The repairs to the fish ladder located at Balmoral Avenue, in the Mack Laing Nature Park in Comox have been completed. The concrete fish ladder was originally built in the 1980s by the Comox Rotary Club and is maintained by the Town of Comox. Over time, the floor of the fish ladder eroded, allowing water to leak through, thus creating a potential fish barrier at low flows and raising concerns regarding the overall stability of the structure.
A generous $20,829 grant from Pacific Salmon Foundation has allowed the repairs to be made. Current Environmental Ltd., a local biological consulting firm, worked with the Town of Comox and Emerald Sea Engineering to complete the project. Over a two-week period in August, the creek was diverted and cement was poured into the floors of each cell of the fish ladder. Sediment, erosion, and water quality measures were employed to ensure no deleterious effects on the stream because of the activity.
Later in the fall, volunteers will plant the adjacent riparian area with native species such as sword fern, salmonberry, and dull-Oegon grape.
This project is one of many that Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society has facilitated to mitigate damage to the physical habitat and improve overall fish habitat quality. Brooklyn Creek watershed is in an urbanized area with ongoing residential, business and agricultural development. The creek is home to spawning populations of coho and chum salmon as well as resident cutthroat trout, sticklebacks, and sculpins.
The Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society is a registered non-profit society guided by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers dedicated to the protection, preservation, and restoration of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed through community stewardship and education. For more information about the project, or to become involved with the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society, visit https://brooklyncreek.ca.
ALSO: Comox Valley salmon conservation community receives $139,000 in grants