Jump to content


Photo

Help needed to electro-fish for Salmon in Credit River


  • Please log in to reply
19 replies to this topic

#1 John from CRAA

John from CRAA

    Shiner Minnow

  • Members
  • 26 posts

Posted 24 September 2012 - 10:07 PM

Hi all,

MNR (Normandale Hatchery) is looking for volunteers to help collect chinook salmon eggs at Streetsville Dam every morning from October 2nd-5th and 9th-12th. October 4th is fully booked already.

Collection runs from 9 am to 1 pm each day!

Volunteers must pre-register with John Sager, hatchery manager so he can add your name to the volunteer list for access to the Kraft property. Rubber or neoprene chest waders are also needed (no breathables). A hat and polarized sun glasses are also beneficial.

MNR will provide rubber gloves and rain jackets. They may also have some extra waders.

E-mail John Sager with the dates you can help (and copy me) so I know how many people are out to help too.

John Sager (MNR) : john.sager@ontario.ca
John Kendell (CRAA) : president@craa.on.ca

Thanks in advance for your help!

John
  • 0

#2 Klamp

Klamp

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 318 posts

Posted 24 September 2012 - 10:19 PM

Will gladly volunteer. Email sent.
  • 0

#3 ALN

ALN

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 331 posts

Posted 24 September 2012 - 11:02 PM

I'll double check my calendar before signing up, but if I'm free I'll send you a pm ASAP :)
  • 0

#4 Float_On

Float_On

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 387 posts

Posted 24 September 2012 - 11:35 PM

Fishing for roe or lifting for roe?
:)
  • 0

#5 Guest_Blair_*

Guest_Blair_*
  • Guests

Posted 24 September 2012 - 11:42 PM

http://www.craa.on.ca/ladder.shtml


STREETSVILLE FISH LADDER
Volunteers Welcome!

About the Fish Ladder The Streetsville fish ladder is operated by volunteers from the Credit River Anglers Association in partnership with the OMNR. CRAA has operated the ladder since 1990.

The fishway is located on Private Property owned by Kraft Canada and access is granted from Kraft to MNR and to CRAA. CRAA would like to thank Kraft for their ongoing support allowing access to the fishway and dam under agreement with MNR.

Posted Image

CRAA Fish Ladder Youtube CRAA Fish Ladder Youtube Videos:


How you can help!

If you would like to volunteer please stay tuned to the CRAA homepage for fishway operation updates, join our volunteer mailing list and sign up to help on the CRAA chat page (all links on CRAA home page).

CRAA's long history (1990 to 2010 and forward).

Volunteers from CRAA have operated the Streetsville fishway since 1990 in agreement with MNR. Our volunteer commitment has been vital to ensuring wild trout and salmon production on the Credit River! Without thousands of volunteer hours every year the Credit River would not have a wild migratory trout fishery! We need your help too! This is all volunteer work so you can get involved and make a difference!

Every Spring, summer and Fall CRAA volunteers manage the Streetsville fishway to ensure fish are lifted and passed under the direction of MNR. In spring CRAA operates the ladder daily from ice out until late April, often for 30 or more days in a row. Volunteers are needed every evening so check out the CRAA chat board and come on out to hep! Chat board link: Click Here

During summer CRAA manages flows and operates the ladder as needed to lift smallmouth bass and Atlantic salmon. The recent returns of Atlantic salmon are a very exciting indication that the Credit River is returning to its former glory. CRAA looks forward to continuing our efforts in summer.

During the fall season CRAA operates the ladder based on water conditions. The fishway is either closed or blocked during chinook salmon runs so MNR and partners can collect chinook salmon eggs for the Lake Ontario stocking program. Once complete the fishway is reopened and monitoring is done. In the fall we lift Atlantic salmon, steelhead, brown trout and rare Coaster (migratory) brook trout.

Why is the fishway work vital?

CRAA not only lift the fish at Streetsville. We collect important physical data from the fish such as length, weigh, sex, fin clips, wild fish counts, tagging research, age analysis through scale aging, genetic samples, egg collection for the hatchery and adult transfers.

Most fish cannot jump or swim past the Streetsville dam to reach their spawning grounds so they must be lifted through the fish ladder. CRAA volunteers transfer all wild fish by truck and aerated tank another 30 km north past the Norval dam so the fish can access and spawn in prime nursery habitat!

What is a fish ladder?

A fish ladder or fishway is a structure where water flow is controlled through a series of smaller jumps or runs so fish can pass a larger barrier such as a dam or waterfall. The Streetsville fishway has five small jumps (35 cm) allowing all jumping fish a chance to pass the dam. The fishway may be modified in future to a denile structure which allows all non jumping species past.

CRAA's Fishway Upgrades

CRAA has made many upgrades over the years of operation, usually in response to a need for improvement discovered during our regular operation. Upgrades include past changes to the channel, adjusting jumps, addition of a storage hut, adding/building new screens and dozens of little things that make the operation run smoothly. There are however, two projects that stand out as having a profound effect on the success of the ladder.

The first is the new entrance that CRAA designed and built in the Fall of 1997. After several years of petitioning the MNR we were given permission to make the changes. With the aid of a back hoe a new entrance was excavated that would bring the fish ladder flow to the base of the dam. Prior to that the ladder entered on the edge of the river about 30m below the dam so many fish would never find the entrance. The new entrance proved to be the singe greatest improvement that could be made, with 99.5% of steelhead now finding the ladder (only 10% to 20% found it before). The MNR made more permanent changes in 1999 using larger boulders.

The second important change was the addition of two new jumps, bringing the total number to five and reducing the average 18" jump to 12". This allowed steelhead to enter the ladder in colder water (4.0 C) and improved the speed and success of fish passing through the entire structure. It also made access for smallmouth bass much easier. CRAA volunteers built two new jumps and installed them in March, 1998. Following these two major changes we broke every record at the ladder in terms of steelhead, with lifting over 300 in a single lift, largest fish and all with minimal stress on the fish.

___________________________________________



[PDF]
CREDIT RIVER ANGLERS ASSOCIATION
www.ofah.org/downloads/getfile.php?id=PDF/EBR/CRAA...pdf



GOOD PDF READ on the BIG PICTURE



ex-cerpt:


Conclusion:

Species diversity is a primary goal of the MNR. Reducing the need for hatchery fish is a priority for MNR.

Reducing the costs of sustaining a fishery is a priority of the MNR. Reducing the hours staff must spend to

sustain a fishery, such as operating hatcheries, fishways and reducing the need for volunteers is a priority for

MNR. Reducing liability is a priority for MNR. Creating and sustaining a great fishery and the economic

benefits that result are a priority for MNR. All of these priorities can be met by allowing unrestricted access to

all native and naturalized species up the Credit River by opening the fish ladders and allowing the fish to go

where they please!



Barrier free rivers benefit from greater species diversity. Rivers with diversity of species and diversity within

populations of the same species are healthier than rivers with barriers preventing such genetic diversity from

occurring. We see that all the salmon and trout species coexist in many southern Ontario rivers and evidence

clearly shows there are many substantial benefits to the fish community by having the salmonid diversity. There

are significant cost savings to MNR and significant reduction in liability exposure for MNR and NGO’s by

reducing the manpower needed to artificially segregate and lift fish.



The benefits of wild chinook salmon have been proven by NY State on the Salmon River. NYSDEC now

estimates that the Salmon River produces between 4 and 10 million wild chinook salmon fry every spring. They

also estimate as much as 50% of the chinook salmon fry are preyed upon by yearling coho, rainbow, brown and

Atlantic salmon as they migrate to Lake Ontario (Fran Verdoliva, Jim Johnson, personal communication). The

availability of millions of wild chinook salmon fry proves to be a valuable food source for migrating yearling

salmon and trout. NYSDEC also noted that Atlantic salmon yearlings had the highest predation rate of chinook

salmon fry at 56% (NYSDEC personal communication)



If seasonal access to rainbow trout were given in spring only and Pacific Salmon continue to be stopped then the

fishery will still suffer and the Atlantic Salmon program will be doomed to failure. Most rivers in southern

Ontario see upwards of half of their rainbow trout run in the fall. By preventing fall run trout access to spawning

grounds the population will be impacted and will suffer by not allowing for maximum genetic diversification.

The chinook and coho fishery will continue to rely solely on stocking of the Credit River and the Port Credit lake

fishery will continue to decline.


  • 0

#6 Guest_RiverNinja_*

Guest_RiverNinja_*
  • Guests

Posted 25 September 2012 - 08:13 AM

John,
You really need to start doing this on weekends or later on after 5pm.

See you on the river. :mrgreen:
  • 0

#7 NADO

NADO

    Unaccomplished Steelheader

  • Moderators
  • 3,064 posts

Posted 25 September 2012 - 08:48 AM

I second this ^

I would gladly come down for a morning to help pull the salmon and then fish for the afternoon. Would be a great day! Too bad I work mon-fri.
  • 0

#8 Klamp

Klamp

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 318 posts

Posted 25 September 2012 - 08:58 AM

I second this ^

I would gladly come down for a morning to help pull the salmon and then fish for the afternoon. Would be a great day! Too bad I work mon-fri.


If you work for a reasonable company, convince them to give you time off for volunteer work. My organization allows two paid days per year for volunteer work.
  • 0

#9 Klamp

Klamp

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 318 posts

Posted 25 September 2012 - 09:08 AM

I noticed Breakfast Television (CITY-TV) this morning they had a live segment from Bownamanville where they were "saving the salmon". Good publicity for sure.
  • 0

#10 mitchrz

mitchrz

    Shiner Minnow

  • Members
  • 26 posts

Posted 25 September 2012 - 11:55 AM

How come breathable waders are not allowed? I would definitely love to help out this year, but my current set of waders are breathable.
  • 0

#11 ciafon

ciafon

    Earthworm

  • Members
  • 5 posts

Posted 25 September 2012 - 12:32 PM

How come breathable waders are not allowed? I would definitely love to help out this year, but my current set of waders are breathable.



Breathable, lightweight waders may not have adequate electrical insulating properties
  • 0

#12 Guest_RiverNinja_*

Guest_RiverNinja_*
  • Guests

Posted 25 September 2012 - 03:49 PM

How come breathable waders are not allowed? I would definitely love to help out this year, but my current set of waders are breathable.

To protect the family jewels.. :smile:
  • 0

#13 Klamp

Klamp

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 318 posts

Posted 25 September 2012 - 04:48 PM

They have lots of waders if anyone doesn't have a pair.
  • 0

#14 Klamp

Klamp

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 318 posts

Posted 05 October 2012 - 01:53 PM

Had a great time working alongside the MNR crew and other volunteers this morning. Whada great bunch of guys, who truly work their butts off for us.

Learned quite a bit about what goes on behind the scenes. I look forward to volunteering with this effort again and urge others to consider it. I promise you will have a much better understanding of the operation by simply spending a morning with these fine folks.
~~~

Electro-fishing alongside the Ministry of Natural Resources. That's John from the MNR on the right. This isn't a case of 'the volunteers work and MNR watches'... they're right in there hulling fish.


Posted Image

A lot of steps (precautions) are taken to ensure the samples remain viable. This is almost like a field hospital.


Posted Image

I was surprised to see how many samples are taken from these fish. Short of actually taking them home for dinner, these fish are used for many different purposes (Universities, other Government departments, etc).


Posted Image
  • 0

#15 Guest_RiverNinja_*

Guest_RiverNinja_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 October 2012 - 01:55 PM

^Nice! Really wish I could have helped..

I don't see Mr Kendall! :mrgreen:
  • 0

#16 Majstor

Majstor

    VIP Pro Staff

  • Active Members
  • 1,165 posts

Posted 05 October 2012 - 06:01 PM

^Nice! Really wish I could have helped..

I don't see Mr Kendall! :mrgreen:



think hes talkin about the guy on the right
  • 0

#17 Klamp

Klamp

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 318 posts

Posted 06 October 2012 - 07:36 AM

^Nice! Really wish I could have helped..

I don't see Mr Kendall! :mrgreen:


think hes talkin about the guy on the right


John from CRAA was not there this particular day. The guy on the right is indeed John S. from the MNR. Paul is the guy running the shocker. :shock:

And major props to Kraft for continuing to allow use of their property.
  • 0

#18 NiagaraSteel

NiagaraSteel

    Rainbow Trout

  • Active Members
  • 2,462 posts

Posted 06 October 2012 - 08:38 AM

The salmon still die, right? What do you do with all the dead bodys?
  • 0

#19 Klamp

Klamp

    Crappie

  • Active Members
  • 318 posts

Posted 06 October 2012 - 10:56 AM

The salmon still die, right? What do you do with all the dead bodys?


Yes. Once all the samples and testing/documentation is complete they are essentially returned to the river to decompose as they normally would.
  • 0

#20 NiagaraSteel

NiagaraSteel

    Rainbow Trout

  • Active Members
  • 2,462 posts

Posted 06 October 2012 - 03:22 PM

Yes. Once all the samples and testing/documentation is complete they are essentially returned to the river to decompose as they normally would.


Thanks. I won't let my dog drink any water from the river! LOL
  • 0