Good news for Coquitlam River salmon!

August 16, 2022

By: Meghan Rooney

We have some great news to share. Our survey of Cedar Creek in late May revealed that not only have coho again successfully spawned and incubated in Cedar Creek this year, but some of last year’s fry have managed to rear successfully in the creek and have become smolts!  The Kwikwetlem Salmon Restoration Program (KSRP), led by Jason MacNair from Living Resources Environmental Services, captured two coho smolts in Cedar Creek measuring 84 and 86 mm, as well as a few fry in the 35mm range. The team also saw a few small schools of fry indicating that the few captured are part of a larger population. 

Coho fry

Coho smolt

“The first transfer of adult coho above the dam into Coquitlam reservoir occurred in fall 2020. Approximately 70 adults were transferred from the Coquitlam River to Cedar Creek. In spring 2021, we were overjoyed to find coho fry in Cedar Creek from that transfer, confirming the coho had successfully spawned.

More coho adults were transferred in fall 2021, but due to the extreme weather events of that year, only about 30-40 adults were transferred.  In spring 2022, we did some more trapping and again found fry from the 2021 transfer as well as smolts from the 2020 transfer that had successfully reared in Cedar Creek. Our salmon friends are truly amazing.” – Jason MacNair

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped out on the project and a special congratulations to the amazingly resilient coho salmon that managed to survive and reproduce despite the challenging conditions experienced last fall. 

Coho smolt and fry together in a bucket.

Coho smolt and fry together in a bucket.

sockeye trapped in Coquitlam River trap

First sockeye trapped in Coquitlam River, August, 2022.

With regards to this year’s sockeye trapping component, the exclusion fences were installed and the trap has been operational since July 1, 2022, and just this week (August 17, 2022) the first sockeye of the year has shown up in the trap.  It was a healthy-looking fish with a fork length of 56cm and a weight of 1.9kg. 

Fortunately, the water temperature in the trap has been nice and cool, consistently under 16.5 degrees celsius so far this season. The mean temperature for the past two weeks has been 13.6 degrees celsius. Our fingers crossed as usual, hoping for more sockeye to return. 

Read more about the history of the Coquitlam River.

Share This Story!

Good news for Coquitlam River salmon!

August 16, 2022

By: Meghan Rooney

We have some great news to share. Our survey of Cedar Creek in late May revealed that not only have coho again successfully spawned and incubated in Cedar Creek this year, but some of last year’s fry have managed to rear successfully in the creek and have become smolts!  The Kwikwetlem Salmon Restoration Program (KSRP), led by Jason MacNair from Living Resources Environmental Services, captured two coho smolts in Cedar Creek measuring 84 and 86 mm, as well as a few fry in the 35mm range. The team also saw a few small schools of fry indicating that the few captured are part of a larger population. 

Coho fry

Coho smolt

“The first transfer of adult coho above the dam into Coquitlam reservoir occurred in fall 2020. Approximately 70 adults were transferred from the Coquitlam River to Cedar Creek. In spring 2021, we were overjoyed to find coho fry in Cedar Creek from that transfer, confirming the coho had successfully spawned.

More coho adults were transferred in fall 2021, but due to the extreme weather events of that year, only about 30-40 adults were transferred.  In spring 2022, we did some more trapping and again found fry from the 2021 transfer as well as smolts from the 2020 transfer that had successfully reared in Cedar Creek. Our salmon friends are truly amazing.” – Jason MacNair

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped out on the project and a special congratulations to the amazingly resilient coho salmon that managed to survive and reproduce despite the challenging conditions experienced last fall. 

Coho smolt and fry together in a bucket.

Coho smolt and fry together in a bucket.

sockeye trapped in Coquitlam River trap

First sockeye trapped in Coquitlam River, August, 2022.

With regards to this year’s sockeye trapping component, the exclusion fences were installed and the trap has been operational since July 1, 2022, and just this week (August 17, 2022) the first sockeye of the year has shown up in the trap.  It was a healthy-looking fish with a fork length of 56cm and a weight of 1.9kg. 

Fortunately, the water temperature in the trap has been nice and cool, consistently under 16.5 degrees celsius so far this season. The mean temperature for the past two weeks has been 13.6 degrees celsius. Our fingers crossed as usual, hoping for more sockeye to return. 

Read more about the history of the Coquitlam River.

Share This Story!

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