Category Archives: Streamkeeping

Nature, Photography, Streamkeeping, Sustainability

Presenting ‘Beautiful Byrne Creek’ at Burnaby Library June 4

Back by popular demand! šŸ™‚

As part of the City of Burnaby’s Environment Week celebrations, I’ll be presenting a slide show on “Beautiful Byrne Creek” at the Tommy Douglas Library in SE Burnaby on June 4, at 7:00 pm.

Paul bug streamkeepers
Yes, you too, can become a streamkeeper just like me! šŸ˜‰

Similar to last year’s presentation, I will give an overview of Burnaby watersheds, and then focus on Byrne Creek and what sorts of activities volunteer streamkeepers do to help protect and restore natural habitat in the urban environment.

I’ll have lovely nature shots of the creek and ravine park, posters, streamkeeper handbooks and equipment, etc.

Suitable for all ages!

Hope to see you there.

Nature, Photography, Society, Streamkeeping, Sustainability

Hatchery Coho Smolts Die in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC

Well, I was hoping it wouldn’t happen.

I was hoping it wouldn’t rain, because rain flushes all the crap off our roads and into our creeks. Gasoline, oil, antifreeze, metals from brake-lining dust…

But today one of our volunteers from the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society observed 130+ dead coho smolts in the sediment pond, near where they had been released just two days ago. See photos in previous post.

Anger. Sadness. Frustration.

We’ve had years where we’ve counted over 700 dead smolts, or a mortality rate of over 25% of those released, and I’m sure we always miss many morts. Mother Nature cleans up damn quick when a smolt buffet is set for all the birds and beasts who love fish.

The weirdness is that indigenous fish appear to be fine. You’ll see fry and trout swimming about unaffected by the pollutants that kill the coho.

byrne creek dead coho smolts

byrne creek dead coho
You can see live fry on the right-hand side of this photo

dead coho smolt byrne creek

dying coho smolt byrne creek
This one was barely alive. It sat on the bottom barely moving, then turned a few circles, and banged its head into the concrete wall of the sediment pond.

Fishing, Food, Nature, Photography, Streamkeeping, Sustainability

Coho Smolt Release on Byrne Creek

Our DFO Community Advisor released about 5,000 coho smolts in Burnaby, BC, south slope creeks this morning. Byrne Creek, on which I volunteer, got a total of about 3,000 of those.

coho smolts
The yearlings are transported in a special tank and then transferred into the creek in buckets

coho smolts
A closeup of the seething mass of life. It appeared that we lost just two or three out of the thousands

coho smolt
DFO is now saying to clip the adipose fins on hatchery coho again, which means streamkeeper volunteers will be able to distinguish hatchery from wild coho when they return to spawn in a few years.

lush growth
The habitat was looking lush following this morning’s rain

lush growth

wet blossoms
Rain beading on blossoms

lonely blossom in the rain
Lonely blossom in the rain

Fishing, Nature, Photography, Streamkeeping

Chest Wader Fashion Shoot

I got these new rubber/PVC chest waders for 50% off at Canadian Tire recently. Thought I’d show them off :-).

chest waders

chest waders
Work it! That’s it! Hold the smile!

I have a set of fancy Browning chest and hip waders (bought at blowout prices at Surplus Herbies) Ā that have “stocking” feet that require separate boots. I have felt-soled boots for them, but sometimes a simple one-piece rubber outfit is better for muddy in-stream streamkeeping work.

Nature, Photography, Streamkeeping

Releasing Chum Fry in Burnaby’s Byrne Creek a Highlight for Volunteers, Kids

We had a sunny, warm day for our chum fry release in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC, this morning. We arranged for a couple of classes of students from Taylor Park Elementary to come down and help with the release. Kids, teachers, parents, and streamkeeper volunteers all had a great time.

Thanks to our DFO Community Advisor Maurice, and technician Scott. They’re been doing this for years, and are always a pleasure to meet, even for an hour or two.

Thanks also to the volunteers at the Bell-Irving Hatchery out at Kanaka Creek in Maple Ridge, who put in so many hours collecting eggs in the fall, and raising them through to releasable chum fry and coho smolts. It’s a huge task, and we appreciate your ongoing efforts.

Byrne Creek Burnaby chum fry release

Byrne Creek Burnaby chum fry release

Byrne Creek Burnaby chum fry release

Byrne Creek Burnaby chum fry release

Byrne Creek Burnaby chum fry release

Byrne Creek Burnaby chum fry release

Such releases are truly joyful occasions. The kids love scrambling down from the tank to the creek with baggies full of fish, and even adults succumb to the adventure. Everyone feels good about giving back a little.