trout unlimited canada protecting canada's water - …own facts”. so it is in that spirit...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 20, No. 1 Winter 2014
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The local ecosystem has been protected
through the installation of ‘Double Barreled
Beaver Bafflers.’ A beaver baffler consists of a
pipe placed under a beaver dam that allows wa-
ter to flow through the dam. The beaver dam re-
mains intact but water continues to flow. Where
beaver dams once drowned precious hardwood
forests two double-barreled beaver bafflers now
sit to maintain constant creek flow. A testament
to our ecological victory.
Over the winter months, an extensive proj-
ect involving the creation of a cattle restriction
zone and a convenient off stream drinking area
was completed. This project cost $6,500 and
took over 240 hours to complete. Upon realiz-ing the value of this project, the grateful land-owner wrote an inspiring letter to the Grand River Conservation Authority.
During the course of the project we were rewarded with some wonderful surprises. A hidden gem was discovered in the dead of win-ter: Emerson Creek, a little known tributary brook. Almost impossible to reach, this creek is shrouded by a thick forest and undergrowth. Several spring sources feed Emerson Creek’s small gravel base. The combination of overhead shade and spring water from Emerson Creek provides Mill Creek with a stable source of clean, cold water.
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 1
MILL CREEK: A Creek Full of SurprisesBy Bill Christmas, President, Ted Knott Chapter
Many Currents readers may re-
call the first article detailing
the exceptional conservation
and restoration opportunity first dis-
covered on a badly damaged Mill Creek
some ten years ago. The initial article
traced the progress of a stream restora-
tion. Today there is an uplifting story
to tell of the progress made toward the
ultimate goal of recreating an ecosystem
capable of supporting a native self-sus-
taining brook trout population. As the
restoration project progressed, much has
been done and learned.
FUNDRAISING SUCCESSES IN CALGARY AND TORONTO
TUC CONSERVATION UPDATES
2013 NATIONAL FLY FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS HELPING TO RESTORE THE BOW’S MALLARD POINT
Currents: Volume 20, No. 1 • Winter 20142
T rout Unlimited Canada’s vision is that
Canada’s natural heritage of healthy
and productive cold water lakes and
rivers will be conserved and restored as parts
of healthy watersheds supporting sustainable
communities. If that vision is realized, fish
will exist in abundance in all the places they
should be.
TUC’s focus is first on water (quality and
quantity), then on habitat, then on fish popu-
lations.
TUC likes to provide information about
the things that will help achieve this vision.
Our Yellow Fish Road™ program educates
school children. Our new Aquatic Renewal
program educates adults about stream restora-
tion. From time to time we also like to dive
into the massive amount of material that is
available these days about environmental is-
sues and make a recommendation to our sup-
porters about something they might look at to
become informed. We believe that the more
informed people are, the more rational the im-
portant discussions will be. If we have a good
command of the facts, we are less likely to be
bamboozled by those who might seek to
sway our opinions for their own gain. In
the words of the late US Senator Daniel
Patrick Moynihan, “Everyone is entitled
to their own opinions, but not to their
own facts”.
So it is in that spirit that I would like to
strongly recommend a book to all Trout
Unlimited Canada members. The book is
called Down the Drain – How We
are Failing to Protect Our Water
Resources. The authors are Ralph
Pentland and Chris Wood.
Pentland is a Canadian policy
analyst and Acting Chair of the
Canadian Water Issues Coun-
cil at the University of Toronto.
Wood is a respected journalist
who often writes about envi-
ronmental issues. (But inci-
dentally he is not the same
Chris Wood who is CEO of
Trout Unlimited USA).
The book begins with
a description of the familiar
picture of Earth looking back
from the moon. The authors
say “That is all we have. This
one planet is our Eden, our
space capsule, and if we fail
to maintain it, it will be
our species coffin. iPod’s
and 3-D television do not
exempt our big-brained,
thumb-wielding race of
primates from the laws of
biology.”
What’s Going On?by Jeff Surtees
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
TUC CEO Jeff Surtees. TUC photo.
of leaving most of the heavy lifting to the
provinces to the different approaches taken in
the United States and in Europe. They look at
what has been done and not been done by our
provincial and federal governments. Finally,
they provide a distillation of the consensus
amongst Canada’s water leaders regarding
what needs to be done.
If any of that sounds boring, then it is my
summary that is at fault. The book is a gem
and I highly recommend it.
Down the Drain is published by
Greystone Books, www.greystone-
books.com, and is available at
major book retailers or online in
hardcover or as an eBook.
This book is well written, informa-
tive and best of all, easy to read. It’s not a text
book but it is packed with information that is
important to anyone who cares about water
issues in Canada. The authors look carefully
at the assumption that Canada’s water is well
protected. They examine the goals and prin-
ciples that have been laid out by Canadian
leaders over the last twenty-five years and
whether there has been follow-through on all
of the promises and assurances we have been
given. They compare the Canadian approach
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 3
(continued from page 1)
Last year, Trout Unlimited Canada summer
students assessed Mill Creek’s insect popula-
tion, water quality, substrate and oxygen levels.
Based upon the student’s completed assess-
ment report, it is expected that the Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources will approve
the introduction of brook trout fingerlings into
Mill Creek.
Another surprise was the positive impact of
a vortex rock weir installation near the outflow
of a massive artesian well, what many locals
refer to as a “blue spring.” A vortex weir con-
sists of strategically placed rocks designed to
concentrate and direct stream flow. The blue
spring introduces high levels of phosphorus,
leading to an annual algae bloom that flowed
downstream, degrading water quality in the
process. Within 24 hours of its installation, the
vortex rock weir eliminated the algae.
There is still much to be done. Sediment
needs to be flushed out of the system, but much
of the heavy slugging is complete. All that is left
is the fine-tuning to turn this lovely stream into
the ultimate ecosystem.
one involved with immense sense of satisfac-
tion, knowing they have made a difference for
their community. Only time will tell, but at this
point Mill Creek looks amazing.
Based upon additional
advice, water quality can
be further improved by
narrowing Mill Creek
through the installation of
Christmas tree deflectors,
adding large rocks and
planting shade trees to
further reduce algae for-
mation. Pea gravel has al-
ready been added to the
outflow water cascade
of the blue spring. Plans
are also underway to live
stake local osier fascines
to improve creek me-
ander and scour the re-
maining sediment from
what appears to be ideal
brook trout spawning habitat.
When the restoration efforts on Mill Creek
were first reported in 2010, over 938 volunteer
hours had been logged. Total volunteer hours
now stands at 2,167! This investment has made
us better at what we do while instilling every-
MILL CREEK: A Creek Full of Surprises
Volunteers using “grandma’s clothesline” to move gravel down-slope to Mill Creek. Right: building up spawning beds —— one bucket at a time. Author’s photos.
Currents: Volume 20, No. 1 • Winter 20144
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
Alberta Fall Project Summary
F all is a busy time for the TUC biolo-
gists in Alberta!
Our fall field crew helps TUC com-
plete a variety of projects including multiple
redd surveys at Policeman Creek, Bill Griffiths
Creek, and the Mallard Point side channel
within the Bow River; a snorkel survey at Bill
Griffiths Creek to asses brown trout distribution
and use of habitat structures; an electrofishing
survey at Helen Creek in Banff National Park to
assess cutthroat trout distribution and
population stability and electrofishing
at Hidden Lake to remove non-native
brook trout allowing for eventual cut-
throat trout translocation.
Plus, the annual Fish Rescue resulted in the
capture of 35,571 fish from five canals over
nine days of field work and with the help of
355 volunteers!
2013 National Fly Fishing Championships
I n late September 2013, Calgary, AB
played host to the 11th Canadian National
Fly Fishing Championships and Conser-
vation Symposium. This was the first time
this event took place in Calgary and Trout
Unlimited Canada played a unique role, rec-
ognizing a few key opportunities: raising the
profile of our organization, being involved in
the fly fishing community that supports us,
OUR MISSION: To conserve, protect and restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their coldwater resources for current and future generations.
OUR GOALS:• to conserve and protect Canada’s freshwater
fish and their ecosystems and restore their coldwater resources to a healthy and produc-tive state;
• to develop and apply effective, science-based and measurable coldwater conservation solu-tions in the field;
• to inform the public about coldwater conserva-tion issues and educate communities about their watersheds;
• to build and sustain a healthy organization.
Help us help the trout! Visit tucanada.org
hosting a symposium
to draw attention to lo-
cal conservation issues,
and raising funds for the
Mallard Point project.
A host committee,
made up of a dedicated
and diverse group of in-
dividuals from the Cal-
Bow River in Cal-
gary. The goals of
this project, slated
to break ground
in 2014, included
enhancing spawn-
ing and rearing
habitat for fish,
improving ripar-
ian health, and
augmenting flows
to encourage nat-
ural self-scouring of
the channel over time.
A Conservation Symposium has been part of
every National Fly Fishing Championships since
Fly Fishing Canada’s inception. These sympo-
siums are always a highlight of the Champion-
ships and Trout Unlimited Canada, along with
gary fly fishing community came together, and
formed a Trout Unlimited Canada Chapter. The
Chapter decided to direct all of the net proceeds
to Trout Unlimited Canada. More specifically,
funds would be directed towards the Mallard
Point side channel enhancement project on the
Snorkel survey on Alberta’s Bill Griffiths Creek (above), and one of the creek’smany large brown trout (below, right). Bottom: assessing cutthroat populations inBanff National Park’s Helen Creek. TUC photos.
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 5
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
Fall Splash 2013
T he 2013 Fall Splash was held on Thurs-
day October 24th at the Commonwealth
Centre. While the dinner was held earli-
er than usual, an enthusiastic crowd once again
showed their support for the Bow River Chapter
and Trout Unlimited Canada’s work in the Bow
basin and throughout southern Alberta.
The dinner had a theme of “A Season of
Change and Recovery” due to the massive spring
flooding of the Bow River and the damage the
floods caused, including the Chapter’s Legacy Is-
the host Chapter, lined up three exceptional
speakers for the 2013 event. Presentations were
delivered by Jim McLennan, Lorne Fitch, and
Dr. Brad Stelfox, surrounding the theme, “The
Bow River and South Saskatchewan Watershed:
Past, Present and Future”. Competitors, volun-
teers, and members of the public attended the
symposium and took part in an interactive dis-
cussion with the presenters.
The Chapter, along with the competitors
and the Calgary community of Arbour Lake
also put on an educational day for local youth.
The youth participants had a chance to try fly
fishing, fly tying, and playing some fun and
educational “fishy” games! This aligned well
with a pilot Trout Unlimited Canada youth
education program.
The competitors and volunteers that were
involved in the 2013 Nationals considered it a
great success, as did Trout Unlimited Canada.
Nearly $15,000 was raised for the Mallard Point
project, thanks in part to a very successful live
and silent auction that took place during the
awards banquet. Sponsorships from Fish Tales
Fly Shop and Canadian Tire as well as an event
support grant from the Alberta Sport, Recre-
ation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation were
extremely helpful in supporting the event.
Volunteers and staff preparing to “get at ‘er” to remove non-native brook trout in Hidden Lake. TUC photo.
Gerry Thompson, Co-chair (second from left) and Robert Eagleson, Treasurer (left) present TUC CEO Jeff Surtees (center) with a cheque during the National Fly Fishing Championships. Lesley Peterson, TUC Project Biologist (second from right) and Don Pike, TUC’s Director of Special Events (right) were also on hand for the presentation. TUC photo.
Currents: Volume 20, No. 1 • Winter 2014
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
land access site. A major aspect of the dinner was
a celebration of the work done by the Chapter
in restoring the Legacy Island river access site at
the not insignificant cost of over $40,000. When
finished, the restoration had the site in the best
shape it has ever been in. Everyone who uses the
Bow River owes the Chapter a huge “Thank You”
for the completed work.
In marking the site’s restoration, the Bob Paget
Memorial Conservation Award was presented to
Kon Construction and their President, Craig
Surkon, for their outstanding work on-site work
and their contribution of doing the work at re-
duced rates. While the costs may have been re-
duced, the construction standard definitely was
not as the site is better than ever.
Peter Crowe-Swords was presented with the
Tom Wagler Volunteer award for his work in be-
ing the project leader for the Legacy Island resto-
ration. Without Peter’s hands-on efforts the res-
toration would have been much delayed. He put
in many hours in seeing the project to fruition.
The Chapter also expressed its appreciation
to Wayne Olson, who retired from the Board
of Directors after many years of yeoman service.
Wayne was actively involved over many years
with the Fish Rescue where his hard work and
dedication endeared him to Brian Meagher and
Lesley Peterson. He also did yeoman service in
helping Don Pike with both the National Con-
servation and Fall Splash dinners. Wayne would
take two days of holidays for each dinner in order
to be able to assist at these events. His hard work
and dedication will be missed.
6
2013 Toronto Dinner and Auction
T he 27th annual Toronto National
Conservation Dinner and Auction
took place on Thursday, November
28th with over 300 people in attendance.
The evening featured numerous high-
lights through the live and silent auction
including exotic trips, unique experiences,
art, and jewellery, even items for the die-
hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
Companies that supported this year’s
event by purchasing platinum, gold, silver
or bronze sponsorships took part in spe-
cial sponsor recognition event just prior to
the dinner. The sponsor event provided a
great opportunity to network or catch up
Veterans Affairs, was on hand to present TUC
CEO Jeff Surtees with a special certificate of
recognition.
This year’s dinner and auction proved a great
success. Trout Unlimited Canada wishes to
thank everyone for their support of Canada’s
rivers and streams. TUC also wishes to extend
a special thanks to the 2013 Dinner Chair Greg
Robertson, P.Eng., from the Lakeside Group
of Companies. Their support and enthusiasm
for this year’s event was contagious.
Duffins Creek Update
The Duffins Creek Renewal Program,
one of TUC’s Flagship Conservation
Projects, is off to a busy start with over
$200.000 in program funding from the On-
with old friends while enjoying tasty appetis-
ers, lively music courtesy of Kirk Godwin and
a scotch tasting courtesy of Glenfiddich.
Ted Coulson was this year’s recipient of
the Mike Warrian Conservation Award. This
annual award it provided to a TUC Chapter
member who makes a significant contribution
toward coldwater conservation. TUC wishes
to congratulate Ted on receiving this presti-
gious award.
Trout Unlimited Canada was also pleas-
antly surprised and honored to be recognized
for our conservation efforts. The Honorable
Julian Fantino, MP and current Minister of
Top left: Peter Crowe-Swords (left), and Kon Construction’s Craig Surkon and Wayne Chabot receiving their awards from Bow River Chapter’s Craig Cooper (right). TUC photo. Above: the silent auction was a hub of activity at the 2013 Toronto Dinner and Auction. Photo courtesy Sara Anderson.
Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 7
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
tario Trillium Foundation. Over the next two
years these funds will help with educational
opportunities, events, and monitoring and as-
sessment in the watershed.
The on-the-ground restoration projects
planned for Duffins Creek will be supported
by significant funding from Enbridge Gas
Distribution and Wells-Fargo. TUC would
like to thanks these companies for their com-
mitment to the Duffins Creek watershed.
For additional information on the Duffins
Creek Flagship Conservation Project please
visit the TUC website at www.tucanada.org.
Yellow Fish Road™ News
T rout Unlimited Canada is honored
to receive a $30,000 grant from RBC
Foundation for 2013-14.
This grant will enable Trout Unlim-
ited Canada to expand the Yellow
Fish Road™ program’s capacity in the cities
of Calgary and Edmonton, allowing TUC to
offer a full complement of presentations and
painting activities. RBC is committed to sup-
porting endeavors that empower organiza-
promote awareness and understanding of the
natural world and actions leading to sustainable
living. Yellow Fish Road’s storm-drain marking
program will be listed and
advertised as an outreach
program for teachers and
community groups. A contract educator will
deliver in-classroom presentations within Win-
nipeg during the spring and summer of 2014.
FortWhyte Alive recognizes that the Yellow Fish
Road™ program combines education with ac-
tion projects. This combination applies closely
to their mandate to build and nurture
sustainable communities. Yellow Fish
Road™ will continue to apply for addi-
tional sponsors to fund further develop-
ment of their program in Manitoba.
National Fly Fishing Championships “Youth Day”With the help of fly fishing volunteers, Yel-
low Fish Road™ provided fun and interac-
tive activities including fly tying, fly cast-
ing and fish printing as part of a day’s fly
fishing at Arbour Lake, in Calgary, AB. The
hope is activities such as the National Fly
Fishing Championships Youth Day sparks
interest in the sport of fly fishing with many
young Calgarians.
Celebrating Yellow Fish Road™ Partners and Volunteers
In Alberta, Lethbridge-based YFR Program-
mer, Stephanie Vehnon designed a fun fish
costume, and created new pamphlets, posters
and media ads to advertise and promote the
Yellow Fish Road™ program. Stephanie’s cre-
ative spirit and passion for the program saw an
increase in participation and awareness about
water pollution.
In the City of Red Deer, Educator, Ryszard
Kozlowski, has witnessed increased growth,
with Yellow Fish Road™ program numbers,
more than double in the last year. Increased
interest requires additional support through
our partnership with the local Central Alberta
Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada.
In British Columbia, Communications
Coordinator, Lesley Driscoll with the City of
Kelowna, discovered that by running the Yel-
low Fish Road™ program in conjunction with
the Adopt A Stream program, interest has
grown significantly.
tions to make a difference and inspire others.
RBC Foundation donations are intended to
create social and economic opportunities that
strengthen the health and quality of life in the
communities in which we live and work. Yel-
low Fish Road™ would also like to acknowl-
edge the City of Edmonton, Drainage Ser-
vices, and Environmental Planning who have
endorsed the program and provided storage
space for supplies and kits.
YFR™ arrives in WinnipegWith a $12,000 grant from The Winnipeg
Foundation,
Yellow Fi
sh Road™
arrived in
Winnipeg, MB through a new partnership with
FortWhyte Alive. FortWhyte Alive is a pri-
vate, non-profit environmental education facil-
ity located within city limits, with a mission to
Top left: TUC’s Jeff Surtees (left) receiving a certifi-cate of apprectiation (shown above) from the Hon. Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs. Left: Mike Warrian presenting Ted Coulsen (right) with the Mike Warrian Conservation Award at the 2013 Toronto Dinner. Photos courtesy Sara Anderson.
Currents: Volume 20, No. 1 • Winter 2014
TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL
Help us help the trout — join today! Visit us at tucanada.org
TROUT UNLIMITED CANADA
Jeff Surtees Chief Executive Officer [email protected]
Kimberly Davidson Director of Member and Chapter Relations [email protected]
Dean Orlando Director, Finance and Administration [email protected]
Jack Imhof National Biologist and Director of Conservation Programs [email protected]
Don Pike Director, Special Events [email protected]
Lynn Robb Director of Conservation Education [email protected]
Phil Rowley Marketing & Communications [email protected]
Brian Meagher Alberta Provincial Biologist [email protected]
Silvia D’Amelio Ontario Program Manager [email protected]
Lesley Peterson Project Biologist [email protected]
Stacey Stevens Ontario Office Coordinator [email protected]
Beth Anne Fischer Bronte Creek Watershed Project Biologist [email protected]
Colin Oaks Duffins Creek Project Biologist [email protected]
National Office: Ste. 160, 6712 Fisher St. SE Calgary, AB T2H 2A7 Tel: 403-221-8360 Fax: 403-221-8368 1-800-909-6040
Ontario Office: Rm. 273, Axelrod Building, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 56588 Fax: 519-780-1696
[email protected] tucanada.org
Currents layout: David Soltess, [email protected]
TUC Welcomes New Team Member
T rout Unlimited Canada is excited to
welcome Colin Oaks to our team. Colin
will be working out of TUC’s Guelph
office as the Project Biologist for Duffins Creek,
one of Trout Unlimited Canada’s National
Flagship Programs.
Colin brings a wealth of experience from
past employment with the Ontario Ministry
of Natural
R e s o u r c e s
and a private
c o n s u l t i n g
firm.
H a v i n g
worked out
of the Guelph
office as part
of its summer
field crews
for two sea-
sons, Colin is
no stranger to Trout Unlimited Canada.
Colin has a B.Sc. in Environmental Scienc-
es from the University of Guelph, where he
majored in Ecology, and both Fish and Wild-
life Technician and Technologist diplomas
from Sir Sandford Fleming College’s Frost
Campus. He is certified by the Society for
Freshwater Science as a family-level aquatic
insect taxonomist, and has completed the
Ontario Fishes Identification and Ontario
Fish Species at Risk workshops offered by the
Royal Ontario Museum.
Colin has a passion for the natural envi-
ronment and the function of an ecosystem as
a whole. He believes strongly in public out-
reach and hands-on education, feeling this
is when people learn the most about, and
gain the most respect for their environment.
Colin volunteers with Wild Ontario, which
uses non-releasable birds of prey as ambas-
sadors for education, and is a member of the
Nature Guelph executive, a local naturalist
organization.
According to Janice Buick, Events Coordina-
tor, with The Allan Brooks Nature Centre Soci-
ety in Vernon, BC, the society saw eight schools
and close to 500 participants involved in the
Yellow Fish Road ™program in its first year.
In Ontario, a group of volunteers from the
Royal Bank of Canada, Burlington, headed
by Darlene Kosmack, Customer Assistant Of-
ficer, took matters into their own hands and
received a $1,000 Service Grant towards Yel-
low Fish Road™ Armed with these funds
Darlene’s volunteers painted the streets with
yellow fish.
Severn Sound Conservation Authority’s,
Daelin Verkindt, Water Technician, found
that the key to a successful Yellow Fish Road™
program is early season promotion through
local media and website coverage, as well as
recognizing participants with t-shirts and cer-
tificates of appreciation.
International Scouts MOOT 2013 EventThe International Scout Event, ‘MOOT 2013’
was held in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto,
August 18-25, 2013. Youth aged 18-25 partici-
pated in the Yellow Fish Road™ program as part
of an eco-responsibility challenge. Thanks to
Alex Payne, Outreach Education Instructor and
the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority
for facilitating their ‘Watershed on Wheels’ pre-
sentations and storm drain painting activities
with these enthusiastic young people.
Lynn Robb: TUC Director of Conservation Education
8
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Heather Gowland (left) and Stephanie Vehnon mod-
elling Stephanie’s new fun fish costumes. TUC photo.
Colin Oaks