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[Dave]

Bang on Milo!
Steelhead, coho, char and whitefish parr have all been devastated by this drought, mainly in the off channel areas like Peach, Salwein, Borden, Liumchen and Deer Creeks.  I suspect other coho rearing streams like Paleface, Depot and Post have also been hard hit and expect near zero survival of salmonid parr from most, especially Peach Channel.

The next issue to be addressed is the beaver dams stopping upstream migration of chums on a few of these so important off channels.

[chris gadsden]

Bang on Milo!
Steelhead, coho, char and whitefish parr have all been devastated by this drought, mainly in the off channel areas like Peach, Salwein, Borden, Liumchen and Deer Creeks.  I suspect other coho rearing streams like Paleface, Depot and Post have also been hard hit and expect near zero survival of salmonid parr from most, especially Peach Channel.

The next issue to be addressed is the beaver dams stopping upstream migration of chums on a few of these so important off channels.

Good points, who is dealing with the dams?

[milo]

The next issue to be addressed is the beaver dams stopping upstream migration of chums on a few of these so important off channels.

Dave, let me know if something is being done in that respect.
Wouldn't mind driving out to Chilliwack to help wreck a few damns.

[Polaris]

Went to the capilano today and man it's fast

Fast enough to wreck and wash away all the stone weirs Indians constructed near Park Royal?  When I was there a few weeks ago, nothing could get through...

[Fish Assassin]

Fast enough to wreck and wash away all the stone weirs Indians constructed near Park Royal?  When I was there a few weeks ago, nothing could get through...

The high water has rid of the weirs.

[Dave]

Good points, who is dealing with the dams?

It is always a grey area as no one agency has ever taken full responsibility for beaver dam removal but in past years the staff at the Chilliwack River hatchery have stepped up, including paying for trapping.
In most cases if the animals aren't removed (killed, as the Province does not relocate beavers), the dams are simply rebuilt the next day.

[arimaBOATER]

That's a fact .
Tore apart a beaver dam at the south end of Ten Mile Lake because 100's of big trout were trapped down stream of a small creek.
Barely any water in the creek ( big ditch really) as fish were gathered in various pools.

It took me at least 3 hrs of ripping & pulling.

Next day the beavers built a big dam back & it looked like the very same way before I ripped up the 1st one.
Busy as beavers slogan is true.
These suckers had to work very hard over the night.
This dam was aprox 12 meters by 7 meters at least.

[Fillibert]

So isn't that the best solution instead of killing them. Destroy the dam once a week or so to let the fish by and then they put it back and have a home. Kind of like a draw bridge that opens temporarily to let boats by

[dennyman]

Doing a beaver cull is probably the best thing to do. Unless the population gets thinned out, the number of beavers expand along with the dams they would create thereby affecting some of the small creeks and tributaries along the river.

[milo]

Doing a beaver cull is probably the best thing to do. Unless the population gets thinned out, the number of beavers expand along with the dams they would create thereby affecting some of the small creeks and tributaries along the river.

X2

Besides, beaver meat is very tasty, so they needn't be wasted.

[mzmann]

Besides, beaver meat is very tasty, so they needn't be wasted.

Mmmmmmm, Beeeeeaaaaverrrrrrrrrrrr *homer drool*....we may be talking about something different here though 

[CohoMan]

You guys are hilarious!!!!!

[Every Day]

Mmmmmmm, Beeeeeaaaaverrrrrrrrrrrr *homer drool*....we may be talking about something different here though 

HAHAHAHAHAHA awesome!

Milo is it actually tasty to some people?
When I went trapping we always got rid of it or used it as bait for bobcat because it has such a bad fishy taste.
You can get a decent amount of money for the pelts though  

[milo]

When I went trapping we always got rid of it or used it as bait for bobcat because it has such a bad fishy taste.

I'd venture to guess that you didn't get rid of the scent glands and the fat, eh?
Failing to do that will indeed make the critter taste unpleasant. It happens with many animals.
But if you get to trap a young one (ideally not more than two years old), remove the glands and the fat, you are left with a few pounds of delightful, deep red wild meat.

I only had the chance to try it twice, both times it was prepared by expert hunters and cooks. Both times it tasted superb.

[Dave]

HAHAHAHAHAHA awesome!

Milo is it actually tasty to some people?
When I went trapping we always got rid of it or used it as bait for bobcat because it has such a bad fishy taste.
You can get a decent amount of money for the pelts though  

Actually Dan, that's the problem ... beaver just aren't worth that much anymore, and any one who has skinned a few, like me, knows they take considerable time and effort.  At $20 a large, last price I heard, it's just not cost effective to trap them.
These animals can be a big problem on the lower river where beaver activity can have a significant impact on salmonid productivity.

Sadly, these lower river beavers are now urban animals and in the sight of hundreds of people and .... dogs.  In the water.  Lethal trapping, really the only practical solution, comes with liability issues that few registered trappers are willing to address.