Stream Keepers Course

Today Roy and I drove down island to French Creek for day 1 of a 2-day Stream Keepers Course. The course teaches the basics of stream management, first part of the day being in-class theory and the afternoons spent putting the theory to practice at a nearby stream. Anyone can take it and it's free to members of a stream enhancement or stewardship group. The course is taught by a biologist/consultant who practices in the area, a very knowledgeable guy who has insights and history of the streams and interesting stories of some of the wins and losses as humans attempt to teach Mother Nature how it should be done.


The class stands at stream side as Biologist Dave teaches basics of testing water quality and measuring and recording stream data as a benchmark for changes that occur over time.


Dave checks for undercuts and Roy looks on and records stream depth as measured.

Stream management is really about regular visits and recording of data such as water quality
(temp., clarity, PH level), stream width and depth, plotting of pools and riffles, stream gradient, bank integrity, bank gradient, vegetation, amount of cover and sunlight, type of bottom (silt, gravel) all of this creating a picture of the viability of the stream as a fish habitat. It's about knowing your stream enough to recognize changes or threats to its health. I have to admit my head was close to bursting by the end of the day. This amount of information is overwhelming.
When class ended Roy and I did a quick walk around French Creek Marina, a large bustling fishing harbour.




We found the store that sold fresh fish, bought some halibut for dinner and headed home.
Tomorrow is about fish and other stream dwelling invertebrates...ouch, my head is hurting again.