This little juvenile rainbow trout/steelhead, offers a glimmer of hope in a world which is currently full of uncertainties.
A few weeks ago, I followed along a team of biologists from
Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition in Chilliwack's Hopedale area to collect samples from a few traps that were set overnight. The findings were fascinating and demonstrate what a huge positive impact a little bit of volunteer work can do when it comes to fish conservation.
You may recall that back in October, I joined a group of volunteers planting trees at the newly restored wetland by the Lower Vedder River. Connected to the river via a meandering channel where salmon have spawned since its construction, this wetland serves as a refuge for juvenile salmonids to rest, feed and grow until they are strong enough for the next stage of their life journey. The trees planted will eventually become important riparians which provide shading, cooling of the water, and insect activities.
This rainbow trout, approximately one year old, most likely has spent its early life at other parts of the river. It entered the outlet of the channel just upstream of the railway bridge in Hopedale, made its way up the channel and decided to call this wetland its temporary home.
Historically, prior to the construction of dykes, the river basin is much broader and many tertiary channels existed. These smaller channels are where salmon, trout and steelhead would typically spawn. During a highwater event, the offsprings are well protected in these channels so they are not washed away in the main stem.
Decades of developments have taken most of these habitats away from our fish, which becomes one of many factors for the decline of Pacific salmon. What the FVWC has done is quite amazing. Many creeks and wetlands have now been restored across the Fraser Valley, and the work continues. It tells us that if we build it, they will come.
It is also telling us that if human leave it alone just for a short period of time, nature will rebound pretty quickly. This is quite evident around the world during the current pandemic where human activities have been reduced to nil.
The end product of this project is in fact a short documentary film on the subject, which was going to be presented at This year's Chilliwack's All About Fishing but we all know how that went. In a couple of weeks from now, I will be sharing this video with all of you and I hope it will inspire you to get involved in volunteering, be more conscious on your footprints, and speak up for those who can't speak for themselves.
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Topic: You build it, they will come (Read 3008 times)