The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada said it is too early to know how the recent flooding at Goldstream Provincial Park will affect salmon in the river.
On Feb. 1, severe flooding and downed trees at Goldstream Provincial Park closed the day-use area and Nature House as heavy rains hit the region. Water levels were brought up to the washroom buildings in the park and visitors were unable to park in or enter the day use area.
On Monday, the Goldstream Nature House posted on Facebook that water was receding but a lot of damage was done to the day-use area of the park.
Unsafe conditions like destabilized trees still had portions of the park closed as crews worked to clear branches and brush in the area.
As for the salmon, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada said “it is too early to know what the effects of flooding would be on salmon and salmon habitat,” in an e-mail statement. “Any impact would be dependent upon a number of factors including the scale of the flooding, as well as the types of habitat affected by the flooding.”
According to The Goldstream Nature House, the park mostly sees chum salmon. Coho and chinook also arrive in the river but come in low numbers.
The salmon run itself typically goes from mid- to late-October and continues into the first week of December.
Thousands of salmon make their way to Goldstream Provincial Park to spawn. Female salmon bury fertilized eggs in nests covered with rocks and gravel to protect them until they hatch in the spring.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada said it supports the Province of B.C. in its flood response efforts.
