SECTION 11—Enhancement

Appendix A illustrates recorded escapement trends for Tsolum River coho salmon, pink salmon (even and odd year runs), and chum salmon.  Appendix B, Table 1 summarizes the escapement records for these species, while Appendix B, Table 2 summarizes steelhead harvest analysis results.

Recorded coho salmon escapement numbers declined continuously from the late 1960’s to the present (Appendix A, Figure A1). These coho escapements range from highs of 15,000 in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, down to 0 in 1994. 

The odd year Tsolum River pink cycle collapsed in 1969. By the mid-seventies, with stocking efforts, both odd and even year pink escapements increased to approximately 10,000 fish (Appendix A, Figure A2). In the 1980’s, the pink escapement numbers again declined to well below 1,000 fish.). Tsolum River chum salmon escapement records fluctuated significantly from the 1950’s to the present with escapements ranging from 1 to 11,000 (Appendix A, Figure A3). 

1968 to 1997 Enhancement Initiatives

Present initiatives address problems of poor water quality and low summer flows in the Tsolum River watershed. Poor water quality is primarily attributed to the acid mine drainage from the abandoned copper mine near the summit of Mount Washington. Results from three bioassay studies support the theory that the acid mine drainage is adversely affecting Tsolum watershed fish populations (Deniseger et al., 1995).

In some years, low flows occurring in August and September resulted in high mortalities of migrating adult salmon (Walker and MacLeod, 1970).  For example, in September 1951, extreme drought conditions trapped migrating pinks that entered the Tsolum River on the high tide. In response, DFO erected a temporary barrier near the outlet of the Tsolum River (PBS, 1951).  This prevented more fish from entering the stream, subsequently becoming stranded and dying from lack of oxygen.

In 1964, DFO installed a concrete dam and control works at the outlet of Wolf Lake.  This facilitates water storage and stream flow augmentation during low flows.  Wolf Lake sources Headquarters Creek, a main tributary of the Tsolum River.

After the construction of the Wolf Lake flow control structure, efforts to enhance of pink, coho, cutthroat and steelhead populations began. In 1968, DFO established a hatchery on Headquarters Creek near its confluence with the Tsolum River. Poor salmon returns led to closure of the hatchery operation in 1984. 

In 1968, DFO began a hatchery research program at Headquarters Creek. Incubation techniques were evaluated using gravel boxes built on Headquarters Creek (Bams and Crabtree, 1976).  This program continued in 1970 and 1972 (Bams, 1979).   Between 1968 and 1973, over 165,000 fry were annually released to Headquarters Creek from these gravel boxes (Appendix C, Table 1).   In 1971, pink eggs were transported from Kakweiken River, a mainland stream that flows into Thompson Sound, Knight Inlet (Bams, 1976).  Over half of these eggs were fertilized with sperm from Tsolum River males, and incubated in gravel boxes. 

In 1978, the BC Fish and Wildlife Branch stocked Wolf Lake with 7,000 juvenile cutthroat trout (Bond, Circa 1978).   Annual fish sampling is conducted in the lake (Peterson, 1999).  The seined cutthroat are counted, sized, and sexed, and stomach contents are analyzed.

Headquarters Creek pink enhancement initiatives resumed in 1979.  This resulted in 52,000 fry being released to the Tsolum River in the spring of 1980.  In the fall of 1980, an enhancement effort began with the collection of over 1.2 million eggs.  Egg incubation took place in gravel boxes or in keeper channels.  The unfed pink fry were released to the Tsolum and Puntledge Rivers in the spring of 1981.  Some fry were also reared in sea pens at the Courtenay River estuary.  Releasing these fish at a larger size served to increase their ocean survival.

In 1983, the BC Ministry of the Environment stocked Headquarters Creek with juvenile steelhead and cutthroat trout  (Stanton, 1999).   This stock production occurred at the Puntledge River hatchery.  The stock tagging and release took place at the smolt stage.

From 1984 to 1990, the Puntledge hatchery stocked several lakes in the upper Tsolum River watershed with coho fingerlings.  These stocking sites included Little Lost Lake, Lost Lake, Helldiver Lake, Constitution Creek and Blue Grouse Lake. Habitat surveys revealed suitable rearing habitat in these areas (Tinney, 1985).  Coho smolts (> 20 g) were also released from the Headquarters Creek hatchery in 1986 and 1990. Seaward smolt migrations of these released fry occurred in the spring of 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990 and 1991 (Appendix C, Table 1). 

In 1993-1994 and 1994-1995, Comox Valley Project Watershed Society oversaw the incubation of pink eggs at the Headquarters Creek hatchery. The initiative used 110,000 transported Quinsam hatchery eggs.  A survival of 98% from the eyed stage was realized (Chamberlain, 1998).
 1997 to 1999 Enhancement Initiatives 

With limited enhancement success, salmon stock restoration efforts have been redirected to solving the water quality and stream flow problems in the watershed.  Present salmon enhancement efforts for the Tsolum River are small scale.  The introduced salmon contribute to the stream nutrient cycle and food chain. They also serve as indicators of the stream health.  If flow and water quality problems are resolved, the system may again support healthy, large returns of adult salmonids.

In October 1998 a pink egg incubation channel was established at the Headquarters Creek hatchery by converting one of the three concrete hatchery raceways to a keeper channel.  This keeper channel is for incubating salmon alevins. The conversion entailed gravel placement, screen placement, and construction of over-raceway covers (see Appendix E). 

A gravity fed water intake system cleans the hatchery keeper channel intake screens.  Ten 4’ by 8’ screens, made of beach seine netting, sit above the gravel. After hatching the alevins fall through the screens and distribute themselves in the gravel.  They remain in the gravel until they absorb their yolk sacs. Flow serves to maintain a suitable amount of oxygen and other dissolved gases, and to help distribute the alevins evenly through the gravel.

On September 21, 1998, eggs and milt were taken from broodstock at Quinsam Hatchery in Campbell River.  These eggs were incubated to the eyed stage, then transferred to Puntledge Hatchery.  Eggs were picked and then placed in the Headquarters Creek keeper channel.  Siltation caused the loss of approximately 40% of the eggs before hatching.  The remainder of the eggs hatched in February and were released from the channel in March 1999.

In mid November 1998, DFO transported 3500 adult chum salmon from the Puntledge River to the Tsolum River system at the Farnham Road bridge and Dove Creek (Campbell, 1999).  In addition to restocking, these chum clean the spawning gravel of excess silt as they dig redds.  Their decomposing carcasses also release nutrients back into the system.

In the summer of 1998, ten summer rearing ponds in the Portuguese Creek drainage were monitored.  Coho fry salvaged from various locations in the lower watershed were transported to these rearing ponds.   Other 1998 small stream restoration projects included the creation of vegetated shade rafts for some of these ponds.

In 1997 and 1998, adult pink salmon enumerations were conducted in the Tsolum River watershed.  Official pink escapement numbers indicate returns of 0 for 1997 and 550 for 1998.  In addition, anecdotal reports for 1998 indicate coho returns of 200 for Portuguese Creek and 150 for Headquarters Creek (Rosenguard, 1998). Snorkel surveys were completed for several streams in the area (Peterson, 1999).  The snorkel survey carried out in one section of Dove Creek documented 34 coho and numerous redds.

Recommendations

1. With the present Headquarters Creek hatchery pink salmon incubation setup, siltation caused a 40 % egg loss.   To avoid this in the future, a silt-settling pond is proposed.  The keeper channel could be relocated to the middle or third raceway.  The first raceway could then become the settling pond.

1. Information on water quality results, recorded flows, and bioassay results must be periodically reviewed for refining salmon stock enhancement plans. Water quality and flow monitoring should continue.

1. Pink salmon migration and spawning time coincides with timing for the same events in the Quinsam River, a cold water system near Campbell River, and the Glendale River, a warmer system in Knight Inlet. More study is needed to determine if there would an advantage to using the warm water Glendale stock to restock the Tsolum River

1. There is an apparent relation between stream flows and escapement numbers.  For example, notably higher Tsolum (and Puntledge) pink escapements (20,000) occurred in 1991, a year when high stream flow rates followed a year of pink enhancement. It is recommended that trends between flows, enhancement and adult returns be examined more closely

1. Several individuals familiar with the Puntledge River and Tsolum River watersheds suggested that current adult pink returns to the Tsolum River may be a ‘spillover’ of Puntledge River fish.  A suitable method for discerning between Puntledge and Tsolum stocks could confirm this.  In the early 1980’s, pink fry released to Headquarters Creek were marked with half dorsal fin clips (McLean, 1985).   This type of marking reduces fish survival and is not unique.  Another method, such as thermal marking, may be more appropriate.

1. A survey of adult chum salmon in the system is recommended to determine if transplanted adult chum are competing with the returning pink adults.  These results could help determine suitable adult chum transplant numbers and locations.

1. It is recommended that data from fish habitat assessments be correlated with sustainable fish numbers and species.  This may identify possible future enhancement plans, for example transplanting adults to underutilized habitat in the watershed.

References

• AESL. 1976.  Wolf Lake study.  Prepared for Department of the Environment, Fisheries, and Marine Service. Associated Engineering Services Ltd., Vancouver, BC. January 1976. 
• Bams, Robert A. 1976. Results of pink salmon transplant using males native to the recipient stream. Fish. Mar. Serv. Res. Dev. Tech. Rep. 642: 46 p.
• Bams, Robert A. and D.G. Crabtree. 1976. A method for pink salmon propagation: the Headquarters Creek experimental hatchery 1968-1974. Fish. Mar. Serv. Res. Dev. Tech. Rep. 627: 70 p.
• Bams, Robert A. 1979. Evaluation of gravel incubators on the third cycle of Tsolum River pink salmon, 1972-74. Fish. Mar. Serv. Res. Dev. Tech. Rep. 871: 31 p.
• Bond, K.W.  Circa 1978.  Enhancement Possibilities for Salmonids and Agriculture Dependent Upon Tsolum River Flows.  Fish and Wildlife Branch, BC Ministry of Recreation and Conservation.
• Campbell, Pete. 1999. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Puntledge Hatchery, Courtenay, BC.  Personal Communication.  January 7, 1999.
• Chamberlain, D. 1998. Project Watershed Society, Comox, BC. Personal Communication. December 15, 1998.
• Deniseger, John, McKean, Colin, J.P., and Allan R. Chapman.  1995.  Tsolum River Watershed Water Quality Assessment and Objectives - Technical Appendix. British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks.  Victoria, BC.  March 1994.
• DFO. 1995.  Annual report of salmon streams and spawning population (BC 16 form) for Portuguese Creek for 1995. Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Comox, BC. 1 pp.
• DFO. 1998.  South Coast Coho Spawning Table - to November 13, 1998.  Stock Assessment Division, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, BC.  p. 5 and 6, of 12.
• McLean, W.E. 1985. Memo regarding DFO Fish Culture Activities on the Tsolum River. Memo to: B. Pearce, Unit Head, South Coast Division, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Vancouver; from: W.E. McLean, Support Biologist, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Campbell River, BC.
• Peterson, Larry. 1999. Member, Courtenay Fish and Game Club, Courtenay, BC. Personal Communication. January 9, 1999. 
• PBS. 1951.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Progress Reports of the Pacific Coast stations - Pacific Biological station, Nanaimo, BC, and Pacific Fisheries Experimental station, Vancouver, BC.  88: 72. October 1951.
• Rosengard, Eli. 1998. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Chartered Patrol Person, Comox, BC.  Personal Communication.  December 9 and 15, 1998.
• Stanton, Dave. 1999. BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, BC. Personal Communication. January 7, 1999.
• Tinney, Sammie. 1985.  Habitat Analysis of the Tsolum River Watershed - Work Term Report, Biology Co-op Program, University of Victoria, Summer 1985.
• Walker, C.E., and J. R. MacLeod (Ed).  1970. Catalogue of Salmon Spawning Streams and Escapement Populations Statistical Area No. 14 Pacific Region. Department of Fisheries and Forestry, Vancouver, BC.

Watershed-code: 92-2800-010*
* old BC watershed code system
** Portuguese Cr. (DFO, 1995) 
† Dove Cr. (Peterson, 1999) 
†† Headquarters Cr. (DFO, 1998) 
*** Portuguese Cr. (DFO, 1998) 
††† Headquarters Cr. and Tsolum R. (TRTF, Rosengard, 1998)
 

Table 2. Tsolum River Angling Effort and Steelhead Catch, 1967 to 1998
Source: BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks,  Steelhead Harvest Analysis
	Number		Wild			Hatchry		Total
License Year	Num of Ang- lers	Num of Days	Wild Kept	Let go	Total	Kept	Let go	Kept	Let go	Total Catch
1967-1968	436	2,130	393	0	393	0	0	393	0	393
1968-1969	213	1,115	262	0	262	0	0	262	0	262
1969-1970	284	1,667	346	0	346	0	0	346	0	346
1970-1971	214	1,150	122	29	151	0	0	122	29	151
1971-1972	103	379	108	41	149	0	0	108	41	149
1972-1973	176	994	228	145	373	0	0	228	145	373
1973-1974	143	741	93	90	183	0	0	93	90	183
1974-1975	95	385	68	71	139	0	0	68	71	139
1975-1976	160	1,982	38	65	103	0	0	38	65	103
1976-1977	116	355	26	31	57	0	0	26	31	57
1977-1978	42	200	29	39	68	0	0	29	39	68
1978-1979	88	462	24	41	65	0	0	24	41	65
1979-1980	45	235	6	3	9	0	0	6	3	9
1980-1981	3	40	0	36	36	0	0	0	36	36
1981-1982	16	52	0	36	36	0	0	4	39	43
1983-1984	30	51	0	9	9	0	0	0	9	9
1984-1985	17	300	0	31	31	0	0	0	31	31
1985-1986	7	57	0	7	7	0	0	0	7	7
1986-1987	8	36	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1987-1988	8	22	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1988-1989	5	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1990-1991	8	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1992-1993	4	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1993-1994	5	25	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1994-1995	3	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1995-1996	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1997-1998	5	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

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