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Salmonids hitching a ride up the Seymour

The society attempting to save the Seymour River as a fish-bearing stream says their hard work may soon be nearing its finish. A rock slide in 2014 made the river impassible for spawning salmonids like coho and steelhead trout.

The society attempting to save the Seymour River as a fish-bearing stream says their hard work may soon be nearing its finish.

A rock slide in 2014 made the river impassible for spawning salmonids like coho and steelhead trout. Since that time, the Seymour Salmonid Society has had to physically net returning fish and transport them above the slide site to the Seymour River Hatchery where they are used as brood stock for the next generation. During the summer months, the society has been working with contractors on a project to gradually break apart the 50,000 cubic metres of granite that slowed the river to a trickle.

Over the last week, volunteers from the society have been fanning out across the river with weighted nets, which they bend around in a horseshoe pattern, trapping the returning fall run of steelhead and coho.

 “Runs have been very slow this year compared to last year. We only got about 25 fish,” said Shaun Hollingsworth, president of the Salmonid Society.

Hollingsworth said they have plans to be out again on Tuesday and Thursday – if the river level remains safe.

Coho live a four-year life cycle, including two years in their home river followed by two years in the ocean.

“I think it’s the last generation before the rockslide,” Hollingsworth said.

That means every generation of salmon from here on out owes their survival to their “godfather” Hollingsworth and his team of volunteers.

“I’ve got grandchildren that hopefully will understand one day and will appreciate,” he said.

Work on the rock breaking has concluded for the summer. Because of the hot summer and high fire risk, the crews in the canyon had to be extra cautious this year, shutting down early and employing people to stay on “fire watch” checking for any sparks, smouldering or smoke coming from the equipment.

It was envisioned as a two-to-five-year project, now done its third year. Hollingsworth has high hopes it will take just one more season of rock breaking before the salmonids can swim their way to the top of the slide site on their own.

“We’re getting very close. It feels good,” he said. “But you can’t be too optimistic. We’ve broken some rocks but if we don’t have some torrential rains over the winter, then Mother Nature is not going to do her thing and push the rocks downstream.”

During the summer, the river slows to less than two cubic metres per second. At its peak last year, a winter storm pushed that up to more than 460 cubic metres per second.

If we get that kind of river flow again this year, next fall’s return of coho and steelhead could be making it through to spawn on their own.

“This time next year, I anticipate some of the stronger athletes will make it through,” Hollingsworth said. “That’s not a dream. I think that’s reality.”

Metro Vancouver contractors, meanwhile, are at work building a new suspension bridge over the Seymour. The original Twin Bridges was rendered unsafe when the rising waters above the natural dam submerged it shortly after the rock slide. A new suspension bridge for walkers, equestrians and mountain bikers should be open by the end of October, according to Metro.