Spawning Channel
at Mission
Creek Regional Park |
Mission Creek
was a site of First Nation fishing for kokanee salmon 100 years ago. So reliable
was this annual fish run that a first nations community developed at the
location of the traditional fishery. That site determined the location of
the Father Pandosy Mission, and today is adjacent to the historic property
on Benvoulin Road.
Living residents of Kelowna provide anecdotal evidence that 60 plus years
ago the creek was red with kokanee each fall. They used terms like "millions
of kokanee" to describe the sight.
Thirty years ago when the first government assessment of the kokanee spawning
population was conducted, the estimate was approximately 300,000. Since then,
fall returns have steadily declined and during the fall of 1998 and 1999
less than 1,000 kokanee spawned in the creek. There has been some improvement
in numbers in recent years. |
Habitat
Enhancement
| A "Lower
Mission Creek Kokanee Habitat enhancement Study" was undertaken in August
2000 in cooperation with Okanagan University College Institute for Freshwater
Study. The purpose of the study was an attempt to increase the numbers of
Kokanee salmon returning each year to Mission Creek. |
|
The riffle structure
in place just upstream of Ziprick Road
This is a salmonid renewal project funded by Fisheries Renewal BC, and with
community participation very kindly funded by Aquila Networks
Canada.> |
As part
of the study, a demonstration "riffle" designed to enhance the spawning habitat
was constructed in Mission Creek adjacent to the existing spawning channel
entrance just upstream of Ziprick Road.
The riffle is a rock structure designed to modify the flow of water in the
creek, and to divert the flow so that ideal bottom gravel conditions are
created to encourage spawning.
Dr Peter Dill, who undertook the study, has now completed an assessment of
the effectiveness of the riffle and has confirmed its success. |
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