NEWSS

Earlier this summer MFLNR Chelton Van Geloven and MLA Mike Morris came to inspect the survival of last years willow planting on property owned by Cal Hinton on the lower Chilako River. Notice the electric fencing that now excludes cattle from open access to the river. In other locations on the Chilako, logs are wrapped in stainless steel cable and anchored with a dead head to ensure that the logs can raise and lower with the river. These logs will buffer the force of the river and limit the erosion by softening the pressure on the river bank. The logs also provide important structure to the river and provide great habitat for fry. NEWSS and UFFCA have partnered on two projects in 2016 to stabilize the erosion of the Chilako.

STONEY CREEK RESTORATION UPDATE... Habitat restoration work is finishing up for the fall within Stoney Creek. Current projects occurred from the mouth of Stoney... Creek to above the footbridge. This project includes the installation of several root wads into the stream bank to stabilize the banks and force the current further into the centre of the channel, which will cause the stream to deepen. The root wad also provides habitat for fish. A rock weir above the footbridge was placed to again concentrate the current of the channel to aid in transporting fine sediments out of the gravel, thereby creating spawning habitat for salmonids. This project would not have occurred without the support of landowners along Stoney Creek that allowed us access to complete this project.

FYI - There will be guided tours at the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre for the summer on the following days and times: Mondays 2:00pm Wednesdays 2:00pm Saturdays 10:30am and 2:00pm... No sign-up required, just show up a few minutes before the tour start time. A great way to learn more about our local endangered species and the Nechako River watershed.

Patty Borek's Grade 3 class on Stoney Creek again - this time collecting bugs for the database. Congratulations to them for their effort and work. Photo by Dan Nickel.

* CITIZEN SCIENCE * NEWSS supports education at all ages, and is very happy to leNd support to classes such as Ms. Patty Borek's grade 3 class from WL McLeod Elementary. The class visited Stoney Creek to do some monitoring of stream and riparian health. Students recorded data such as how many willow stems planted in the banks had buds to measure success of restoration. They measured water parameters such as pH, temperature, AND turbidity. And they also recorded what invertebrates they saw. Invertebrates are good indicators of stream health. Eg. stoneflies and mayflies indicate a healthy stream, while leaches indicate poor conditions for a stream. It looks like they had a good day on the river.

The Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative now has a Facebook page. Go there for updates on sturgeon research, events, education, tours and more. https://www.facebook.com/Nechako-White-Sturgeon-Recovery-Initative-931773670263605/?fref=nf

To find out more about the work being done on the Nechako White Sturgeon, you can visits www.nechakowhitesturgeon.org. They have links to all their reports, publications and their action plan for the conservation of the Nechako white sturgeon. NEWSS isn't directly involved with sturgeon projects, however the work we do in tributary streams to the Nechako River, such as restoring habitat for trout and salmon and reducing erosion and sedimentation with stream rehabilitation, has a positive affect downstream in the Nechako River and the species that live within it.

If you've driven over the bridge today you may have noticed an excavator in the river! This specialized excavator can go two metres underwater and is here to cl...ean the spawning beds of the Nechako white sturgeon. The excavator is gently lifting up the gravel substrate and shaking it out to remove the sand. The sand is then getting swept downstream in the current. Sturgeon eggs need clean gravel to survive. See more

PARTNER PROFILE - University of Northern British Columbia Over three years ago, NEWSS developed a working relationship with UNBC that resulted in Dr. Margot Parkes, Research Chair in Health, Ecosystems and Society, bringing two funded projects to the Murray Creek Stream Rehabilitation Project. These projects brought national and international coverage to Vanderhoof. This involvement has further translated into a working relationship and collaboration with the Northern Regional Drinking Water Team, as well as bringing graduate students to the Nechako watershed to research several different aspects of watershed health. NEWSS values these partnerships as we are all working towards building water stewardship in our area.

SPECIES PROFILE - Nechako White Sturgeon Sturgeon are considered a pre-historic species, as they were around during the time of the dinosaurs. The population of white sturgeon in the Nechako River (see their distribution on the map) are genetically distinct from sturgeon in the Fraser River. This population is listed as Endangered in Canada because the number of animals in the population is very low and will likely not be able to sustain itself in the long-run. The hatchery p...rogram at the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre is working towards increasing the number of young sturgeon in the river to rebuild the population to a self-sustaining level. Poor habitat, sedimentation, changes in the hydrography, water quality, climate change, etc are all factors affecting the survival of sturgeon in the Nechako River, particularly juvenile sturgeon (less than a year old). Stream rehabilitation projects conducted by NEWSS help to improve habitat and water quality in tributary streams that flow into the Nechako River. Improving water quality and habitat in the tributary streams translates into positive changes in water quality and food sources for young sturgeon downstream in the Nechako River. To learn more about this species, please visit www.nechakowhitesturgeon.org.