's called a Penstock . I'm a Boilermaker by trade and we happen to build and maintain dams. The only way they could draw water back from the Stave to the Allouette would be if there was a pump to transfer the water back up the Penstock and into Allouette lake I don't beleive such a pump exists . The building where the water comes into the Stave is gravity feed I do believe . I have spent many hours fishing both lakes I have seen water flowing out at the Stave lake outflow but have never seen it flowing out on the Allouette where the Downcomer goes into the rip rap. Maybe the building on the Stave is a pump house im not sure . If it is I have never heard the pump running .
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Freddy and Legend are absolutely correct. The water does only flow from Alouette and into the Stave. I contacted the Ruskin station to confirm today. I told them what I had heard about the Stave supplying water back to the Alouette during low water months. They told me that this was a suggestion made to them a few years back, but that it was not feasible.
Probably more like the government wouldn't supply any $ to do it. They came to an increased flow agreement with fisheries. If you ask me, there still isn't enough flow during the dry months.
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Could you imagine the gong show on the Coquitlam river if they introduced sockeye back into the system :-X. Just think of how the mighty Fraser is during sockeye season. Ughhhh :o
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You can't keep sockeye in the vedder, chehalis, waever etc. why would they open the coquitlam? :-\
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Any fish in the Coquitlam is better than none. So, bring on the fish! ;D
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Thats a good point Biffchan.
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Just because you can't keep them doesn't mean people won't fish for them and it also doesn't mean poachers won't take their fair share. It will be good for the river, but without enforcement it could be a disaster.
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...and it also doesn't mean poachers won't take their fair share.
Now poaching is considered "fair" ???
I know what you mean, I just thought the wording was pretty funny :D
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Yeah I guess that doesn't make sense ???. Maybe i should have said "unfair share" ;)
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They will open the Coquitlam to sockeye fishing. Right after the population in sustainable, some time around the year 2140 ::)
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Actually Gilly I heard it would be closer to 2142 ;)
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If it happens at all! Remember we are talking politics here.
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by 2140 or 2142 I won't care.
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randog,
make sure to post when the clean up day will be,i should be able to pitch in.the guy i fish with grew up around there and is always telling me stories of catching steelies there.we ve even talked about going to check it out this year,but it sounds pretty grim and in need of help.cheers
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Anyone have the phone numbers for Zellers, Safeway and Supervalu? I can hook them up with dozens combined of these damn things from this river!!!!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v721/trout19/CoquitlamTrash.jpg)
Stopped count at 22 while out looking around tonight.
:(