As part of the fisheries habitat requirements associated with the new Evans Road overpass in Chilliwack, last year, the Coalition in partnership with DFO and the City of Chilliwack, began a multi-year project aimed at improving water quality and habitat conditions within the Camp Slough area of northern Chilliwack. These slough habitats have become heavily impacted over the past few decades due to dyking, flood control, and encroachment of private property. Major issues have arisen such as vegetative overgrowth, sedimentation, and low dissolved oxygen levels.
This is an exciting and significant project for the Coalition. As part of the fisheries requirements, we are obligated to restore 3,100 m2 of fish habitat by 2013. We see this as a substantial opportunity however to achieve much more in this region, including building stewardship and awareness about the sloughs. The first part of this project involved looking at ways to increase natural flows into Camp Slough to help with oxygenation and sedimentation issues. After researching options, we worked with the City of Chilliwack last year to open up the ‘CHIP’ gates (Camp/Hope Improvement Project) near the slough’s intake from the Fraser River. So far, the results have looking promising.
In addition to increasing flows, we have been providing regular water quality monitoring along Camp Slough, have provided education in the form of Streamkeeper Training to a number of local residents and First Nations, and are doing some riparian plantings to provide additional habitat values. Future plans include in-stream fish habitat restoration, further riparian plantings, and the production of a booklet for the community that describes the slough habitat, its history and usage, its habitat values, and tips for what landowners can do to help.
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