A local conservation group in Prince George, B.C., has successfully reconnected a small side channel of the Nechako River at Cottonwood Island Park, preventing fish from being stranded and dying in disconnected pools during low water periods. The 1.4-km-long side channel serves as a refuge and spawning habitat for many fish species, but would dry up when the water receded, leaving fish vulnerable to predators or stranded in sediments.
Jesi Lauzon, the operations co-ordinator for Spruce City Wildlife Association, highlighted the dire situation faced by the fish when the water ran out of oxygen and dried up completely, sometimes freezing solid over winter. Using an excavator in early December, the group permanently reconnected the channel to the Nechako River, preventing it from becoming an area of mortality and destruction.
Lauzon’s inspiration for the project stemmed from an incident involving her basset hound Daisy, who ended up covered in muck after venturing into the drained channel. As a former fisheries biology student at the University of Northern B.C., Lauzon saw an opportunity to work on a conservation project for aquatic ecosystems and collaborated with Spruce City Wildlife Association to make it a reality.
After two years of data monitoring, Lauzon proved that the channel was not a safe winter refuge for salmon. Volunteers assisted in setting traps and relocating salmon caught within the channel to safer areas while the restoration project progressed. With the channel now reconnected to the Nechako River, Lauzon looks forward to observing the changes in fish and wildlife populations using the channel.
The project received support from various community organizations, including the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation’s fisheries team, who planted willow trees along the channel to enhance wildlife habitat and strengthen the banks. Lauzon expressed gratitude for the collaborative effort that made the restoration project a success, emphasizing the contributions of many individuals and businesses in the community.
