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Present (24) Karen Munro, Chair, Janet Dysart, Angela Negeman, Graham Knell, Sandie Hollick-Kenyon, Bob Gelling, Ron den Daas, Brian Comey, Dick Pearce, Joyce Mathieson, Tacha Hyde, Keith, Doug Hayman, Michael Gosnell, Terry Bragg, Lorne Poersch, Zo Ann Morten, Pat Morten, Jan Lander, and guests: Jessica Wheatley, Shawn Holllingsworth, Sabirah Bacchus, Paul Berlinguette, Karenn Bailey
Regrets: Richard Boase
NSSK CHAIR: Karen Munro welcomed the group.
Guest Speaker: Ken Ashley, Program Instructor, BCIT Ecological Restoration Program
With students: Cody Mollett, Emily Bowie, Julia Alards-Tomalin, Courtney Lahue, Mike Jeffery and Scott Walmsley
Ron den Dass introduced Dr. Ken Ashley, and Ken gave a background talk prior to the Student’s Presentations;
Briefly; Ken arranged start- up funding for Burrard Inlet estuary restoration from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, a Provincial funding Organization. These are funds that were from a fine imposed following the 2007 oil spill from the pipeline into Burrard Inlet.
The two estuaries, presented this evening were, Lynn Creek and Mackay Creek. The students presented the plans, timelines, and work being done on the estuaries. Note: Estuaries absorb 90 times more carbon than forest.
Problems cited include, fish passage blocks, invasive plants, no large woody debris and the many geese. With regards to Lynn Creek estuary in particular, which supports a 55.2 km2 watershed area – lack of habitat complexity; lack of riparian area, high velocity rainfall and lack of eel grass and sedge grass habitat.
Solutions – improve fish, bird and bat habitat; prevent additional beaver damage, removal of weir on MacKay. For goose control 20 x 20 metre exclosures, large woody debris along bank. Estuary re-grade.
Solutions for Lynn Creek: Phase 1; Baseline has been established 2012 – 2014 and professional survey and topographic map with regards to sediment. Phase 2; Mar 2014 – remove invasives and restore riparian; May 2014, put in bat boxes & wild life trees; Aug 2014 – eelgrass. Phase 3; long term monitoring – 5 year period from Jan 2015 to 2020. All along with educational signage, brochures, and public sessions – costed out to $80,000 for Lynn Creek estuary. There was a slide showing 25 wood/boulder structures to be installed.
Work in progress – Bat, bird surveys, invasive plant removal, beaver fence installment. Partners NSSK, District, City, Seacology, North Shore Wetland Partners. Metro Vancouver will remove the weir at Mackay. It was noted that involvement between students and local stewardship organizations can bring about good outcomes in the way of surveys or information, hands to help, or coordination of fundraising.
Mike and Bob brought up the concern about water entering Lynn Creek around the railroad crossing, which leaves large amount of rusty iron deposits on rocks. It had been reported last year to Ministry of the Environment and brought to attention of the news media by Doug Hayman. Caroline from the City mentioned ongoing investigation on this with Port Metro Vancouver. NSSK noted that it is important that this be dealt with to ensure success of all the Lynn Creek estuary work in progress.
Students fielded questions from the audience and due to time, if anyone has more questions about the estuary projects, email to karen-munro@shaw.ca and she will forward to BCIT.
A big Thank You to Ken and Students for an extraordinary presentation!!! It was enjoyed by all.
Municipal Reports – North Vancouver District: (Richard Boase by email)
1. The Hastings Creek Geomorphology and Hydro technical Assessment report is expected to be finalized in the next week or so. Once the report is finalized it can be circulated within interested groups. It will be posted on the DNV website and we will advise the NSSK of the link when it is available.
2. The DNV has just initiated a study of the Lower Lynn (Seylynn) Town Centre drainage area. The purpose of the study is to inform the DNV on possible directions for managing rainwater & storm water in the newly developing town centre. One of the key study tasks is to provide options for improved water quality in relation to Lynn Creek.
3. DNV Environment and Parks staff have undertaken a series of meetings to discuss increased collaboration on a number of items. Specifically we will begin to discuss items resulting from the recent DNV NSSK meeting on the Hastings Creek ISMP. These items being; Process and protocol for reporting and removing barriers to fish passage in creeks, recreational trail use in areas in and around streams. Recall that a motion was passed to poll the NSSK at the March 20th meeting for interest in a Hastings Creek Watershed Plan Working Group.
4. The DNV Engineering group is finalizing the list of the 2013 in stream capital/operating projects. When the list is complete we will bring it forward, hopefully to the next NSSK meeting
5. There was a minor landslide on the Hastings Creek trail, during the heavy rains on Thursday, March 14, 2013. A portion of the slope above the trail detached and slid down onto the trail. At the time of the inspection by DNV there appeared to be no debris or impact to Hastings Creek. The Hastings Creek Trail has been closed until trail conditions and public safety improve. Updates will be posted to the DNV website.
6. The City of North Vancouver and the DNV had a couple of meetings to begin exploring opportunities to collaborate on ISMP and watershed planning for shared watersheds like Mackay and Mosquito Creek. City and District staff are excited to continue exploring opportunities on a watershed basis.
7. The NS Recovery House (for women, proposed in Murdo Fraser Park next to Mackay Creek) hosted an open house session last week on March 12th at Capilano Elementary School. One of the next steps in the process is a Public Hearing for which a date has yet to be determined. The announcement with details and the date will be made public (DNV website and/or other media outlets)
8. Metro Vancouver is planning geotechnical investigation work on the flank of Grouse Mountain, just above the BC Hydro ROW near the Grouse Mtn. overflow parking lot. The work will require tree removal, some trenching and geotechnical work. The work is being done on private land (Metro Vancouver or Grouse Mtn. Resorts) to determine geotechnical requirements for the design of debris flow mitigation work.
Municipal Reports – City of North Vancouver (Angel Negenman)
Bewicke trail (from Copping Street to Bewicke Park) construction nearing completion, anticipated by April 2013. Evergreen Three projects continue within the City, including City Park Stewards, Lynnmouth Rehabilitation Project, and Uncover Your Creeks Data Collection project, with a separate Watershed Education Workshop to be held with NSSK (details to be determined). Invasive Species Management Strategy is continuing to be developed; the City hosted a community workshop on March 5, 2013 to seek input on strategy development; NSSK will be updated as updates become available; Invasives treatment by contractors for hogweed and knotweed to resume in spring, and coordinated effort of stewardship and internal crew efforts continue on other priority species. Earth Day in Heywood Park is being revisited this April with another Earth Day event, will include invasive plant pull and native plant planting; date and further details to be determined due to Earth Day being on a Monday this year. Living City Award for Environmental Stewardship accepting applications beginning March 25, deadline end of April. Parks and Environment Grant accepting applications beginning March 25, deadline end of April. Information and applications will be available on the City’s website March 25.
Municipal Reports – North Vancouver District (Graham Knell, Trail and Habitat Co-ordinator)
The District has asked Dillon Consultants to come up with a design for Donovan Pond’s fish ladder. They have been asked for it to be suitable for volunteer construction labour.
DFO Community Advisor (Sandie Hollick-Kenyon)
The 2013 SEP Community Workshop is being held on the May long weekend, May 17, 18 and 19, 2013 on Bowen Island. For more information please visit the website at: www.workshop.pskf.ca All streamkeeper and SEP volunteers welcome.
Pacific Streamkeepers Federation (Zo Ann Morten)
The NSSK Streamkeepers VIP insurance policy is being extended from April 15th to June 1st. This will allow groups to get their funding in place prior to the expiration of their policies. With the new Fisheries Act being written, it looks like much of the portions of interest to us will have as their foundation the terms: serious harm to fish or serious harm to the fishery, ecologically sensitive areas and productivity. There are avenues to provide input on ideas for definitions of these terms. Looking forward to seeing you all at SEP Community Workshop.
Finances (Karen Munro, interim treasurer)
Bank balance to date is $5,478.39. Richard Tak took part in a session on fundraising and has put in a NSSK funding application to VanCity Credit union on behalf of SEP Workshop 2013.
Seymour River (Ed Walls)
- We have ponded around 26,000 coho so far.
- Chum started to come out around March 7th, as of 13th around 2,000 have been ponded.
- Yet to spawn any steelhead, a couple of females were close on the 13th.
We have 2 winter run steelhead on site for brood stock, 1 male and 1 female, both are wild fish. - We successfully applied to RBC Blue Water Project for $5,000 to go towards the development of a plan to restore the Seymour River Estuary. More details about this will come as other funding partners come on board.
Friends of Hunter Park (Janet Dysart)
Planting and weed pull planned for Saturday, May 11. Lower Mainland Green Team will be joining in again this year. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Planning a smolt trapping demonstration, and bug survey at same time, and looking for NSSK volunteers for that.
Hastings Creek (Doug Hayman)
We plan to be releasing about 8,000 Coho fry into Hastings Creek from our fall brood stock fishing in Lynn Creek. Date of release will be announced. This release of fry is part of the Morten Creek production plans and long term monitoring by Morten Cr./NSSK volunteers has shown that there is a “hole” in the coho cycle.
Smolt trapping – setting traps Friday, April 5 at 6 p.m. and retrieving them on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m. We meet at Hunter Park, Chaucer & Fromme streets. No need to sign up, just show up to join us.
United Church land at Mountain Highway and Harold has been sold. The consultant, Environwest, are doing the design and planting and has asked if NSSK have any special requests before the plans are completed.
Zo Ann and Ethan gave a water quality testing demo on Hastings Creek.
Mackay Creek(Terry Bragg)
On March 4th all remaining fry were removed from the incubation trays and were ponded with the 14,900 fry ponded Feb 25th, giving us a total of 38,600 Chum fry. These fry have been continually fed – some small amounts have been released, with the major release planned for Friday night Mar. 22nd at 7pm. Many thanks to all the volunteers.
Mackay Creek Hatchery
Norgate Elementary School Students participated in a chum fry release on March 15
70 students from Bodwell School are scheduled to participate in a Chum fry release and Hatchery introduction on March 20.
Bodwell School Students will also participate in Mackay Creek Estuary restoration projects being developed by BCIT students.
Ron offered the loan of NSSK tools to help support this effort
Upper Mackay Creek (Ron den Daas)
Some of the channels of Upper Mackay Creek have been altered by the heavy rains this winter.
One of the larger pools has been filled in with gravel and a new creek bed has been formed below Handsworth bridge.
Emergent fry are now evident in the creek. There seems to be both Coho salmon and Cutthroat trout fry.
Trapping for Coho Juveniles was scheduled for last week but was cancelled due to high water and rescheduled for April.
Morten Creek (Doug Hayman)
We have had lots going on the last few months with our Chum and Coho rearing. We had 26,570 chum green eggs and now have 26,230, which are now buttoned up. Chum release is set for April 24.
Coho – we had a 11,603 true green eggs count and now 10,970 live. Lots of them now are hatching and making their way down into the gravel. We will be putting 8,000 coho fry from these eggs into Hastings Creek to fill the “hole” in coho returns identified through 16 years of spawner and fry surveys.
Thanks to Graham and the District of North Vancouver, we have a fence that is now about two thirds finished. Many thanks to Graham for getting the guys from the District to dig the post holes for us. Also Thanks to Mike and all his tools. Without them it would have been pretty tough going. A special thanks too to Keith, with his fence building expertise – a big help. And, thanks also to all that worked in the pouring rain putting in posts, mixing cement, etc, and not to forget those working on a Sunday nailing and stapling all afternoon.
Discussion of Other Creeks and concerns:
New Business:
Nominating Committee: Sandie Hollick-Kenyon, Zo Ann Morten, and Dick Pearce were asked to take this on. Last year’s board was by acclamation and hoping to have more come forward for a vote.
Release of Chum at MacKay – Friday, March 22, 7 p.m. at Heywood Park
With ‘filling the hole’ in Hastings Creek with 8,000 coho fry this year, we may want to write a story for the paper.
Attachments: 2
District of North Van and NSSK Meeting Minutes from Feb 21, 2013.
SEHAB Minutes – Feb, 2013
NEXT MEETING – Wednesday, May 15, 2013 – 7:30 to 10:00 pm, District Hall, 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver
- DFO VIOLATION REPORTING: OBSERVE, RECORD, RECORD (ORR) 604-607-4186
- A SPILL OF ANY TYPE Environment Canada – 604-666-6100 (24 hr)
- PROVINCIAL EMERGENCY PROGRAM – 1-800-663-3456
v President: Karen Munro 604-988-4072, Karen-munro@shaw.ca
v Secretary: Jan Lander, #109 – 1155 Ross Road, 604-904-8708, in_the_canyon@yahoo.ca
v Pacific Streamkeepers Federation: Zo Ann Morten 604-986-5059, www.pskf.ca
v North Shore Streamkeepers Web Site: www.nssk.ca
v Message board http://disc.yourwebapps.com/Indices/232171.html
v District Web Site: www.dnv.org/Services/Environment/District Information
v City of North Van:: Angela Negenman 604.982.3932 anegenman@cnv.org, www.cnv.org
v Community Advisor: Sandie Hollick-Kenyon- 604-666-0743,
v Email: Sandra-Hollick-Keynon@dfo-mpo.gc-ca
v Hastings Creek: Doug Hayman 604-987-0434, pastoys@yahoo.ca
v Lower Mackay Creek and North Shore Fish and Game Club incubation facility: Terry Bragg 604-985-7272 terrybragg@shaw.ca
v Upper Mackay Creek: Ron den Daas, ecosystem@shaw.ca
v Morten Creek: ZoAnn Morten 604-986-5059, zmorten@shaw.ca
v Seymour River: Ed Walls, 604-288-0511; volunteering@seymoursalmon.com or www.seymoursalmon.com
