To view November's E-Newsletter, click here
OWC November 2014 E-Newsletter
Here's what I can't believe!
(Editors note: Thank you to Kelly Hall for this guest blog...
We welcome submissions to our blog from throughout the watershed - get in touch - what's your perspective?)
I can hardly believe that the end of 2014 is fast approaching!
Kelly Hall posing with a "gem" of the foothills - Alberta's endangered Limber Pine (
Pinus flexilis
) as designated under Alberta's Wildlife Act
Two Thousand and Fourteen has been an amazing year for The Timber Ridge Conservation Site. A year of many firsts and certainly a great deal of hope for the future. It all started on January 1 with a beautiful winter wedding, pictures on the cabin steps with the snow covered ridge as the background. The deepest, longest, coldest winter in many years had us more than ready for spring vegetation!
Our free flowing thermal springs have continued to amaze us. For the first time in our history we have seen flow increase in the fall, specifically after the eighteen inches of heavy wet snow on September 8 and then again November 2. The trout in the pond are pink, tasty, and happy in the beautiful, cold, clear water! Our many visitors can attest to that, especially the ones that had to use a net to bring in their catch.
Some of the natural changes are becoming more apparent. The old growth aspens are coming down and new meadows are alive with diversity. We've seen more Parry Oat Grass , more grouse and the newly protected wetland has responded well! The wildlife sightings on the property continue to grow, including a first for us this year - Elk not far from the cabin deck.
Timber Ridge has acquired many new friends this past year - we've now collected hair on Bear Rub Trees, began the process of collecting any and all bugs, Botanists have identified even more species, students have planted Limber Pine seedlings and we continue to collect some amazing pictures thanks to the pin hole and trail cameras. A pair of chipmunks have now called the cabin deck home and the competition at the bird feeders is increasing and really quite entertaining.
Glen Hall, standing on a blast mat (recycled tires) which surround his motion-sensored, solar powered, off-stream watering system - a Beneficial Management Practice helped put in place by the OWC's Watershed Legacy Program
Timber Ridge is living proof that it does take a collaborative effort to manage our watershed. Our best day yet was Celebrating Collaboration on September 18, 2014. We have to say thank you to all of our partners for years of knowledge, assistance, financial support and for joining us on the tour! A special thank you goes to Leta Pezderic (OWC) and Brad Taylor (ACA) for all their help planning for the day. We were so pleased to be part of the OWC's film project and believe the message within is so very important.
Timber Ridge is a treasure that we will continue to learn about and want to share with others. The cabin continues to be a wonderful venue for inspiring conversation, renewing friendships and gathering allies as we strive to leave our legacy. We've now checked off an item on our "bucket list" - bringing our partners together at that special place. September 18 would have been my Mom's birthday - she was our first partner!
Kelly Hall,
Landowner, Timber Ridge Conservation Site
Provincial Fisheries Regulations Revision- Stakeholder Consultation
(Editor's Note: This is an open invitation from the ESRD to everyone to contribute to the future of fisheries management in Alberta. Have your say! See: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/plan/aqua/hidden.aspx for more information on an example fish project.
See also: http://esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at-risk-publications-web-resources/fish/documents/SAR-WestslopeCutthroatTrout-RecoveryPlan-A-Mar2013.pdf)
You are invited to participate in a stakeholder consultation to seek input for consideration in the revision of the General Fisheries (Alberta) Regulation (1997) and the Fisheries (Ministerial) Regulation (1997). The fisheries regulations support the Fisheries (Alberta) Act in managing Alberta's fisheries. These regulations encompass a diverse array of subject areas, affecting many of our province's stakeholders.
The current fisheries regulations expire on 31 October 2015. Your feedback is important in helping to amend the in-scope sections of these regulations and to help us balance the preferences of Albertan's with the future of our fisheries.
The Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development have contracted Stantec Consulting Ltd to conduct an online stakeholder engagement initiative. There are two opportunities to provide your feedback until 31 December 2014:
 |
| Indicator species: Westslope Cutthroat Trout - species at risk |
Firstly, we invite you to complete our confidential public survey which is at the following URL (you may exit the survey and then return to where you left off by clicking this link each time):
Secondly, you are invited to participate in further discussion around certain regulatory topics at our MindMixer website which can be found at:
Please disseminate this invitation widely amongst your members and affiliates.
All sections of the fisheries regulations are in scope for review and consultation except for the following, which are out-of-scope:
- Sections specific to commercial fishing (Sections 20, 21, 53 and Schedule 1 for General Fisheries (Alberta) Regulation and Schedule 1 Items 2(a), (b) and (c) of the Fisheries (Ministerial) Regulation.
- Quotas, tolerances, zoning and gear restrictions for domestically and commercially fished waters.
- Routine changes to the Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations which includes water specific catch limits, size restrictions, use of bait and season for sport fish species.
If you have any queries please send them to the address below.
Yours Sincerely
Brian Joubert, Ph.D., IAP2 (on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development)
Stantec
10160-112St
Edmonton, AB
T5K 2L6
Email: reg.fisheries@stantec.com
Tel: (780) 917-8161
Please come this Wednesday to the SAAG - we're filming live!
Please join us for lunch on November 12
|
|
Acute frustration ... and a plea for Hidden Creek
(Editor's Note: An important letter to the editor from Elspeth Nickle. What are your views? We'd love to hear from you.)
October 17, 2014The Honourable Jim PrenticePremier of Alberta307 Legislature Bldg.10800 - 97 AvenueEdmonton, AB T5K 2B7Dear Premier Prentice:I am writing this letter to respectfully ask you to take action and close the trails to mechanized recreational traffic in the Hidden Creek area, one of the waterways in the upper Oldman watershed, in order to protect this valuable and vulnerable stream.I have been motivated to write this letter because of:1. The very marked deterioration of Hidden Creek and the area adjacent to it since my last visit only one and a half months ago.2. Your announcement, as you introduced your new cabinet, that Alberta was under new management which has given me hope that some action might be taken.3. An entry which appeared on the AESRD blog on Oct. 4, 2014 which similarly raised my hope that the Forestry Service in this region might be amenable to action.I am sending this letter by email directly to your office and copying it to a number of other individuals and organizations which I think will find it interesting; please see the cc. list at the bottom. I will follow up by sending it to you by registered mail. I am hopeful for a timely reply and especially action but, if there is a holdup in your office and I do not hear from you, I will make the extra effort to call and speak with your staff in the hopes that this matter can be expedited.The reason for my request of immediate actionTen days my husband and I hiked on foot up Hidden Creek but our happy outing was marred upon our discovery that the conditions around Hidden Creek had badly and visibly deteriorated in the last month and a half. The water quality in the stream was visibly murky, a marked contrast to the much better water quality on the same day in the upper Oldman, which we forded on foot in order to get into the Hidden Creek area.The extensive motorized recreational traffic on the trail, which runs in very close proximity to the stream, and recent rains have clearly contributed to this deterioration. The pictures I have enclosed are by no means isolated shots; the whole of the length of the trail we walked showed similar deterioration.
Conditions on the trailAlthough we were there on a Wednesday (October 1, 2014), when we expected traffic to be nil to low, at least half a dozen ATVs past us. (We were the only ones on foot). This is an old trail, which is leftover from I think previous logging or seismic explorations, but it has not reverted to its natural state because, as you can see from the pictures, it is very extensively used. With the approaching high point of the hunting season, activity can only be expected to increase.I am sure you are aware that water quality is a prime indicator of the overall health and viability of the watershed; poor water quality can indicate excessive runoff, the inability of the watershed to hold back and store water, or increased difficulty for native fish populations to spawn successfully. Hidden Creek is one of the few remaining areas in the Crowsnest where native bull trout are still found in any appreciable numbers. It is worrisome to think what the future holds if current conditions prevail.
Note the fresh tire marks to the left. Hidden Creek is less than 5 metres to the left of those tracks!The AESRD blog entry, Oct 4, 2014.After this disheartening experience, I read with considerable hope the AERSRD blog entry of Oct. 4, 2014 which exhorted the public to learn "how to minimize the impacts of your activities on Alberta's plant and animal habitats" and provided links to Alberta's Species at Risk Guide.On page 16, I was pleased to find out that the bull trout is a species at risk, that it is Alberta's provincial fish, and that under Threats, AESRD recognized that "Populations remain low because of habitat loss and degradation (such as sediments in streams) from industrial activity, especially roads"Then, in a section entitled How Can You Help?, it suggests among other things:1) Keep off-highway vehicles out of creeks and streams and use bridges for stream crossings.2)Report hanging culverts and off-highway vehicles driving in streams to our nearest [A]ESRD office.It seems that AESRD has a very good handle on the direction needed to be taken. In this case, with the extremely close proximity of the trail to the creek in the Hidden Creek watershed, one could conclude that the road itself is so close, it might as well be in Hidden Creek! Also, any of the ATV;s we saw had most certainly forded the Oldman in the same place we had to get to the area, and that is most certainly not in keeping with the advice in the Species at Risk Guide.
More conditions on the trailFurther, in my dealings with conservation minded groups, which incidentally is also encouraged in the "How Can You Help?" section, I can attest that there is an acute frustration about reporting off-highway vehicle activity to the nearest AESRD office. It doesn't actually result in any substantive action being taken, or hasn't in the past. By writing this letter to you, and copying it to the nearest AESRD office, I am hoping for a different outcome.I am very much hoping that when you said that Alberta was under new management, you meant it. I look forward to your response at your earliest convenience.Yours very truly,Elspeth J. Nicklecc:Honourable Kyle Fawcett, Miinster of Environment, AERSDCraig Johnson, Fisheries, Blairmore, AERSDMatthew Coombs, Fisheries, Blairmore, AERSDTerry Clayton, Fisheries, Lethbridge, AERSDEmeric Janssens, Fisheries, Lethbridge, AERSDPaul Christensen, Fisheries, Calgary, AERSDSara Burnstead, Fisheries, Calgary, AERSDJennifer Earl, Fisheries, Cochrane, AERSDBev Yee, Assistant Deputy Minister, Integrated Resource Management Planning Division, Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, AERSDTim Juhl, Timber, Blairmore, AERSDRupert Hewison,Timber, Blairmore, AERSDCraig Harriott, Timber, Blairmore, AERSDMike Taje, Land Use, Blairmore, AERSDLeo Dube, Wildlife Management, Lethbridge, AERSDGreg Hale, Wildlife Management, Pincher Creek, AERSDBridget Pastoor, MLA, Lethbridge EastGreg Weadick, MLA, Lethbridge WestDanielle Smith, Wildrose Party LeaderMr. Joe Anglin, Wildrose Environment CriticMr. Pat Stier, MLA, Livingstone-MacleodRaj Sherman, Alberta Liberal Party LeaderLaurie Blakeman, Alberta Liberal Party Environment CriticBrian Mason, Alberta New Democratic Party LeaderShannon Frank, Oldman Watershed Council, Executive Director, Lethbridge.Katie Morrison, Conservation Director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Southern AlbertaKarsten Heuer, President, Yellowstone-to-Yukon InitiativeLeanne Elias, Field Notes CollectiveLorne Fitch, Wildlife BiologistJustina C. Ray, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Executive Director and Senior Scientist
OWC October 2014 E-Newsletter
To view October's E-Newsletter, click here
It's all about sustaining bull trout
By Richard Burke
I was a touch ambivalent about the walk I was about to take down the Upper Wigwam River in Southeastern B.C. It is a beautiful river, worth spending time on, and this trip had a particularly useful purpose – counting bull trout redds – not that simply being there and soaking it up isn’t useful.
The older I get, though, the harder it is on the feet and knees to walk and wade on river rocks. So, I reminded myself, this was about the bull trout, not me.
The trip overall was noteworthy, part of a three-day conference on bull tryout organized by Will Warnock and others for the Salvenlinus confluentus Curiosity Society. The conference, attended by mainly scientists from six states and five provinces to hear or present new information on bull trout, was held at Blue Lake Centre, a rustic cluster of cabins and a lodge mainly for educational meetings. It was a half hour west of Canal Flats, B.C. at the south end of Columbia Lake up dusty logging roads well into the Purcells.
The Upper Wigwam is more than 200 km southeast of that, accessible by more dusty logging roads within hailing distance of the Montana border. The Wigwam, in fact, has its source in Montana.
Four teams, a total of 12 participants, counted redds – spawning areas in the gravel river bed – over 20 km. My team was led by Will. The other team member was Kathryn Kuchapski. Both have much younger feet and knees. It was either by design or by fortunate chance I was with them. Both are graduates of the University of Lethbridge – Will's years there culminated in a PhD in Biosystems and Biodiversity in 2012. I had sat in the university classroom when Will defended his Masters thesis a couple of years before that. His affinity for bull trout was reflected in his thesis.
During his time in Lethbridge, he had presented information to the Oldman River Chapter Trout Unlimited about bull trout migrating between the Castle River and Hidden Creek in the Upper Oldman River. Kathryn received her MSc in Biological Sciences in 2013. Both are shining examples of education at work for good.
But, I digress, sort of. Again, this effort was about bull trout. In our 5 km section, we counted 308 redds, which seemed significant. Overall in the four sections, team members counted more than 500 redds. A survey is conducted annually in the entire Wigwam, the count ranging from 1,500 to about 2,000. The river is B.C.’s single largest spawning run of adult bull trout (3,000–5,000 adults annually). They spawn in autumn then swim downstream, as far as Lake Kookanusa about 50 km to the west (with much more ease than an older man negotiating river rocks, I thought.)
Southeastern B.C. was chosen for the conference, partly because it is “bull trout heaven,” said Will. By contrast, in Alberta across the border from the Wigwam and other thriving B.C. streams, it is a threatened species. That means it’s “likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse factors leading to extirpation or extinction.” In B.C., it is a species of special concern – less than threatened but still monitored carefully to make sure it doesn't decline.
Jeff Burrows of the B.C. Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Fish and Wildlife Branch, told the conference counts by various methods put bull trout numbers at about 14,000 in the East Kootenay alone. In all of Alberta, provincial estimates placed the Alberta bull trout population at approximately 20,000 adults in a 2014 update.
"Since the provincial regulation change to a zero harvest regulation for bull trout in 1995, a number of bull trout populations have recovered to some extent, while others have stabilized at low population levels. In a number of cases, bull trout may have decreased or even disappeared from certain streams,” according to the bull trout management plan.
When I asked Jeff about a perceived superior approach to fisheries in B.C. compared with Alberta, he smiled, saying only, “We have to make our cases.” He also supervised the redd-counting effort on the Wigwam, leading us to the muster point 52 km up from Hwy. 3 at an elevation of 1,300 metres. We passed through locked gates “there to keep motorized vehicles out,” Jeff said. When asked about enforcement, he said if a vehicle is reported in the area, it is thoroughly investigated. Noticeably absent in the restricted area were ATVs and RVs.
I was at the conference as a member of the TU Oldman River Chapter, which acts as steward on about 4 km of Crowsnest River frontage it leases in the Crowsnest Pass. My participation there was to bring information back to the chapter on bull trout habitat and recovery efforts elsewhere. Here are some other takeaways from the conference and the Alberta Bull Trout Conservation Management Plan 2012-17 about bull trout that may help our chapter (and other groups) determine how it may help in bringing back bull trout numbers:
• The species needs cool water (13 C) to thrive. Those temperatures are generally found in lakes and streams in higher elevations, like the Oldman River headwaters which has significant concerns from over use by industry and recreational users that affects bull trout spawning areas. According to the Alberta Bull Trout Conservation Management Plan, “Generally, bull trout populations in the southern watersheds – Oldman, Bow and Red Deer rivers – have experienced the greatest declines. . . . The fact that many bull trout populations have not recovered, or are still considered vulnerable, has largely been a consequence of the increasing cumulative impacts of industrial and recreational activities within the species historic range as well as competition from introduced fish species” such as brook trout.
• Bull Trout have been abused in Alberta for at least a century. (The one at right we found dead on the Wigwam rocks.) You can find frequent references to the species being considered a trash fish and caught then thrown into the bushes. Angling regulations have been changed recently to catch and release on all trout in the Oldman drainage. “Where bull trout recovery has occurred (in other jurisdictions), it has been largely due to angling regulation changes and related management activities including: (1) zero harvest limit, (2) bait bans, (3) seasonal and permanent angling closures in key spawning, staging and over wintering areas, (4) public awareness and education efforts to reduce fish mis-identification and unintentional harvest, and (5) enforcement efforts to reduce illegal harvest," according to the recovery plan.
Alberta has so far been slow to respond to pleas for increased enforcement. And, according to the BT management plan, “While a few populations are abundant and may be increasing, generally, angling restrictions alone have not been adequate to recover bull trout populations.”
• Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, the department which has responsibility for fish, is studying bull trout sustainability. Jessica Reilly told conference participants “the sustainability of bull trout in Alberta was recently evaluated (in 89 areas of the province) to determine whether the stock is healthy, fish abundance and threat mitigation,” starting with the question: What is the state of Alberta’s fishery? Early findings include: road density above 1.4 km per square km is “probably bad for bull trout” and the areas which showed the highest adult bull trout density in the province were all in national parks.
By the way, road density is a priority for action in the Oldman Watershed Council Headwaters Action Plan.
• The bull trout was declared Alberta’s official fish in 1995 as a way of highlighting its shaky status. According to the Alberta Culture and Tourism website: “The bull trout is one of eight species of trout found in the province's glacial waters. To ensure Alberta's population of bull trout never becomes endangered, there is a catch and release policy governing all bull trout fishing in the province.”
There is no mention in the message of factors other than fishing that have contributed to the fish’s decline, such as “resource development (that) creates high-risk environments for bull trout due to the cumulative effects of degraded habitat conditions combined with increased angler access,” according to the bull trout recovery plan.
• Bull trout “threatened” designation is based on federal legislation which requires the province to develop a recovery plan, but it takes an inordinate amount of time to develop plans and legislation does not force recovery activities, says Rick Taylor of the University of British Columbia, who sits on the committee which determines wildlife status under the Canada Species At Risk Act.
He also says, “There is no question recent weakened federal legislation will weaken protection of bull trout.”
• The Waterton River drainage has been studied recently by Alberta Conservation Association fisheries biologists, who categorized the system as high risk, low recovery potential. The ACA's Jason Blackburn pointed to problems that started in the early 20th century with developments such as Oil City in Waterton Lakes National Park. Other obstacles to bull trout recovery focus on hybridization (with brook trout) and high stream temperature variations from the top of the system in streams such as Spionkop, which with Yarrow and Blakiston Creeks had the highest numbers of adult bull trout in the survey. In lower sections, temperature is likely too high for bull trout.
Blackburn’s assessment of the likelihood for bull trout recovery is “there’s still hope, if someone cares enough.”
• Alberta also has a Westslope Cutthroat Recovery Plan because that species is also threatened. Alberta Cows and Fish Riparian Habitat Management Society has been front and centre in trying to move from planning to action on recovery of the two fish species. A work day to repair some Allison Creek riparian habitat is scheduled for Oct. 24. Oldman River Chapter has been invited to participate. As well, the chapter has offered to adopt Hidden Creek, a prime bull trout spawning area. What that might entail has yet to be determined.
I was a touch ambivalent about the walk I was about to take down the Upper Wigwam River in Southeastern B.C. It is a beautiful river, worth spending time on, and this trip had a particularly useful purpose – counting bull trout redds – not that simply being there and soaking it up isn’t useful.
The older I get, though, the harder it is on the feet and knees to walk and wade on river rocks. So, I reminded myself, this was about the bull trout, not me.
The Upper Wigwam is more than 200 km southeast of that, accessible by more dusty logging roads within hailing distance of the Montana border. The Wigwam, in fact, has its source in Montana.
Four teams, a total of 12 participants, counted redds – spawning areas in the gravel river bed – over 20 km. My team was led by Will. The other team member was Kathryn Kuchapski. Both have much younger feet and knees. It was either by design or by fortunate chance I was with them. Both are graduates of the University of Lethbridge – Will's years there culminated in a PhD in Biosystems and Biodiversity in 2012. I had sat in the university classroom when Will defended his Masters thesis a couple of years before that. His affinity for bull trout was reflected in his thesis.
During his time in Lethbridge, he had presented information to the Oldman River Chapter Trout Unlimited about bull trout migrating between the Castle River and Hidden Creek in the Upper Oldman River. Kathryn received her MSc in Biological Sciences in 2013. Both are shining examples of education at work for good.
But, I digress, sort of. Again, this effort was about bull trout. In our 5 km section, we counted 308 redds, which seemed significant. Overall in the four sections, team members counted more than 500 redds. A survey is conducted annually in the entire Wigwam, the count ranging from 1,500 to about 2,000. The river is B.C.’s single largest spawning run of adult bull trout (3,000–5,000 adults annually). They spawn in autumn then swim downstream, as far as Lake Kookanusa about 50 km to the west (with much more ease than an older man negotiating river rocks, I thought.)
Southeastern B.C. was chosen for the conference, partly because it is “bull trout heaven,” said Will. By contrast, in Alberta across the border from the Wigwam and other thriving B.C. streams, it is a threatened species. That means it’s “likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse factors leading to extirpation or extinction.” In B.C., it is a species of special concern – less than threatened but still monitored carefully to make sure it doesn't decline.
Jeff Burrows of the B.C. Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Fish and Wildlife Branch, told the conference counts by various methods put bull trout numbers at about 14,000 in the East Kootenay alone. In all of Alberta, provincial estimates placed the Alberta bull trout population at approximately 20,000 adults in a 2014 update.
"Since the provincial regulation change to a zero harvest regulation for bull trout in 1995, a number of bull trout populations have recovered to some extent, while others have stabilized at low population levels. In a number of cases, bull trout may have decreased or even disappeared from certain streams,” according to the bull trout management plan.
When I asked Jeff about a perceived superior approach to fisheries in B.C. compared with Alberta, he smiled, saying only, “We have to make our cases.” He also supervised the redd-counting effort on the Wigwam, leading us to the muster point 52 km up from Hwy. 3 at an elevation of 1,300 metres. We passed through locked gates “there to keep motorized vehicles out,” Jeff said. When asked about enforcement, he said if a vehicle is reported in the area, it is thoroughly investigated. Noticeably absent in the restricted area were ATVs and RVs.
I was at the conference as a member of the TU Oldman River Chapter, which acts as steward on about 4 km of Crowsnest River frontage it leases in the Crowsnest Pass. My participation there was to bring information back to the chapter on bull trout habitat and recovery efforts elsewhere. Here are some other takeaways from the conference and the Alberta Bull Trout Conservation Management Plan 2012-17 about bull trout that may help our chapter (and other groups) determine how it may help in bringing back bull trout numbers:
• The species needs cool water (13 C) to thrive. Those temperatures are generally found in lakes and streams in higher elevations, like the Oldman River headwaters which has significant concerns from over use by industry and recreational users that affects bull trout spawning areas. According to the Alberta Bull Trout Conservation Management Plan, “Generally, bull trout populations in the southern watersheds – Oldman, Bow and Red Deer rivers – have experienced the greatest declines. . . . The fact that many bull trout populations have not recovered, or are still considered vulnerable, has largely been a consequence of the increasing cumulative impacts of industrial and recreational activities within the species historic range as well as competition from introduced fish species” such as brook trout.
• Bull Trout have been abused in Alberta for at least a century. (The one at right we found dead on the Wigwam rocks.) You can find frequent references to the species being considered a trash fish and caught then thrown into the bushes. Angling regulations have been changed recently to catch and release on all trout in the Oldman drainage. “Where bull trout recovery has occurred (in other jurisdictions), it has been largely due to angling regulation changes and related management activities including: (1) zero harvest limit, (2) bait bans, (3) seasonal and permanent angling closures in key spawning, staging and over wintering areas, (4) public awareness and education efforts to reduce fish mis-identification and unintentional harvest, and (5) enforcement efforts to reduce illegal harvest," according to the recovery plan.
Alberta has so far been slow to respond to pleas for increased enforcement. And, according to the BT management plan, “While a few populations are abundant and may be increasing, generally, angling restrictions alone have not been adequate to recover bull trout populations.”
• Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, the department which has responsibility for fish, is studying bull trout sustainability. Jessica Reilly told conference participants “the sustainability of bull trout in Alberta was recently evaluated (in 89 areas of the province) to determine whether the stock is healthy, fish abundance and threat mitigation,” starting with the question: What is the state of Alberta’s fishery? Early findings include: road density above 1.4 km per square km is “probably bad for bull trout” and the areas which showed the highest adult bull trout density in the province were all in national parks.
By the way, road density is a priority for action in the Oldman Watershed Council Headwaters Action Plan.
• The bull trout was declared Alberta’s official fish in 1995 as a way of highlighting its shaky status. According to the Alberta Culture and Tourism website: “The bull trout is one of eight species of trout found in the province's glacial waters. To ensure Alberta's population of bull trout never becomes endangered, there is a catch and release policy governing all bull trout fishing in the province.”
There is no mention in the message of factors other than fishing that have contributed to the fish’s decline, such as “resource development (that) creates high-risk environments for bull trout due to the cumulative effects of degraded habitat conditions combined with increased angler access,” according to the bull trout recovery plan.
• Bull trout “threatened” designation is based on federal legislation which requires the province to develop a recovery plan, but it takes an inordinate amount of time to develop plans and legislation does not force recovery activities, says Rick Taylor of the University of British Columbia, who sits on the committee which determines wildlife status under the Canada Species At Risk Act.
He also says, “There is no question recent weakened federal legislation will weaken protection of bull trout.”
• The Waterton River drainage has been studied recently by Alberta Conservation Association fisheries biologists, who categorized the system as high risk, low recovery potential. The ACA's Jason Blackburn pointed to problems that started in the early 20th century with developments such as Oil City in Waterton Lakes National Park. Other obstacles to bull trout recovery focus on hybridization (with brook trout) and high stream temperature variations from the top of the system in streams such as Spionkop, which with Yarrow and Blakiston Creeks had the highest numbers of adult bull trout in the survey. In lower sections, temperature is likely too high for bull trout.
Blackburn’s assessment of the likelihood for bull trout recovery is “there’s still hope, if someone cares enough.”
• Alberta also has a Westslope Cutthroat Recovery Plan because that species is also threatened. Alberta Cows and Fish Riparian Habitat Management Society has been front and centre in trying to move from planning to action on recovery of the two fish species. A work day to repair some Allison Creek riparian habitat is scheduled for Oct. 24. Oldman River Chapter has been invited to participate. As well, the chapter has offered to adopt Hidden Creek, a prime bull trout spawning area. What that might entail has yet to be determined.
Can You Help Rescue Our Fish? - IT BEGINS NOW!
Trout Unlimited Canada’s Alberta Fish Rescue
Trout Unlimited Canada has begun our annual
Fish Rescue from irrigation canals in southern Alberta!
 |
| Volunteers transport fish to be measured on shore |
Throughout the summer, fish enter Alberta’s irrigation canals as water is diverted from rivers and reservoirs for irrigation and municipal use. Most of the canals do not have any fish exclusion devices to prevent this from happening. Once fish enter the canals, they are unable to return to their original systems.
In late fall, the canals are drained and can no longer support aquatic life. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, Trout Unlimited Canada (with support from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development), captures thousands of fish and relocates them to functional waterbodies where they can carry out their life cycles.
Since the commencement of Trout Unlimited Canada’s fish salvages in 1996, over 800,000 fish have been rescued. The 2013 Fish Rescue resulted in the capture of 12,036 sportfish and 23,535 non-sportfish — a total of 35,571 fish were recovered from five irrigation canals in southern Alberta.
Eight sport species and eleven non-sport species were captured at Women's Coulee Diversion (WCD), Western Headworks Canal (WHC), Carseland Bow River Headworks Canal (CBRHC), Waterton-Belly Diversion (WBD) and Lethbridge Northern Headworks Canal (LNHC). This year we will also include the Mountain View Leavitt Aetna Headworks Canal (MVLAHC).
 | |||
 | |||
Adult volunteers equipped with chest waders may also have the chance to assist the electrofishing crew by dip-netting or transporting fish out of the canal.
If you are interested in participating, we are still looking for volunteers to help us with the Lethbridge Northern Headworks Canal Rescue in the Granum/Fort Macleod area taking place October 15, 16, and 17.
For a full description of the Trout Unlimited Fish Rescue and detailed results, please visit our website at http://www.tucanada.org/index.asp?p=2027
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesley Peterson (P.Biol.) Provincial Biologist Trout Unlimited Canada
#160, 6712 Fisher St. SE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2H 2A7
#160, 6712 Fisher St. SE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2H 2A7
O/ 1-800-909-6040 D/ 403-209-5185 C/ 403-875-3264 F/ 403-221-8368
To Conserve, Protect and Restore Canada’s Freshwater Ecosystems
and Their Coldwater Resources for Current and Future Generations.
Kelsey's Column - A Young Voice for the Oldman
Hi everyone it's Kelsey here!
Last weekend my dad and I participated in the annual Shoreline Cleanup. It was so much fun and I was able to handout tons of my Storm Drain Survival Kits (http://www.lethbridge.ca/living-here/water-wastewater/Pages/Stormdrain-Survival-Kit.aspx). The Shoreline Cleanup was held at the Helen Schuler Nature center and we cleaned the Oldman River shoreline from there. We found a fair amount of garbage including a bike, pillow case, and socks. For more information on the Shoreline Cleanup you can visit the website at: http://www.lethbridge.ca/NewsCentre/Pages/Shoreline-Cleanup-2014.aspx.
COMING SOON.......
Lethbridge's annual Green Life Expo is coming up on Saturday, October 18th from 10:00 am-5:00 pm at Exhibition Park. Inside there will be a ceremony called The Green Seed and I will be there handing out my Storm Drain Survival Kit's.
WHAT'S THE GREEN SEED?
The green seed is a ceremony where you can win prizes and receive awards for helping the environment. You can nominate your friends, family, or strangers to the Green Seed for helping our watershed or environment. There will also be food, information booths, and presentations.
For more information visit: http://www.lethbridge.ca/living-here/Waste-Recycling/Pages/Green-List.aspx
Tribute to Bill Brown - A Strong Watershed Voice Remembered
(Editor's note: Cheryl Bradley has sent in a moving tribute to Bill Brown, who was one of the pioneers of the OWC and the pre-OWC entities. A donation to the OWC's film project has been in his name. Thank you, Cheryl - and thank you Bill - for all you do to make our watershed a good place to live, work and play.)
Tribute to Bill Brown (1926-2014)
Tribute to Bill Brown (1926-2014)
By
Cheryl Bradley
 |
| Photo kindly provided by Bill's daughter, Fiona |
Bill Brown, an active member of SAGE for over a quarter of a century, passed away on September 7, 2014 at the age of 87 years. He will be greatly missed.
Bill helped to direct the work of SAGE as Board member for twelve years (1994-2006) including holding the position of Chair (1994-1997) and Secretary (2004-2006). His volunteer efforts also benefited other local environmental organizations, including the Lethbridge Naturalists Society, Lethbridge Fish & Game Association, Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition and Southern Alberta Community of Environmental Educators.
Even in the last few years as his health was failing, Bill continued to follow environmental issues in our community, to advocate for environmental protection, and to mentor a new generation of environmental activists and nature appreciators.
Nature was an
interest and passion for Bill beginning with his childhood as son of a
gamekeeper on an estate in Scotland. He studied botany and horticulture at both
the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh and the Birmingham Botanic Garden,
interrupted by a stint in the navy near the end of the Second World War. In 1957, Bill immigrated to Canada to work for
City of Edmonton Parks and in 1961 moved to Lethbridge to become the
Superintendent of Parks and Recreation.
He remained in that position until 1987.
Bill’s foresight established
the framework for the amazing network of parks and green spaces our community
enjoys today and advanced environmental literacy in Lethbridge. During his 26 years working with the City of
Lethbridge, Bill oversaw development of the Helen Schuler Coulee Centre and designation
of several urban river valley parks. He was instrumental
in drafting the City’s River Valley Redevelopment Plan, which set a tone towards
protecting the river valley environment from major developments.
Following his retirement from civil service, Bill’s
strong and impassioned voice for nature was heard often in our community.
Putting his Toastmaster skills to good use, he served as Master of Ceremonies
for several environmental events in Lethbridge and gave numerous presentations
on environmental topics.
Bill spoke at public hearings regarding Lethbridge parkland, environmental impacts of the Oldman River Dam, forest management planning in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, and expansion of ski hills in national parks. He developed briefs for SAGE on matters such as provincial water policy, national parks policy, integrating environment and economy in municipal planning, promoting development of wind power, and reducing use of pesticides.
Bill worked on committees with a mandate to re-design the entrance to the Liz Hall Wetlands, plan a bridge bicycle trail across the Oldman River, mitigate adverse impacts of the Oldman River Dam, and expand a network of protected areas in the prairies of southern Alberta. For four years he represented SAGE on the Board of Alberta Ecotrust, a role that allowed him input on decisions about funding environmental projects throughout the province.
Bill spoke at public hearings regarding Lethbridge parkland, environmental impacts of the Oldman River Dam, forest management planning in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, and expansion of ski hills in national parks. He developed briefs for SAGE on matters such as provincial water policy, national parks policy, integrating environment and economy in municipal planning, promoting development of wind power, and reducing use of pesticides.
Bill worked on committees with a mandate to re-design the entrance to the Liz Hall Wetlands, plan a bridge bicycle trail across the Oldman River, mitigate adverse impacts of the Oldman River Dam, and expand a network of protected areas in the prairies of southern Alberta. For four years he represented SAGE on the Board of Alberta Ecotrust, a role that allowed him input on decisions about funding environmental projects throughout the province.
Bill’s accomplishments did not go unnoticed. In 1997 he received
the Lethbridge Urban Wildlife Steward Award, recognizing his work towards
protecting wildlife and its habitat in the City of Lethbridge. In 2008, friends and colleagues nominated him for
an Emerald Award for his lifetime commitment as a friend and advocate of the
environment.
My conversations with Bill in the later years of his life
revealed an abiding love and enthusiasm for nature, pride in his
accomplishments and that of his protégés, and profound disappointment that
leadership is lacking at all levels of government with regard to environmental
stewardship.
Bill had a special twinkle in his eye remembering his work with the “ABC Team”. Together with Tom Atkinson and Sylvia Campbell he drew on his knowledge of public policy and mobilized the community to successfully challenge development of a motel and expansion of a golf course in urban parkland. The city council of the day was surprised by the strong reminder of the community’s commitment to parks and the need to consult on matters affecting public parkland.
Bill had a special twinkle in his eye remembering his work with the “ABC Team”. Together with Tom Atkinson and Sylvia Campbell he drew on his knowledge of public policy and mobilized the community to successfully challenge development of a motel and expansion of a golf course in urban parkland. The city council of the day was surprised by the strong reminder of the community’s commitment to parks and the need to consult on matters affecting public parkland.
With Bill’s passing SAGE loses a staunch supporter and
nature loses a strong advocate. SAGE, and our community, have benefited greatly from Bill’s work and his love of our watershed.
Here's what happened when some determined people decided to make a difference
| (Editor's note: So that shout-out for volunteers?! WORKED MAGIC. Thank you to EVERYONE who responded so whole-heartedly to lovin' our Watershed! YOU HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE)  |
| Volunteers having a good time and lovin' the Watershed |
During last week’s Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup the 5 most common items found along the east bank of the Oldman River near the Nature Centre in #YQL were: Glass Pieces (< 2.5 cm); Cigarette Butts; Plastic Pieces (< 2.5 cm); Food Wrappers; and Beverage Cans.
Overall 20+ bags of human-generated refuse was collected and removed from less than a 1.5 km stretch of our shoreline (that is nearly 1 bag of garbage for every 75 metres of shore!).
Improperly disposed of trash can wreak havoc on our local aquatic ecosystem – in fact, members of our cleanup crew found a discarded river raft, the rope of which entangled a bird causing its premature death.
Shoreline litter is completely preventable if we all take responsibility for putting our trash where it belongs (among other efforts such as minimizing the amount of trash generated to begin with)!
A big thank-you to our amazingly-awesome and friendly participants who took action towards making a difference! This year’s cleanup had 59 registered participants – almost three times last year!
A big thank-you to our amazingly-awesome and friendly participants who took action towards making a difference! This year’s cleanup had 59 registered participants – almost three times last year!
If you are interested in joining our environmental cleanup efforts
in and around #Lethbridge (like the Shoreline Cleanup or the Coulee Cleanup),
please get in touch!
Thank you for the generous support of this year's Shoreline Cleanup from organizers at: Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) & Helen Schuler Nature Centre, as well as to Real Canadian Superstore in Lethbridge for providing snacks and drinks for our volunteers
---
Curtis Goodman
Resource Development Coordinator
Helen Schuler Nature Centre
Lethbridge, Alberta
Office: 403-320-4985
Email: Curtis.Goodman@Lethbridge.ca
Unfinished Houses by Fortino Acosta
(Editor's note: The author of this guest blog is an Industrial Engineer
and Landscape Architect. Many thanks to Fortino for this thoughtful article.
As always, your comments are welcome)
Unfinished Houses
Residential Policy and Climate Change in Lethbridge, Alberta
by Fortino Acosta IE MLA
Our province has one of the highest (if not the highest) carbon footprints per capita in the world. 72 ton CO2 / year while our American neighbor, the second largest contributor of greenhouse gases worldwide, averages 20 ton CO2 / year. Mexico, which is among the top 15, has a rate of 4 ton C02 / year .
Do you understand now the disparity of what we are living? The development model we are living this vision of dramatically changing the nature and greatness of all Alberta and even Canada itself.
I am a new resident in Alberta, and all this concern was born from the simple reason of seeing every house with rain gutters but without any kind of storage. House after house . If they do this with water... what about the heating system? I also found out that geothermal systems are rare here. Finally, the fences are made by unsustainable logging practices in original forests in the back country or imported from China without any other information.
There are three simple ideas that could be regulated and promoted by local government to help us regain our friendly lifestyle and pride in living in this unique place.
 |
| Rainwater use and beauty |
I propose that our public officials include the following in our construction standards:
1. All new construction to include rainwater harvesting, adequate for the residents (rain gardens, rain barrels, water tanks, etc).
2. All new construction requires a geothermal system installation for air conditioning, space heating and hot- water services .
3. Lumber suppliers have to guarantee their products' origin from reforested wood farms or reclaimed timber certification.
 |
| Why wastewater? You pay for it from the tap! |
Do these very practical suggestions benefit the Oldman River? Yes! These three actions together decrease rainwater runoff, reduce our dependence on fossil energy, increase forest areas without jeopardizing existing forests.
Close your eyes, imagine the river and feel the change as this happens: New forests will appear in our landscape, our watershed will be healthier, the water treatment plants less burdened, your water bill smaller and our houses are going to look completed and smarter.
In the meantime, let us create the city we want and start to reduce our ecological footprint. I invite you to seek out friends and neighbours who already use rainwater or geothermal systems and they'll show you more benefits.
OWC September 2014 E-Newsletter
Naapi Solves A Riddle
(Editor's note: Our watershed is a complex place, with many competing —and sometimes contradictory—interests. How can we best create a safe, collaborative space where all voices can be heard and valued?)
This was a graphic I made up as I was thinking about the challenge we have, as the OWC, in putting out our message.
So if there was ONE KEY THING we had to say, what would it be?
Surely that's not so difficult. So I write in "Oldman, Watershed, Council, water, management, health". Our mandate is to provide advice to decision-makers. Better add: "WPAC, advisory, Alberta". The Oldman existed before the provincial government's 'Water For Life' strategy but got subsumed into it as a Watershed Planning and Advisory Council - one of 11 in Alberta, each for a different watershed.
That means we need to come up with lots of evidence to back up our advice. Add: "publications, reports, science, facts, protecting, planning and SOW". The State of the Watershed (SOW) publication is an intense piece of work, evaluating 4 sub-basins in the watershed plus the main stem of the Oldman River.
Oops. Better add the names of all the rivers in the watershed. "Oldman, Little Bow, Willow, Castle, Crowsnest, Belly, St. Mary's..." throw in "Waterton" and "Chain Lakes" too, and better add the "Oldman Dam".
Well, the dam isn't the only thing that has altered the course of the rivers. so I add: "irrigation, canals, flood, cities". I think about all the communities that are served by these complex systems that I have yet to quite comprehend. All the little dust bowls that are now bread baskets. I add the names of the big communities: "Lethbridge, Coaldale, Coalhurst, Taber, Vauxhall, Vulcan, Cardston, Magrath, Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass, Claresholm, Stavely, Nanton, High River, Picture Butte, Nobleford" ... miss anybody?
Well, we all know what this irrigation water is helping to do: "farmers, ranchers, agriculture, livestock, food, drink". It makes me think about the huge difference between city life that I know and love and the country life that I'm now learning all about. Add: "urban, rural, immigration".
There must be plenty of people like me who move to southern Alberta knowing nothing about it. Nothing about the "plants, animals, vegetation, forests, mountains, prairie, grassland" ... gotta add "rough fescue". It makes me feel important if I say it. It just has a nice ring to it. I didn't know it meant native GRASS, a now at-risk ecosystem. There's another new vocabulary I learned that I love to say: "invasive species". Makes me think of men from Mars and stuff. I don't even know what's a weed in my own backyard never mind what's out there in the watershed. But I'm learning. Better add: "education".
Oh! "children". Kids gotta learn.
But what about the adults? They go out there and enjoy all kinds of things like camping, hunting, fishing, recreation, and OHVs. That gives me pause for thought. Those OHVs. Never liked 'em. Noisy as all-get-out. But I'm learning how people who work the land need them and use them to take care of it, and I'm learning that there are a lot of responsible riders that do a lot of good in the watershed, building bridges and maintaining trails over sensitive areas ... Ah yes: "habitat, consideration, responsible, headwaters".
Headwaters, headwaters. We're all about them at the OWC. It's our main priority at this point. I write: "water quality, water quantity, future generations". There's a lot of activity up in those headwaters. A lot of it creates effects that are not immediately measurable or noticeable. I add: "legislation, enforcement, linear features, landscape simulator, fragmentation, habitat, fish".
I remember hearing from a Peigan friend about how the Creator, Naapi, taught people how to hunt and fish. I add: "Peigan, Kainai, Blood, Blackfeet, First Nations, Naapi". It is impossible to talk about the Oldman-this and the Oldman-that all the time without acknowledging that the Oldman River is named so because it is the river beside which the Oldman (Naapi) walked. We could all use more Naapi stories, I think. They teach us that the light of creation is in all things.
Suddenly, I have it. THE ONE KEY THING.
"We are ALL downstream".
- Anna Garleff, OWC Communications Coordinator
anna@oldmanbasin.org
587 224 3793 cell
Watershed Legacy Program Media Release
(Editor's note: This event is NOT open to the public, but we thought you'd be interested in hearing about what's happening out at the conservation site!
Any and all enquiries - from media, landowners or the public - are most welcome.)
Celebrating Collaboration!
Event is Thursday, September 18th, 2014 - Timber Ridge Conservation Site
MEDIA RELEASE – September 12, 2014
The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) along with local landowners, Glen & Kelly Hall of the Timber Ridge Conservation Site, and the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), are taking a day to celebrate collaboration and film their successes!
The Halls partnered with ACA in 2010 to purchase Timber Ridge - a half section of land located high in the north end of the Porcupine Hills. It is land with pristine springs, and a diverse population of wildlife. The couple is thrilled to be able to steward it in its natural state.
The partnership is an exciting combination of ranching and conservation, supported by the OWC's Watershed Legacy Program (WLP). This program provides financial and technical support to watershed stewardship groups (WSG's) and landowner cooperatives. By coordinating efforts throughout the basin, the WLP aims to conserve and enhance our natural resources and the rural way of life and promote "sustainable ranching".
On September 18th, we are celebrating this collaboration at the Timber Ridge Conservation Site with a filmed tour. Videographers will be capturing the spectacular landscape and the teams that have worked so hard to put these initiatives into place. The filming is part of a larger OWC collaboration: a documentary film highlighting how humans and their diverse interests impact watershed management and health across southern Alberta.
Due to the limited number of overland vehicles, and the fact that we are on sensitive habitat, media access is restricted to the morning session (9:30am – 10:30am). Experts will be outlining the history of the ranch and giving an overview of the different collaborations on this site. Questions about the film project are also welcomed.
The Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) is a community-based, not-for-profit that works with everyone to find practical solutions to environmental challenges that impact us all. People depend on a healthy environment but we also need a healthy economy and we have social and cultural needs too. Everything is connected so we must work together to make trade-offs, solve problems, plan for the future and have the quality of life we want right now.
The event is NOT open to the public because we are sensitive habitat.
Contact: Leta Pezderic at 403-381-5801 or leta@oldmanbasin.org.
Volunteers sought to get hands dirty to protect Oldman River Basin
Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup - Saturday, Sept 20, 2014
Shoreline litter is one of the most widespread pollution problems endangering our waters, but it is completely preventable. In an effort to raise public awareness as well as combat the issue directly, the Helen Schuler Nature Centre (HSNC) and the Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) are partnering to organize a public shoreline cleanup to improve the aquatic health of the Oldman River basin. Volunteers are invited to join the effort and do their part to remove debris from our most precious of resources – our watershed.
The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is one of the largest direct action conservation programs in Canada. A conservation initiative of the Vancouver Aquarium and WWF, the event aims to promote understanding of shoreline litter issues by engaging Canadians to rehabilitate shoreline areas through cleanups. “The Shoreline Cleanup serves as a reminder of how human activity can damage our ecosystem,” says David Miller, President and CEO of WWF-Canada. “Shoreline litter is one of the biggest threats to the health of our rivers, lakes and oceans. Participating in these cleanups is a perfect way for people to get involved in their local community while tackling this important issue.”
This project is in conjunction with the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup which expects 58,000 participants across Canada. Since 2002, the nation-wide effort has removed more than 1 million kilograms of litter from shorelines across Canada. Based on data collected in 2013, there was an average of 21.2 kilograms of litter removed per kilometer of shoreline cleaned.
The most common items removed are: smoking-related (34%); single use food and beverage items (31%); and tiny pieces, including: foam, glass, plastic (22%).
“We are all downstream,” remarks Curtis Goodman, Resource Development Coordinator at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre, “we need to remember that we all have a part in maintaining clean, fresh waterways. Shoreline cleanups are a great opportunity to be outside connecting with nature, while also providing an eye opening experience as to how litter impacts our ecosystems.” Even in small amounts, shoreline litter can leach harmful chemicals into the water, be accidentally eaten by wildlife, injure or entangle aquatic animals.
This year’s shoreline cleanup effort will take place on Saturday September 20th from 2:00pm until approximately 4:00pm. Interested participants are asked to meet at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre for a quick orientation and supplies (gloves, garbage bags, snacks, drinks); be sure to bring closed-toed sturdy footwear, clothing that can get dirty, and a hat. To register, please contact Curtis Goodman at 403-320-4985. To organize your own shoreline cleanup please visit ShorelineCleanup.ca
Please share this poster with your contacts and invite them to join you!
It's a fun family event that teaches children about
the importance of caring for our watershed together.
What's perfect about blue-winged olive weather?
By Richard Burke
Monday was the kind of day that would be short because the weather was almost awful. Drizzle, wind forecast to be 50 clicks and it came close, temperature in the low single digits.
Or it would be exceptional.
We left the city mid-morning. Windshield wipers slapping’ time, we headed for a different part of the river we have fished often. As my fishing friend, Dean, said, “Well, at least we can get caught up.” We hadn’t seen each other much this summer. Both away lots. We planned to fish Monday, because it was about the only day we could find to fish together this month. And, this month is when fishing usually starts to really pick up.
I was determined it would be more than catch-up time.
“This is Blue-Winged Olive weather,” I replied optimistically. But, as we arrived at the place we would start walking and wading, I wasn’t exactly sure this was a good idea. I parked the truck facing west, and we geared up, the truck buffeting the gale.
Good thing I wore a jacket – it could have been heavier. Had trouble deciding if I should hang the sunglasses over my neck. If it’s not sunny, I still use them to hold the clip-on magnifying glasses absolutely necessary anymore to change tippets and tie on flies. I’ve also used the brim of a cap, even though that puts the magnifier farther from my eyes. Left the sunglasses in the truck, convinced they would only get in the way. I pulled a toque on, adjusted the cap size and fit it over the toque.
You really have to want to fish to wear a cap over a toque. Wished I had gloves but, this was only Sept. 8, after all.
As I stumbled over river rocks, a few cliches leaked into in my brain: it was a dark and stormy night (a damp and blustery day.) A biting wind numbed my face and hands. Only a fool would actually choose to do this.
But, the river was clear, wadable, beautiful. Within 15 minutes, I had a 20-inch rainbow on, fooled by a size 10 sort of seducer/stimulator concoction with chartreuse abdomen. Resembled a hopper, I surmised. When you cast a large fly into a strong wind, it can kind of flop onto the water, wherever, like a hopper might.
Dean, across the river, was using a woolly-bugger with a copper john dropper. He was noticing a fair number of small mayflies sailing down the river, but it took awhile for me to connect my earlier observation about BWOs and what Dean was observing. Cold brain, I guess. The more we fished, the more mayflies we saw. In fact, the BWOs were holding their own regatta in numbers I can’t recall ever seeing.
We tried matching the hatch because fish were rising most of the afternoon. A couple took a size 14-humpy with chartreuse body. Another took a green CDC Elk Caddis, same size. And another took a green seducer. One took the copper john, the only one not on the surface.
My fly box used to have lots of BWO patterns, but I recently restocked the boxes and, somehow, had left out most of the BWOs.
Dean looked cold. I was starting to shiver. When we got back to the truck, after five hours on the river and fighting a headwind that changed directions to make sure it was always a headwind, the thermometer read 1 C.
Classic Blue-winged Olive weather. And worth every, cold minute.
Monday was the kind of day that would be short because the weather was almost awful. Drizzle, wind forecast to be 50 clicks and it came close, temperature in the low single digits.
Or it would be exceptional.
We left the city mid-morning. Windshield wipers slapping’ time, we headed for a different part of the river we have fished often. As my fishing friend, Dean, said, “Well, at least we can get caught up.” We hadn’t seen each other much this summer. Both away lots. We planned to fish Monday, because it was about the only day we could find to fish together this month. And, this month is when fishing usually starts to really pick up.
I was determined it would be more than catch-up time.
“This is Blue-Winged Olive weather,” I replied optimistically. But, as we arrived at the place we would start walking and wading, I wasn’t exactly sure this was a good idea. I parked the truck facing west, and we geared up, the truck buffeting the gale.
Good thing I wore a jacket – it could have been heavier. Had trouble deciding if I should hang the sunglasses over my neck. If it’s not sunny, I still use them to hold the clip-on magnifying glasses absolutely necessary anymore to change tippets and tie on flies. I’ve also used the brim of a cap, even though that puts the magnifier farther from my eyes. Left the sunglasses in the truck, convinced they would only get in the way. I pulled a toque on, adjusted the cap size and fit it over the toque.
You really have to want to fish to wear a cap over a toque. Wished I had gloves but, this was only Sept. 8, after all.
As I stumbled over river rocks, a few cliches leaked into in my brain: it was a dark and stormy night (a damp and blustery day.) A biting wind numbed my face and hands. Only a fool would actually choose to do this.
But, the river was clear, wadable, beautiful. Within 15 minutes, I had a 20-inch rainbow on, fooled by a size 10 sort of seducer/stimulator concoction with chartreuse abdomen. Resembled a hopper, I surmised. When you cast a large fly into a strong wind, it can kind of flop onto the water, wherever, like a hopper might.
Dean, across the river, was using a woolly-bugger with a copper john dropper. He was noticing a fair number of small mayflies sailing down the river, but it took awhile for me to connect my earlier observation about BWOs and what Dean was observing. Cold brain, I guess. The more we fished, the more mayflies we saw. In fact, the BWOs were holding their own regatta in numbers I can’t recall ever seeing.
We tried matching the hatch because fish were rising most of the afternoon. A couple took a size 14-humpy with chartreuse body. Another took a green CDC Elk Caddis, same size. And another took a green seducer. One took the copper john, the only one not on the surface.
My fly box used to have lots of BWO patterns, but I recently restocked the boxes and, somehow, had left out most of the BWOs.
Dean looked cold. I was starting to shiver. When we got back to the truck, after five hours on the river and fighting a headwind that changed directions to make sure it was always a headwind, the thermometer read 1 C.
Classic Blue-winged Olive weather. And worth every, cold minute.
Subdividing the Open Range: Are Private Property Rights destroying what we love?
Editor's note: Guest Blogger Debby Gregorash raises some tough questions about our home on the range. What's your point of view? All comments welcome.
By Debby Gregorash
If we own private property, does this give us the right to do with it what we want?
Should we treat the land like a commodity, or should we look at private property rights from a larger, regional or worldwide point of view?
In 1887, a quote was attributed to Chief Sealth (the proper spelling for Seattle), which says: "The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?...The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth."
A hundred and twenty-seven years later, some members of society wonder if in some cases, the Chief might be right. They are torn between their love for the land and their economic needs. Today, large tracts of land along the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains are being sub-divided and rezoned for recreational and rural estate properties. I own some of this sub-divided land, but I also know that the ranch, which it was once a part of, should never have been sub-divided.
As the land is fragmented, wildlife habitats, watersheds and the sweeping landscapes that tourists love so much are becoming dotted with large country homes. It is only the rich that can afford this land that once grew food and now grows buildings. Most ranchers cannot afford the price now. Sometimes they have to choose between selling and being able to retire in comfort, or staying on the land because of their commitment to the land and the ranching way of life.
From a wildlife point of view, subdivision and development of recreational businesses can be devastating. The wildlife has no say in what happens to the land that keeps them alive. Grizzly bear, cougars, wolves, deer and elk need large areas in which to roam and cross open range to move from area to area all through the year. Human development fragments their territories and narrows passageways and there is more potential for conflicts between humans and wildlife. The more roads that are built, the more road-kill there will be, and the more access to elk, deer, bear, cougar, and wolves there will be for hunters.
Besides the incremental development, humans bring in dogs, quads, lights and noise. Humans divide up their world into fenced lines and borders. Wildlife chooses the ecosystem that best supports them – that's how nature does it.
A state biologist in Wyoming said that subdividing the west was the biggest threat to wildlife that he saw in his work. Since 1978, Colorado ranchland and farmland has declined by 90,000 acres per year, most of it converted to subdivision and commercial development.
In Europe, multifunctional farming is supported by the governments that are aware that the tourists come to their countries to drive through the countryside, admire the view, take copious photographs and stop in the quaint villages and perhaps stay at a local bed and breakfast. Farmers are actually paid to maintain hedgerows, fences, woodlots and roadsides.
In contrast, western North America seems unaware that European tourists come here for the same reasons and especially that breathtaking view of the open spaces and vast rangeland near the Rocky Mountains. Why locals are not all enthralled with the view may boil down to the fact that the wonder of nature is taken for granted, or wildlife is viewed as a nuisance. For example, in 2001, there was a proposal by a developer to change the zoning of an agricultural area in Cardston County to grouped country residential. It was next door to Waterton Lakes National Park, a World Heritage site and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The County councillors believe in private property rights and that a landowner should be allowed to do what they want with their land, despite the threat to the local wildlife ecosystems. One councillor, frustrated with the large backlash from a concerned public said, "Sometimes I wish wildlife would just go away." Despite 300 letters from around southern Alberta, North America, and the world, the Cardston County passed the rezoning and the subsequent housing development.
Those of us who cherish the wilderness, the open rangeland habitat, and the flora and fauna it contains are fighting a mindset. Society views progress as more and bigger buildings and commerce everywhere.
Meanwhile what is happening to the ranching community? The divisiveness of more development on large tracts of rangeland is huge and I feel the County council of Cardston, have abdicated their responsibility to the local ranching industry and a 100-year old legacy of community-building. Ranchers take care of the land so that it supports grazing animals, both wild and domestic. A rancher's community includes the wildlife.
For developers, there is the pursuit of short-term profit whereas others pursue harmony between maintaining a way of life and making a sustainable living.
We need to educate the public on this issue and discuss to what degree the public good is part of the private property equation. Through the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Southern Alberta Land Trust Society and other measures, perhaps we can find a way to protect the scenery, the wildlife habitat, and limit the invasion of human development.
At the moment, Cardston County is deciding whether to allow rezoning from agriculture to rural recreational, right next to the Police Outpost Provincial Park wetland.
Supporters of wildlife and the ranching community have lost their fight in court to push for an environmental impact assessment. If the rezoning goes ahead, a large recreational development will go ahead causing no end to headaches for adjacent landowners, residents, and those who use the same road. The Trumpeter swans, Sandhill cranes, and myriad other wetland wildlife will suffer.
We have to ask whether we need the Regional Planning Commissions back again, which look at the big picture. Municipal Development Plans and Land-Use Bylaws should be constantly updated and scrutinized by the public. Can we count on county authorities to have the knowledge, wisdom, vision and understanding in order to create sustainable, long-term plans and to follow these municipal plans and their own bylaws without succumbing to pressure tactics or short-term gain?
These are some of the issues that must be addressed if we are to save the last of the western open rangeland spaces. It is not only a sociological question, but also an environmental, spiritual, philosophical and political question.
Editors note - please submit your thoughts! Conversations about tough issues are important and all voices must be heard.
Editors note - please submit your thoughts! Conversations about tough issues are important and all voices must be heard.
It's different at the 'Toilet Bowl'
Richard BurkeDid some venting this week. It’s been building for years. Venting in itself isn’t particularly productive, but can sometimes invite others to pause and think. Or, they could just further retrench into their intractable ways.
The cause for my steam-letting was an e-mail from a fellow seeking vehicle access for older, less-mobile anglers to a spot on the Crowsnest River closed to vehicle access for about seven years. A gate has kept cars and trucks and, usually, ATVs, out so the river bank and adjacent land, long abused by mining and human indifference, could be rehabilitated and conserved.
The conservation effort has been ongoing on two Crowsnest River stretches covering about 4 kilometres of river frontage at two locations, near Burmis Lake and downstream of the (west) Hillcrest Bridge. Oldman River Chapter, Trout Unlimited Canada signed leases with the provincial government in 2002 and 2007, basically agreeing to be stewards of the Crown land for 25 years.
The water has been great trout habitat. Some surmised the trout in the Hillcrest section benefited (got bigger) from treated sewage released above the “Toilet Bowl”, a swirling pool on the river just downstream of the Hillcrest sewage treatment ponds.
But, in both cases, the adjacent land had seen better days – before people started using it for dumping mine tailings or, in the case of Burmis, allowing cattle to graze and not controlling access to the river bank, which over time can cause erosion to habitat beneficial to fish and other aquatic creatures and even the quality of water available to humans.
Work to control invasive weeds such as blue weed, tansy daisy and toadflax has produced obvious results. Removal of barbed-wire fencing that over the years had gone into various states of disrepair allowed for vegetation to recover and made it safer for pedestrian traffic. The key was pedestrian – anglers and others who could now enjoy the space, perhaps in a more natural setting.
The connection between vehicles and habitat destruction was more obvious in the Hillcrest section. You could see from Highway 3 at the turn near the Bellevue Mine the flat area beside the river turned into a mud bog because people just had to drive through it for fishing or other endeavours. I did the same, although not when it was muddy.
I recall on one occasion driving as far as the trail would allow, only to find a trailer parked in the trees, there for the summer, obviously, because the owner had planted a garden. Random camping in the extreme.
I don’t feel particularly good, in hindsight, about driving through that flat. It’s just something everyone did, even CP Rail workers doing track maintenance. But, when we considered what needed to be done to salvage the area, the only solution was to close it to traffic. Shell Canada agreed to install a gate at the lease entrance. TU also needed to plant large rocks in the area beside the gate to keep traffic from simply driving around it.
The provincial government had spent $2 million years ago trying to rehabilitate the area, that was at one time a huge coal slag pile. The remnants of the coal operation that likely produced the pile can still be seen at the south end of the lease and from Highway 3, a tipple across from the Crowsnest Angler fly shop. A gate was installed then to allow the land to recover without traffic disturbing it, but that didn’t last long, the lock cut by people who, apparently, had little regard for the land itself, only that they just had to use it for whatever purpose. The wild west, you know: anything goes.
Part of the TU rehabilitation effort also involved planting grass seed, approved by Alberta Agriculture, on the old, offending road. Some took, some didn’t. Part of the road, after all, was coal slag. But, it is gradually reviving.
That was about seven years ago. Why, all of a sudden, is some old guy from the Pass wanting to again drive to the toilet bowl about 250 yards downstream of the gate? One assumes it’s because he had always been able to do it and he feels he has some right to continue, despite the costs (about $40,000 and counting) and other considerable volunteer efforts to somehow save this piece of public land. And, as one of our members wonders, if he can’t walk down the path, how would he ever negotiate the tricky river bank?
My rant was in response to a guy who apparently wanted to do his thing, regardless of other consequences. The over-the-top part was that I’ve seen this attitude too often, as I’ve worked with groups which have a conservation component, and got impatient with the view that the environment be damned. “They’re just a bunch of greenies trying to tell us what to do” is the refrain, as though any cause that uses the word environment or conservation is a threat to a particular lifestyle.
In this case, the argument was even that we (TU) are outsiders coming into the Pass. Apparently doesn’t matter we are all Albertans. Only if you live in the Pass do you have a say over what happens there appears to be the logic. The e-mail writer clearly doesn’t know the TU members who lead the effort on the two leases are Pass residents.
At the root of the discussion (or argument) is that things are different now than when we could go where we wanted and be “free” to pursue our whims. In my view, humans including myself, have not always been particularly responsible in their handling of things in nature that were there when we inherited them. Some of what was here when our generations came along had already been seriously abused.
Doing something to right a wrong involves stewardship, that would suggest we leave what was OK at least as we found it and better, if possible. Burmis and Hillcrest TU leases were a couple of pieces of Alberta that needed to be left better.
So, for those who have a hard time giving up what they feel is their domain, trying looking beyond your noses. You are now sharing it with way more people than you used to, among lots of other reasons to tread more lightly. You, or your contemporaries, didn’t necessarily do good by your decisions on how to use the land, resources, natural features and creatures that were there long before we were.
Adjust. Don’t expect the world to adjust for you.
Introducing Kelsey Kayak - "A Young Voice for the Oldman"
Hello!
Please visit my Storm Drain Survival Kit at:
My name is Kelsey Kayak and I am 15 years old. I'm the newest guest blogger at the Oldman Watershed Council.
I would like to share my experience with our watershed and become a young voice for the Oldman.
I live in Lethbridge, Alberta, with my parents and am going into Grade 10. I care about our watershed because I spend most of my time outside; I hike, bike, and, of course, kayak. It's important to me that we help keep our environment clean.
I would like to share my experience with our watershed and become a young voice for the Oldman.
I live in Lethbridge, Alberta, with my parents and am going into Grade 10. I care about our watershed because I spend most of my time outside; I hike, bike, and, of course, kayak. It's important to me that we help keep our environment clean.
 |
| That's me in the middle - Kelsey Kayak! Mom and Dad are to the left and right and we are out on Okanagan Lake. |
I've been nominated to the Green List twice. Once for cleaning up garbage while I kayak, and once for picking invasive weeds. The Green List is a City of Lethbridge initiative that recognizes individuals and businesses who are taking positive action on behalf of the environment.
http://www.lethbridge.ca/living-here/Waste-Recycling/Pages/Green-List.aspx
This year, I went into the "2014 Caring For Our Watershed Competition" and won second place. My idea was a Storm Drain Survival Kit which includes everything you need to help clean out your storm drains and gutters.
http://www.lethbridge.ca/living-here/Waste-Recycling/Pages/Green-List.aspx
This year, I went into the "2014 Caring For Our Watershed Competition" and won second place. My idea was a Storm Drain Survival Kit which includes everything you need to help clean out your storm drains and gutters.
Please visit my Storm Drain Survival Kit at:
How Do I Get a Storm Drain Survival Kit?
Kits are FREE and available at many events throughout the year. Some of those events include; Yellow Fish Road Program, Prairie Urban Garden Tour, Environment Week Events, Lethbridge Home and Garden, Green List Celebration and many more!
Contact H2Oinquiries@lethbridge.ca to pick up a kit at one of the following locations:
City Hall 4th Floor, Stafford Centre, Helen Schuler Nature Centre & OWC Agriculture Research Centre.
I look forward to telling you more about the watershed as "The Young Voice of the Oldman" in future blogspots.
All for now,
Kelsey Kayak
