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City, Harmac boost Nanaimo River levels to help spawning salmon

Oct 3, 2017 | 5:14 PM

NANAIMO — The Nanaimo River will be flowing three times faster than normal this week in an effort to help spawning salmon find their way home.

Nanaimo Forest Products and the City will pump extra water into the river starting Wednesday, Oct. 4 to encourage Chinook salmon to move upstream as they prepare to spawn.

Nanaimo River Hatchery manager Brian Banks said right now the Chinook are waiting in the lower tidal portion of the river because water levels are very low.

“With the low river, they’re susceptible to predation down there so the extra water does increase the amount of spawners that make it,” Banks said. “With these droughts happening more and more, it’s been so important to get these releases.”

City water resources manager Bill Sims said the initiative to help the fish spawn has been happening for more than 20 years and is a partnership of organizations invested in “the good of the river.”

Sims said the release will drop water levels in their Jump Lake reservoir by about a metre. “It is a major concern if we’re low on water, however we’re always careful in the management of the water throughout the summer to try and preserve something for this release in the fall.”

People are warned to take extra care around the river for the rest of the week as water will be moving much more quickly and levels will likely rise several inches compared to normal for this time of year.

 

island-news@jpbg.ca

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