By Cec and Christine Robinson
Recent monitoring of Cortes creeks officially began in 2013 by Cortes Island Streamkeepers, Christine & Cec Robinson. In 2014, streamkeeper numbers expanded as several more salmon enthusiasts began helping with spawner counts. Cortes Island Streamkeeper records were sent to DFO in Campbell River in 2014, and have continued yearly since.
Continue reading Cortes Island Streamkeeper Spawner Counts 2013-2024
Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins were the recipients of this year’s Jo Ann Green Award.
“We thought they encapsulated what the Joanne Green Award is about. We had a number of nominations, but we considered their’s to be the best because of all the work that they’ve done for Wild Cortes. They put in a lot of unseen work in the background to make the Wild Cortes exhibit the success it’s been, and they’re doing that as volunteers,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI).
Continue reading This year’s recipients of the Jo Ann Green Ward: Laurel Bohart and Donna Collins
Part 2 of a series, click here for part 1.
Cortes Currents was mistaken in the original version of this story. The Chum run did not come into Basil Creek early this year – these are Pinks.
According to Cortes Island Streamkeeper Christine Robinson there have not been any Pink runs on Cortes since 2015 (when most of them perished in front of the culvert in Squirrel Cove), but there was a huge surplus this year. Pinks are known to stray and find creeks other than their natal streams, and this may be an explanation for their presence on Cortes Island. They started to turn up in Squirrel Cove Creek two to three weeks ago, and Basil Creek and Chris’ Lagoon around Sept 28, but there does not appear to be enough water in the creeks for them.
Continue reading Pink Salmon return to Cortes after 8 years, but water levels are too low
Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure closed a small segment of Whaletown Road on Cortes Island. The impact on the local community is minimal. However British Columbia’s threatened fish stocks greatly benefit from projects like replacing the culvert at Basil Creek.
Continue reading Replacing the Culvert at Basil Creek
Six to eight hundred adult Chum Salmon used to come up Hansen’s Creek. Now there are 30 in a good year and as few as 3 in poor ones. Though we were talking about Cortes Island, this is a common phenomenon along the West Coast of British Columbia. What happened to the salmon?
Continue reading Cortes Streamkeepers in Basil & Hanson Creeks: What happened to the salmon?
