Photo: Living Lakes Canada Photo

Cottonwood Creek.

A plan to bring kokanee into Nelson’s Cottonwood Creek to spawn within city limits is gaining traction at the municipal government level.

City council approved, through a letter of support, a proposed fish habitat restoration plan for the lower section of Cottonwood Creek, submitted by Living Lakes Canada.

Cottonwood Creek has been talked about in a restoration sense for many years, said Alan Thomson of Mountain Station Consultants — the company Living Lakes hired to do the project — and there is a groundswell of support for doing something to the waters.

The current project targets a 65-metre section of the creek, near the municipal works building, and would involve creating a structure in an area of ​​the creek where there is currently none, Thomson said.

“If the habitat is there, they will come,” he told the council at a recent meeting, requesting a letter of support for the Cottonwood Creek revival project.

“There’s not a lot of diversity in this stream right now, there’s not a lot of chaos. And aquatic life really likes chaos in a river to thrive. The real goal here is to return the kokanee to the stream to thrive. And kokanee need spawning grounds to spawn.

Photo: Contributed

And the way to do that for the kokanee is to create natural elements in it. Restoration activities include scarifying the stream bed, placing rocks and logs, initial gravel placement, and planting native vegetation, all structures that allow fish to find places to spawn.

The project would include in-stream and riverbank works to create hydraulic conditions that attract spawning kokanee salmon and naturally maintain streambed conditions and spawn-sized gravels.

The proposed fish habitat restoration focuses on the section downstream of the CP Rail lands and upstream of the Lakeside Drive bridge, targeting spawning kokanee salmon.

“In these sections, kokanee will find places to spawn. When you think of a natural stream, those are the kinds of things that are there,” Thomson said.

Living Lakes, however, is not proposing a spawning channel, he added, but it may be necessary to “transplant” kokanee eggs into the creek once it is complete to provide a start. to fish.

Photo: Living Lakes Canada Photo

Cottonwood Creek Water Quality Station at Rod and Gun Club Bridge in 2024.

A look at living lakes

Living Lakes Canada is an environmental organization focused on protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems across the country.

It collaborates with various stakeholders, including communities, indigenous groups, governments and environmental organizations, to promote sustainable water management and conservation practices.

The organization is part of a global network of Living Lakes, which works to protect and rehabilitate lakes, wetlands and other freshwater bodies.

Living Lakes Canada participates in scientific research, community education and on-the-ground projects to address issues such as water quality, habitat degradation and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. fresh water.

By carrying out activities such as water monitoring, habitat restoration and watershed management planning, the organization aims to protect the health of Canada’s freshwater resources for current and future generations . Her work also involves advocating for policy changes and raising awareness about the importance of preserving freshwater ecosystems.

Additional information

• Cottonwood Creek Water and Aquatic Resources Assessment

• Cottonwood Creek Community Revival Meeting Report

• Cottonwood Creek Fish Habitat Restoration Proposal