What might you see in Stoney Creek?
In Fall and Winter:
- Large salmon swimming upstream from mid-October through January. They come to lay eggs in the gravel and then die.
- Carcasses of the dead fish or cut fish that volunteers have placed along the banks. Decaying carcasses release minerals and nutrients and promote invertebrate growth that will serve as a food source for the young fish.
- You probably won`t see the gravel nests, called `redds`, because they are camouflaged. Dogs and people going in the stream will crush the hidden eggs.
In Spring and Summer
- Small fish – there are 5 salmon species in Stoney Creek: Coho, Chum, Cutthroat trout, Pink and the occasional Chinook. There are also endangered Nooksack Dace close to the Brunette River.
- Other wildlife – crayfish, lampreys, and myriad insects.
How can you help?
Fish needs safe passage through the stream and in their spawning beds.
- Keep yourself and dogs from walking in the stream.
- Keep soaps, cleaners, oils, antifreeze, and paints out of your storm drains.
- Wash your car with phosphate-free, biodegradable soaps or use a commercial car wash.
- Attend an information walk or join the Stoney Creek Environment Committee – email info(at)scec.ca for information.
Life cycle of Coho
Spawn: mid-October to December
Hatch: January to March and live in the creek for a year
Smolts: (1 1/2 year-olds) leave the creek in May to live in the ocean
Return to spawn: 18 months later.