Cowichan Watershed Board

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • YouTube
MENUMENU
  • About
    • Indigenous Co-governance
    • Our Principles
    • Board Members
    • Staff Team
    • Non-Profit Society
    • Supporters (Coming Soon)
    • Contact Us
  • Targets
    • Water Quality
    • Estuary Health
    • Salmon Sustainability
    • Water Use
    • Watershed IQ
    • Water Supply
    • Riparian Plants
    • Target Working Groups
  • Projects
    • Koksilah Low Flow
    • Twinned Watersheds Project
      • Riparian Plants
      • Indigenous Flows
      • Fish Habitats
      • Big Dancing Fish
    • Weir Ready (Coming Soon)
    • River Cleanup (Coming Soon)
    • Speakers Series
    • Past Projects (Coming Soon)
      • Water Challenge (Coming Soon)
      • Superheroes (Coming Soon)
  • Library
    • Board Meetings
    • Governance Documents
    • Maps
    • Media
    • Presentations
    • Videos
    • Reports
      • CWB Reports
      • Other Reports
    • All Library Items
  • Latest News
You are here: Home / content / Protecting Salmon Habitat in the Koksilah and Chemainus Rivers

Protecting Salmon Habitat in the Koksilah and Chemainus Rivers

May 26, 2021 by Jill Thompson

By Mike Patterson, My Cowichan Valley Now, 89.7 Juice FM

Twinned Watersheds field crew at Koksilah

Photo by Tricia Thomas, Salish Eye Productions

You may see an unusual-looking group of people wading along the Koksilah and Chemainus Rivers this summer carrying high-tech gadgets instead of fishing rods.

They’re involved in a three-year research project now underway to study the changes taking place on the rivers due to climate change.

Tom Rutherford of the Cowichan Watershed Board says two teams are walking the rivers gathering “detailed measurements and data on the habitat features.”

The project is a partnership between Cowichan Tribes, the Halalt First Nation, and the Watershed Board, and funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund.

Rutherford says the teams are made up of Indigenous members working with accomplished biologists Jade Steel and Melissa Evans.

The effects of climate change on the rivers and the vegetation along the banks are being measured.

According to Rutherford, “we’re not waiting to see the effects of climate change we’re seeing them now” in the Cowichan Valley and on the southeast side of Vancouver Island.

The area will experience warmer winters with more rain and less snow, which will result in lower snowpacks that supply streams and rivers with meltwater into the summer months.

There will be increased flooding in the winter, and summers will be hotter and drier.

Rutherford says they want to understand what can be done to ensure the health of both rivers and the Salmon that return to spawn each year.

He says the Salmon runs are one of the things that define us as a community, as a culture, and as a people, are they are threatened.

“Salmon need water and salmon need cold water, in the summertime, and enough of it, and we’re really seeing that as a major challenge.”

Rutherford says the first step is to look at the habitat features of both rivers, such as pools, ripples, and glides, and map them.

They’re examining the relationship between water levels and the available fish habitat and measuring the changes that occur as water levels drop.

He says a geomorphic hydrologist will model that information so the effects of low water levels can be seen.

They want to identify the problems so they can start to adapt to the changes taking place and help the rivers remain resilient to climate change.

Rutherford says another very interesting part of the project is being done by Cowichan Tribes and Halalt First Nation.

“We’re going to have a community member interview knowledge holders and elders with respect to the Indigenous perspective on the effects of water flows.”

Rutherford says that traditional knowledge of water levels on cultural uses and values will be added to hard science data gathered during the project.

The riparian zones along the rivers will also be mapped and they will identify areas for restoration work such as removing invasive species and planting vegetation.

Rutherford says, “this sort of work in these watersheds, which have kind of been forgotten, is really long overdue.”

He says there’s a “really strong partnership between the watershed board and Halalt and Cowichan Tribes,” and plenty of talented people working on the project.

Rutherford says they chose to use local residents and experts rather than hiring a consulting firm from Metro Vancouver or elsewhere.

 

Source:  https://www.mycowichanvalleynow.com/65788/protecting-salmon-habitat-in-the-koksilah-and-chemainus-rivers/

Filed Under: content

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

Click image for Board Meeting Agenda Packages

CWB members-partial-2022

2022 Cowichan Watershed Board Members (5 members absent)

Cowichan River Weir Replacement Updates. (Click image)

cowichan_lake_weir_prelim_design_overview

Why Fish Need Water

Why Fish Need Trees

Latest News

  • Xwulqw’selu Update – Koksilah Connections (UVic)
  • Top 10! 2022 Retrospective
  • Water Quality Analysis – Request for Expressions of Interest
  • Comment: Drought renews urgency for action on Cowichan Lake Weir

Sign up for E-News!

CWB Website

Home
About Us
Contact
Cowichan Basin Water Management Plan
Documents & Presentations
Privacy
Terms

Targets

Water Quality
Estuarine Health
Salmon Sustainability
Water Use
Watershed IQ
Water Supply
Riparian Area Protection

Cowichan Watershed

Introduction
Cowichan Lake
Quamichan & Somenos Lakes
Cowichan Estuary
The Weir

Logo Email

info@cowichanwatershedboard.ca

Mailing Address
4335 Riverside Road
Duncan, BC, V9L 6M8

Copyright © 2023 Cowichan Watershed Board - All Rights Reserved. | Design by MAC5 | Maintained by Shawn DeWolfe Consulting

sponsor logo
The Cowichan Watershed Board (CWB) gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the above organizations.