Technician Tuesday Report – In-Stream Construction at Glen Urquhart – August 9
Cain Tipton spraying the creek bed with water to remove fine materials ~ By L. Stewart
De-Watering a section of Glen Urquhart ~ By C. Tipton
Materials drop off for Glen Urquhart construction ~ By C. Tipton
New riffle construction at Glen Urquhart ~ By L. Stewart
Before in-stream work can begin, the fish must be safely removed from the work area and the water drained. To do this, fish traps were set overnight and checked the morning of construction and any fish that were not captured were caught in a net by hand. The fish were moved to a safe area of the creek downstream where they would not be affected by work activities.
Once the creek was clear, the water had to be drained. Cain and Renée laboriously prepared sand bags that would be used in conjunction with a plastic poly material to create a dam. The water contained within the dam was then drained using a system of hoses and pumps. Because the team has had to complete this process several times, they have learned how to dam the creek very effectively; preparation is key to prevent leaking barriers!
Water quality was continuously monitored to ensure areas of the creek that were disconnected from de-watering contained safe levels of dissolved oxygen for the species living there. If oxygen dipped below safe thresholds, water was pumped in to introduce more oxygen.
Did you know fish and other aquatic animals breathe oxygen too? Oxygen gas that is dissolved in water is absorbed directly from the water into their bloodstream through their gills.
Taking a break from working in the wet, Cain and Renée planted fall rye (Secale cereale) in areas where an excavator had removed large amounts of blackberry the previous week. By planting fall rye along the bank, the plants will help to stabilize the area when their roots begin to grow deep and spread through the soil. This will help hold the bank together and prevent erosion in the future. These seeds were kindly donated from Lentelus Farms!
Finishing up for the week included removing any debris from the creek such as twigs and leaves. Cain also sprayed the new riffles with a fire hose to wedge the fine soil particles in between the rocks and boulders, holding them in position (photo 2). This will ensure the riffles stay in place when the creek barriers are removed and water runs through the stream again.
Related Posts
Eelgrass Transplant Tying at Ships Point
We’re looking for volunteers to help prepare eelgrass shoots for transplant as part of our upcoming restoration work near Ships Point.
Spring and Summer Forage Fish Sampling
Spring and summer forage fish sampling is starting back up again in May!
Forage Fish Symposium and CFFN AGM
The Coastal Forage Fish Network is hosting their Annual Spring symposium via zoom on April 23, 2025, from 6:00-8:00 pm. It will be followed by an AGM. This gathering brings together researchers, experts and community science volunteers to share forage fish research highlights and from across Vancouver Island and beyond.
Kus-kus-sum Feature – Spring 2025
As spring kicks off, the first buds are beginning to appear on the newly installed plants down at Kus-kus-sum! Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers this past fall and winter we’ve been able to expand the now thriving tidal marsh and riparian ecosystems to 80% complete.
Spring Invasives Removal at Kus-kus-sum
We are looking for volunteers to assist us with our first weeding event of the spring at Kus-kus-sum to keep the invasives at bay and help our native plants flourish!
How To Report Herring Spawn Sightings on iNaturalist
Want to contribute to community science while walking the beach? Simply snap a photo of Pacific herring eggs or milt (milky-white water) when you come across them and upload your observations to iNaturalist! Keep reading for instructions.