The Ladysmith Sportsmen’s Club has recently completed a project that will help bring more water into the Bush Creek Hatchery and improve the conditions for salmon rearing.
The Ladysmith Sportsmen’s Club (LSC) received a $15,000 grant from the Pacific Salmon Foundation to help replace the water lines feeding the Bush Creek Hatchery so that the facility can continue to rebuild salmon stocks as it goes into its 24th year of operation. The grant comes from the foundation’s 2014 Community Salmon Program and is being combined with funds raised locally to complete the nearly $58,000 Hatchery Pipeline Intake and Update Project.
The Bush Creek Hatchery is located on TimberWest land on Bush Creek and has been operated by the Ladysmith Sportsmen’s Club for 23 years.
The LSC would like to add groundwater to the existing water flow from Bush Creek, as they found low water alarms went off in early March of this year and there were freeze ups to the system after a very dry fall in 2013, explained Dave Judson of the LSC. Judson says that by removing the original steel pipe and changing the water intake, they will be able to solve their water volume concerns. As well, adding the warmer groundwater to the creek water will help with salmon rearing.
“What we’d like to do later on is we’d like to dig a well so we can supplement the cold water with warm groundwater,” said Judson. “We are limited because we don’t have power here to dig out the well. We are going to source out alternate water sources, like warm groundwater. The nice thing about this water from Bush Creek is it’s cold and clear, but cold is not the best for baby fish.”
The project was just completed, and it involved replacing the original steel pipe, which was rusted and full of holes, and putting in a sediment control box to clean the water. The clean water will go to the hatchery, and the sediment control box will be flushed out once a month. This solves the problem of leaves and debris falling into the intake, explained Judson.
The LSC replaced the steel pipe with Blue Brute plastic pipe that Judson says will last a lifetime. They then enclosed the pipe in concrete against the rock wall to insulate and protect it.
“Now the pipe is enclosed and not so vulnerable,” said Judson. “That’s going to help us with our freezing problem. Before, we had to go with a torch to try to thaw the pipe, but now, we have it insulated and protected. The remaining of the project is we just need rain to see if it works.”
This project has received a lot of support to become a reality. The Pacific Salmon Foundation was a big contributor, and TimberWest contributes to the foundation, explained Judson. As well, when people pay for their fishing licences, some of that money goes to the foundation.
“They re-invest it in fish habitat,” said Judson. “The Pacific Salmon Foundation, they’re great people. We have to thank the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. It’s a good thing because this club has been going 23 years, and it’s not so much for fish but habitat work. It’s one thing to raise fish but another for the fish to have habitat to carry on once they go.”
The project also received support from many local businesses and organizations, including Stalker Excavating, the Ladysmith Sportsmen’s Club, Mayco Mix, Judson Contracting and in-kind donations, such as a backhoe and a septic tank, explained Judson.
“When I do stuff like this, people want to give,” he said. “People are all really good in this community. They care about their community and want to give help for good causes.”
