2006 news releases

Comox Valley Record
Jun 21 2006
Assistance coming for Puntledge coho, trout

Coho and trout in the Puntledge River are about to get some new habitat.
The Bridge Coastal Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program (BC Hydro) has funded a project to create a side-channel spawning and rearing habitat for coho and trout. The site is located on the south side of the Puntledge River, upstream of Stotan Falls, between Vancouver Island Highway and Comox Logging Road. This Comox Valley Project Watershed Society initiative will take place between June 19 and July 5 and rely on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for project design and construction supervision. DFO, along with the Ministry of Transportation, is also providing numerous in-kind contributions to the project.

"This side-channel is expected to support 700 spawning pairs of coho and approximately 7,000 coho smolts," says project co-ordinator Esther Guimond. "Coho and trout have much more complex watershed needs and have difficulty competing for spawning sites with other species in the river," says Guimond.
The excavated material from the channel site will be used to create a setback berm to protect the channel against flooding from the river. Boulders and woody debris unearthed from the site will be salvaged to further enhance the channel.
"Just like humans, most salmon and trout species prefer a relatively calm, predictable environment for having offspring," says Guimond. "The stumps and boulders within the channel will create a more complex habitat of pools, shaded areas and hiding cover. Insects that thrive on the decomposing wood will also provide food for the young fish."

The side-channel is a critical addition to a section of the river that currently offers very little spawning habitat for anadromous fish. The two major waterfalls located in this area of the river flow over smooth bedrock and rocky ledges. The natural flow of the river in this section has been replaced with a regulated flow; however, 17 two-day pulse flows throughout the year allow fish to migrate over these river obstacles and access spawning areas in the upper river. Once the side channel is complete, fish that swim up the rocky ledges will be rewarded with an ideal habitat for spawning.

The multi-use Puntledge River has undergone a great deal of change over the last century. In 1912 Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd. developed the hydroelectric potential of Comox Lake and the Puntledge River to provide electricity for the operation of its coal mines in the Cumberland area. At that time, the fish stocks were abundant and there was little knowledge of the impact dams might have on watershed ecosystems.