ACS Supports Protecting Mountain Road Property

The ACS has written to the Mayor and Council of Saanich, urging them to have the District of Saanich purchase the property at 4692 Mountain Road, possibly in concert with the CRD, Habitat Acquisition Trust and other similar organizations. The goal is to have this natural property remain undeveloped as parkland.

a large 49 acre forested parcel of land at 4692 Mountain Road which is currently for sale. This land is within the Viaduct Creek sub-drainage of Colquitz watershed. It performs a valuable function of moderating the runoff from heavy rain events. As such, it is beneficial to the salmonids which rear year round throughout the Colquitz River system. This property also serves to lower the flood risk in the lower watershed.

A similar letter has been sent to Colin Plant, Chair of the CRD board of directors.

We encourage you to add your voice to this issue by writing or speaking to Saanich Council, CRD Directors, and other organizations that may support our perspective on this.

Colquitz River Fish Fence: Community Volunteers Work to Save Wild Salmon

Colquitz fish trap being checked — Volunteers check the fish trap while community members look on.

Update Dec 17 to counts.

It’s been a tough autumn this year at the Colquitz River fish counting fence. Community volunteers, carrying on the legacy of the Colquitz Salmonid Stewardhip & Education Society, have been tracking the returning salmon – primarily coho – and giving them a boost upstream to preferred spawning grounds. It has proved to be a very poor year for returning coho.

The numbers from Oct 3 to Dec 7, when the fence was removed:

coho males	29
coho females	89
coho jacks	193
chum	1
cutthroat trout	2
mort, coho female	1
Total	315

At mid-December 2014, the count was:

coho males	508
coho females	820
coho jacks	221
cutthroat trout	7
smolts	3
chinook	1
mortalities	4
unknown, seen going round the fence	20
Total	1584

A grim year for returns.

Netted fish at Colquitz River fish trap. — Fish netted to be tracked and placed upstream.

Fish netted at Colquitz River fish trap. — More fish netted at the fish trap.