Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RalphH]

4 wheel truck and ATV operation may destroy fish habitat. Recent "truck derby" at Gill Road near Chilliwack may have seriously impacted salmon redds:

Global News ran a story on this issue yesterday:

https://globalnews.ca/video/7626659/concern-over-possible-destruction-of-fraser-river-fish-habitat

[Fish Assassin]

Disgusting.

[Wiseguy]

Caught the story on the news. I’m thinking Gill rd access will eventually be gated like every other river access has been over the yrs. it’s always the bad apples that ruin it for rest. 

[Rodney]

There has been another article following up this one since.

https://www.theprogress.com/news/new-signage-warns-atvs-prohibited-in-fish-streams-after-truck-video-shows-habitat-damage

Plenty of discussion here:

https://www.facebook.com/chilliwackprogress/posts/10160869772494745

[clarki]

A buddy of my son was one of the ATV riders featured in the Global piece. His buddy, who oddly enough is an accomplished fly angler, claims that the current is too fast in the channels and they aren't used for spawning. I don't know if that's the case or not, but it is another perspective.

I fished the Gill Road area today. I heard a truck pull up and unload wood. He was there for a a period of time and I stuck my head over the bank contemplating taking a picture in case he was dumping. I thought "Nah, he's not dumping. He's in no hurry to leave"

Later, when I came back, the truck was gone but the pallets weren't. Should have taken that picture after all!

[RalphH]

Well clarki, you were there just yesterday. Did it look 'too fast' to you?

I don't go to Gill much. It's too busy for me. However when other people say that sort of thing they need to consider that the Fraser level varies by several meters or more through the year. In late spring & early summer those bar will be covered by such a depth of fast water yet exposed in winter through till Easter or later.

I've never seen much in the way of extensive spawning by chums in such places but pinks definitely! Millions spawn in locations like that every other year. However I am not one to argue such things with fisheries scientists.

It still it is fish habitat and deserves protection! I'd like to see access to almost any part of the Fraser restricted so people can't motor vehicles on to spots like that Perhaps there needs some handicap parking in the treed area but driving on the exposed gravel bars; VERBOTTEN! Those areas are also wildlife habitat. The noise and annoyance looking for a more bucolic experience is intolerable. Then as you witnessed there is the illegal dumping issue. Vehicle access to  Ferry Bar just west of the Agassiz Bridge on the south side is now blocked after years of trying to control dumping and other activities on the bar. It's just a short walk from the road of a few dozen yards, What's the big deal?

[clarki]

Well clarki, you were there just yesterday. Did it look 'too fast' to you?

Can't say. I wasn't fishing the section where they were ripping through the channels.

Not saying I support recreational vehicle use in riparian zones; just pointing out that in any conversation it's important to hear all sides 

[RalphH]

Yeah making a list of pros and cons and hearing all sides is important.

Trouble is there never was any consultation on this  type of use in such environments in the first place. Owners of such equipment simply decided that their spending the money on it provided them with a moral license to just do it without hearing the side of those us who don't appreciate the noise, mess, environmental damage and potential safety hazards. 

[clarki]

Agreed

[Lunk Louie]

A buddy of my son was one of the ATV riders featured in the Global piece. His buddy, who oddly enough is an accomplished fly angler, claims that the current is too fast in the channels and they aren't used for spawning. I don't know if that's the case or not, but it is another perspective.

I fished the Gill Road area today. I heard a truck pull up and unload wood. He was there for a a period of time and I stuck my head over the bank contemplating taking a picture in case he was dumping. I thought "Nah, he's not dumping. He's in no hurry to leave"

Later, when I came back, the truck was gone but the pallets weren't. Should have taken that picture after all!

That simply isn't true.....well known that the side channels are prime habitat for many species, not only for spawning fish such as  Pink salmon and their alevin...but as primary rearing/eco habitat for just about every fish species as well as the species that prey on the fry...probably tons of articles on the internet regarding fish rearing habitat....in any case, at the very least, these backwaters should be and are considered environmentally sensitive areas and should be treated as such with limited vehicle access other than say a speed limited access and egress only....or no access period....correct me if I'm wrong but the DFO so much as used that reason for barring vehicles from crossing over to Herrling Island a few years back remember that ?