Riparian zones are important refuges for bird species; especially in urban areas. Stoney Creek currently has two groups doing regular bird surveys to assess the health of our bird populations. These surveys also serve as an indicator of the overall health of the Stoney Creek Corridor. At the moment volunteers walk one of three survey circuits varying in length and habitat. Each circuit has been broken up into sections, or stations, to help pinpoint bird sightings.

Birders record what they see and hear:
– bird species
– number encountered
– male or female
– adult or juvenile
– station number
– any unusual activity

Two people must verify visual or audible sightings for accuracy. This data is then entered onto an Excel spreadsheet for further analysis.

Water quality has been monitored in Stoney Creek since 1998 to help identify sources of stream pollution, as well as evaluate changes in the creek’s water quality over time. This activity takes place year-round. Samples are collected at key locations or set stations by individuals on a regular basis and analyzed for physical and chemical parameters back at the Jennifer Atchison Environment Centre.

As salt contamination has been an issue of concern in Stoney Creek, we correlated our measurements with the water’s salt content, which results from road salt storage and use at SFU.See the recent reports on Road Salt and Salmon.

We are also in the early stages of bringing a data-logger online which will allow us to monitor the water quality at a set location on a continual basis!

With success, we hope to bring in additional data-loggers to provide coverage of key areas on the creek and its tributaries.

Aquatic invertebrates have an important role in the ecological functioning of streams. They help break down organic matter such as woody debris which provide usable nutrients to other aquatic life. They eat microscopic plants, and are the primary source of food for fish and some birds, amphibians, and small mammals that live in the area.

Aquatic invertebrates include insects which live part of their life cycle in the water and crustaceans such snails, and crayfish.Aquatic invertebrates are being more extensively used by researchers as a way to monitor stream health. If water quality is poor, pollution sensitive invertebrates perish, while others which are pollution tolerant increase in numbers.

They are also sensitive to physical changes such as increases in siltation or water temperature. In addition, catastrophic events such as chemical spills can often be detected by a complete absence of stream invertebrate populations. By measuring the presence, absence and abundance of different species, habitat problems can often be detected.Invertebrate monitoring has been an on-going activity in Stoney Creek since 1997.

We compare invertebrate populations between locations, season, and monitor changes in these populations over time. In the future, invertebrate sampling may also be used to monitor areas where periodic poor water quality has been reported.

To monitor the health of young salmon and smaller species like the cutthroat trout that are not easily viewed otherwise, small minnow traps are used to temporarily catch these fish. We record the species, numbers of fish trapped, their sizes, and also collect water to check its quality at the time of the survey.From the time the fish are transferred from the trap into a clear bag, the work is done quickly to minimize the stress on the young fish.

Come and join us at this annual event which includes displays and activities provided by our volunteers, community groups and organizations, live entertainment and, of course, the main event: the opportunity to release young salmon into Stoney Creek.

The “GSSO” takes place on the second Saturday in May from 10am to 2pm in the grounds of the Stoney Creek Community School and has a strong reputation in the community, bringing a great turnout of participants and attendees, rain or shine!

Our 2018 event was held on Saturday, May 12 and was very well attended. This was our 28th year!

GSSO 2013 Images

Community Participation

Community groups and organizations who support the Stoney Creek Environment Committee and the environment are invited to provide a display for this event. We encourage demonstrations, games or activities that provide interactions for families and children. Tent space, tables and chairs can be provided as as required. Planning generally begins in January each year.

For further information and an application to participate in our next event in May 2019, please contact Pat Hargreaves at phargreaves60[@]gmail.com