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[bentrod]

If they're going to go through all the trouble to re-locate the river, why not finish the job and work on cleaning up some of the brush below the hatchery? 

[Sterling C]

Whats wrong with the river running through the brush  I know the obvious answer would be so that we get more opportunity to fish, but I can't help but think of how much benefit there is to having the river like this. Those log jams make for excellent parr habitat, and do a heck of a good job containing the chum carcasses rather than having them all wash downstream in high water. Plus, if you knew where to look some of stagant ponds off to the side of the log jams stacked up with coho in the fall.

[Geff_t]

 

I still miss the old stretch through pretty's, and the nineties pool... And grassy. It was one nice long walk!

Cheers,
nicole

That was my favorite and most productive part of the river. I hope it comes back even a little bit.

[bentrod]

Good point, I've never seen it, but by the way it was described, it sounded like it was an obstruction. 

[Mike D.]

There still could be time to save the steelhead/smolts in those pools (hopefully) if there is any pools....I went for a hike below es in feb and man there was a few nice runs way back in there....although there was fish carcasses/skeletons way into the trees from the high water we had in there  ...but ya...if anyone knows if there is any pools...I wouldn't mind going for a walk way back in there and reviving some steel if there is any.....but...they should have done the job right the 1st time!!! they put the high side of the dug out on the wrong side of the new channel last time resulting in the blow out of ES! So is it official that 100% of the flow is heading back through the hatchery run now?

Mike <"))))))><

[chris gadsden]

So is it official that 100% of the flow is heading back through the hatchery run now?

Mike <"))))))><

That is what I have been told but they are still working on the dyke.

[Pat AV]

Strange time to start with an in-stream project.........but I guess if you are the ones who issue the permits anything is possible. I assume that the de-watering of the old channel will be taking place slowly and hopefully as many fish as possible will be salvaged before it is completed.

Good point about the electo-fishing difficulties with fry in large substrate bentrod, I do not agree with removing the brush below the hatchery though. I have salvaged suicide and coldwater before dewatering for pipeline crossings or gravel removal and the fry are very hard to get out. Many will be lost on the Chehalis if the old channel is completely dried up no matter what the salvage efforts are.

As for the folks who are saying "about time" etc, they have dug a new channel several times over the past few years to divert the water but it always re-routs itself. If they do a good job with the rip-rap dyking this diversion will probably last more than 1 high water unlike previous attempts.

As for the way the river was back when you could drive right in to Pretty's, I miss it very much as well. I caught my first settlie in that area 16 years ago and can still remember many of the old runs....


Any river fisher has to have a long memory to keep track of all the "Favorite Holes" they have loved and lost over the years...... All the more reason to keep exploring I guess!

[chris gadsden]

They are spending big dollars this time to make sure it stays where they put it but of course a river has a mind of its own.

The reason they have decided to do it now on the Chehalis as well as doing the gravel excavation at Vedder Crossing on the Chilliwack is they are forcasting a huge freshet this year. This is what the powers to be are telling us anyway.

Work supposedly is being done to prevent flooding of the two FN Reserves at these two sites.

Of course we will see the same large runoff on the Fraser River because of the above average snow pack this year and still building. This will mean a lot less fishing this year on the Fraser as well but that discussion should be on another thread.

[Mike D.]

Well if they engineered the channel going back to the Hatchery properly they would of saved a lot of grief for everyone...over the past years...

When they did the "diversion" process previous times they built the high side of the "new hatch channel" @ ES on the wrong side.....so when the river came roaring down...it did not have a strong high side for the river to hit and carve....it just blew out the low side! Like I don't get it sometimes.....all of these no brainer things just get messed up somehow....nowI would expect that the 3rd time will be the charm! I might have to go for a little peek a boo up there this weekend or next to see how things are.....

Maybe with a little luck with a big blow out all those old school spots (pretty etc) will come back! My only concern is for the fish populations to improve on the chehalis....there seemed to be quite a downfall for coho over the past 2-3 years...

Mike <"))))))><

[Gooey]

I spoke with a hatchery worker at the capilano and he said that juvenile escapes from Georgia straight were very low for a 2 year period and that DFO expected low coho returns in 2005 and 2006.  I guarantee you these 2 years were my worst coho years ever.  On the good side, when this conversation happened earlier this winter, he said the following 2 runs looked much more healthy in terms of the numbers.  Hopefully there will be lots of coho for everyone and more elbow room on the chehalis to get them!

[buck]

Chris,   during the years you have lived in Chilliwack have you ever seen a spring flood ? I haven't.  Spring freshets tend to be long drawn out events that last until mid July depending on temperatures. This is just another example of the destruction of potential fish habitat for profit. Who is standing up for the protection of our resource?

[Gooey]

Having the hatchery channel cut off from all returning species can't have made the hatcheries job any easier.  Keep in mind that from the hatchery down to the mouth represents only a fraction of the river...mayber 20%, which means 80% of the river is absolutely unaffected by this change. 

[chris gadsden]

Chris,   during the years you have lived in Chilliwack have you ever seen a spring flood ? I haven't.  Spring freshets tend to be long drawn out events that last until mid July depending on temperatures. This is just another example of the destruction of potential fish habitat for profit. Who is standing up for the protection of our resource?

You have got that correct on all counts. We tackled this issue on the Fraser River last year as most readers know, it was a lot of hard work and some people have said if we have a flood this year it will because gravel was not taken off. However a number of Politicians have retracted that position now as I think it would be hard to take enough gravel off to prevent a flood if one is going to happen. Look what happened on the Vedder this year were a record amount was taken off, did it prevent a flood in November and as well is there any sign of these massive holes now? I do not see any as all that happened more gravel from above got washed down from above

Maybe in certain places if you take gravel off it could redirect the flow but I am no authority on this.

The answer in my mind is to raise and strenghten the dikes in certain area's. I had a meeting with Solicitor General John Les this afternoon and will report on another thread in what the Province is going to do re the situation on the Fraser.

[CAPTAIN BONK]

THIS IS A GOOD CHANGE PEOPLE !

[younggun]

thank god, just saw the post. I love hearing stories and seeing pics of when my dad used to fish the chehalis when it was on its original flow. So many nice runs in the pics. Hope fishing will pick up.