Indicators of health in river systems include how suitable the water is to support life and how much water there is through the year 鈥� water quality and quantity.
Stable banks with good growth of trees along the river, insect life, all forms of wildlife and, of course, fish numbers provide an annual picture of a river鈥檚 health.
The Tsolum River has scored badly in all of these since the mid-鈥�50s, but today, except for water quantity, the river is scoring better. Although water quality has improved, the Tsolum has far too much flow at times and at other times has far too little water to sustain its health.
In 2003, a wetland was added to the flow from the old mine site on Mount Washington. The toxic copper water from the mine site that has so limited the health of the river showed immediate improvement. In 2009, a geomembrane seal was installed to cover the entire volatile site and again, immediate water quality improvement was observed.
In 2010, crews from Quantum Murray with designs from SRK Consulting and ideas and/or funding from the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Environment Canada, the Mining Association of B.C., NVI Mines Ltd. and TimberWest began the process of covering the seal with till and soil.
Copper Levels: Improving
The water quality results have shown few readings above the targets we are aiming for and even those were only one part per billion above the seven parts agreed on. Significant improvement has taken place and the cover will continue to become more effective over the coming years.
Ongoing monitoring is essential and although we are reducing our monitoring somewhat from the construction phase, we will continue to monitor up to nine sites at different times of the year. Many thanks go to PSF for their ongoing and significant support.
The Tsolum River Partnership is to be thanked for this dramatic improvement.
Water Quantity 鈥� High Flows
High late fall and winter flows are now the biggest problem. Thanks to hydrological work done by Gooding Hydrology and Silverbright Biological Services and funded by the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC), the British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF), Toronto Dominion Friends of the Environment Fund (TDFEF), Marine Harvest Canada and the Comox Valley Regional District, we have found that the gravel bars left over from the historical logging in the watershed from the late 1900s to about the mid-鈥�50s continue to be unstable and are moving downstream under high flows.
The three recent relatively good pink salmon runs (1991, 2001 and 2009) occurred when fall and winter flows were lighter at the time the eggs were incubating in the gravel. Last year (2009) and again this year, November flood events were deadly to our salmon eggs.
Water Quantity 鈥� Low Flows
Low flows, on the other hand, show the opposite. Pink and chum salmon leave for the ocean almost as soon as they become fry, so summer low flows have little effect on these species. Chinook and sockeye remain for several weeks in the fresh water before heading to the ocean; coho and trout, however, remain in the fresh water for at least one full year.
During the lowest summer flows, there are very few pools left as they dry up leaving coho and trout stranded and dying. We have seen significant fish kills in recent summers.
With funding from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, we studied possible locations to collect and store water during the rainy season for slow release in the driest part of the summer and early fall. Most solutions we discovered fall on private lands, so negotiations with landowners are an important and ongoing process.
Riparian Growth and Bank Stability
Riparian zones keep banks stable, cool water temperatures and provide nutrients to microbes, insects, fish and wildlife. Although there is improvement in commercial forestry practices over past decades, there are many areas that still show a lack of adequate riparian function.
The TRRS has worked with private landowners on education, restoration, stabilization of banks and reforestation. With help from the Scouting organizations throughout the Valley with the Scout Trees Program, we have planted more than 15,000 trees. With help from many funders, we have implemented innovative and highly successful bank stabilization projects that have turned areas actively eroding into stable habitat.
Landowner and Community Awareness
The TRRS has, for 12 years now, grown a membership of more than 200, been present at community events, participated in all local land use, growth and sustainability initiatives, assisted landowners to solve problems and worked in partnerships with individuals, industry, business, the agricultural community and all levels of government.
Stocks and Aquatic Life
There are many more impacts fish have to face from the time they leave the watershed for their oceangoing life cycle. Everything from climate change affecting water temperatures and food sources and food timing, organic and mineral inputs from industry, agriculture, urban and rural development, alterations in flow regimes due to forest cover reductions and associated roads and ditches, mixed stocks fishing methodologies and predators, just to scratch the surface.
The TRRS counts incoming adults and outgoing juveniles, and with six years of data under our belts, we are not yet seeing a trend. Except for cutthroat trout populations, which appear to be quite stable or increasing. Since 2006, all other species (coho, pink, chum, chinook and rainbow trout/steelhead) are showing no emerging trend.
The Future
There is much to do. The good news is that we now have water quality under control to the point where aquatic life can flourish in the Tsolum watershed. We also have a clear picture now of the next steps we must take; not the least of which is to continue to work with our existing partners and engage with new partners with the expertise to guide us through a process of restoring the Tsolum River鈥檚 ecosystem.
We are making a difference and we need everyone鈥檚 help. Become a member, donate, and/or volunteer. Visit our website www.tsolumriver.org and find us on Facebook and Twitter.
鈥� Tsolum River
Restoration Society
