Fish Kill Reported in Hoy Creek

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The Hoy/Scott Watershed Society was advised by the City of Coquitlam that they were notified today of a fish kill reported on June 28 through the Observe Record Report (ORR) phone line by a member of the public stating that "approximately 100 dead fish were seen on the bottom of Hoy Creek near the intersection of Glen Drive and Johnson Street. The caller noted no evidence of signs of pollution, sediment or signs of potential causes of death."

"City Environment Division attended the site between 1:50 – 2:15 pm this afternoon and located approximately 25 dead salmonid fry-sized fish in a 10m stretch of slower water accessible from the trail about 30 metres downstream from the Glen Drive culverts. No dead fish were visible upstream from the culverts. The water at the location where the dead fish were seen was clear, and no smells or other evidence of pollutants were noted. City Drainage staff attended the site between 2:30 – 2:53 pm and were not able to locate any oil or turbidity in the creek. Drainage staff noted that they saw fish swimming around the creek."

Anyone with any information can email us at hoyscottwatershed@gmail.com. Should you see a spill or dead fish in the stream, please contact the authorities. Here's more information on who to reach out to via our Contact page.

Another Spill in Hoy Creek Reported

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Photo: Flowlink Environmental

On June 11, a resident reported another spill in Hoy Creek. Later Flowlink Environmental, who was on-site testing water later submitted the photo above.

This inflow area east of Walton Ave just before the footbridge has been a trouble spot over the years. The Society checked the storm drain system via the city’s maps and see that the area is vast up the mountain that flows into this particular inflow drain.

The City of Coquitlam reported that one of their environment bylaw officers and engineering staff inspected the stretch of Hoy Creek near Pinetree Community Centre that afternoon.

“They observed a localized area of sediment suspended in the creek but they were unable to trace the source as the creek directly upstream and downstream was running clear. They also did not see any fish swimming in the affected area so they don’t believe that the fish were impacted.”

Should you see any suspicious activity, from a construction company or individual at a home or commercial space as it relates to storm drains, please contact the authorities. With water running downstream there's a narrow opportunity to source the contaminants. We keep information on who to contact should you see suspicious activity on our contact page of this website.

Hatchery tour provided to Communities in Bloom judges

Left to right: Maya Uno of Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, Jim Baird and Evelyn Alemanni of Communities in Bloom. 

Hoy Creek Hatchery was once again a point of interest for visiting judges of the Communities in Bloom competition.  

"Communities in Bloom - Collectivités en fleurs is about greening through environmental, natural heritage conservation and horticultural actions that involve citizens, businesses, institutions, and municipalities.  The program is focused on environmental stewardship through enhancement of green spaces."

On July 19 Jim Baird (USA) and Evelyn Alemanni (USA) spent a busy day visiting City parks and locations and the salmon hatchery is one of the key places in the city that exemplify their ethos.

Leading the tour for the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society was Maya Uno, a City of Coquitlam environmental award recipient.

HSWS member and environtmental award recipient, Maya Uno at Hoy Creek Hatchery. 

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society acknowledged at City environmental awards

Members of Hoy-Scott Watershed Society with their certificate of appreciation pose with Hucklebeary at Coquitlam city hall. 

The City of Coquitlam held its fourteenth Environmental Achievement Award celebration on Sunday, June 24 recognizing community volunteers who excel in the areas of conservation, public awareness, environmental education, habitat enhancement and sustainable living.  In addition, the award recipients show initiative and leadership while volunteering for projects that have long-term environmental benefits for the community.

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) received a certificate of appreciation for the volunteer work that we do. 

Representing the Society at the event held at City Hall, was the president, Robbin Whachell; director Lani Lehun; past director, Nathen Blower; longtime members Earl and Lilian Elliott; and newcomers, Steven Wang, and Leo Li. 

"It's wonderful to connect with like-minded groups at this annual event and learn about the wonderful things others are doing," said Robbin Whachell. "It's definitely motivation for our team, and, while not everyone was able to attend, they are appreciated. It means a lot to be recognized for the effort we put in." 

Below is a video produced by the City of Coquitlam showcasing local environmental groups. 

For a full list of recipients, check out the City's press release HERE.

Salmon Leave Home to be held Sunday, May 7th

Join the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society on Sunday, May 7th for Salmon Leave Home at the Hoy Creek Hatchery which is located in the woods behind Douglas College north of Guildford Way in Coquitlam.   Salmon Leave Home provides the community the opportunity to help release coho smolts into Hoy Creek.  The salmon are approximately 17 months old and can range in length from 4 to 8 inches. Since their incubation, they have been living in a freshwater stream environment at hatchery.

The annual event takes place from 11am to 2pm and will go 'rain or shine'.  Society volunteers will net and bucket the fish from the rearing pond, and children of all ages will carry the buckets a short distance to the creek to release the salmon.

From there, the smolts begin their journey to the sea via Hoy Creek, then Scott Creek, then Coquitlam River, then the Fraser River, and finally into the Strait of Georgia at the Pacific Ocean! 

This free family event will also offer educational activities, and music will be provided by 98.7 The Point.

The Hoy Creek Hatchery is located on Hoy Creek Trail, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex at the corner of Pinetree and Guildford Way.

Hoy Trail has a several entrances:
- Walk in from Princess Crescent;
- Walk in from behind Douglas College;
- Walk in from Guildford Way (between Johnson and Pinetree);
- Walk in from Walton Avenue, or behind Walton Elementary;
- Walk in from the foot of Lasalle Place.

To find the exact location simply Google, "Hoy Creek Hatchery."

Stay notified via our Facebook page and be sure to invite your family and friends!  Our event hashtag is #salmonleavehome, so if you attend, feel free to tweet or share, and check out what others are posting with our event hashtag.

(Photos from last year)

Salmon Come Home returns to Coquitlam on Sunday, October 23rd

Hoy-Scott Watershed volunteer Kyle Uno holds up a chum salmon for others to see at Salmon Come Home 2015.  (Photo: Ed Paulino / HSWS)

The salmon are coming!  Join the City of Coquitlam and the Hoy-Scott Creek Watershed Society to celebrate the return of the salmon to Hoy Creek at the annual Salmon Come Home at Hoy Creek Hatchery on Sunday, October 23rd from 11 am to 3 pm. Bring your family and friends to participate in this exciting community event which attracts thousands of people to view spawning chum salmon in-stream, and learn about this amazing fish through educational demonstrations and displays.

Enjoy music, children's crafts, costume parade and story telling with Angela Brown, prize fish pond, face painting,  music by CKPM FM 98.7 The Point, and the Creative Café and guest artists will be serving up fun and Spirit Bear Coffee.

The free, family event runs rain or shine and provides a great opportunity to learn about the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society's salmon enhancement program, as well as the work of many other local stewardship groups who attend.

Hosted by the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, and the City of Coquitlam who will have their Bad Seed/Urban Forestry; Park Spark; Solid Waste and Recycling; and Water Conservation Departments out. Other participants include Articipation; BC Salmon Marketing Council; Burke Mountain Naturalists; Coexisting with Coyotes; Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable; Coquitlam Riverwatch; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC; Kintec; Maple Creek Streamkeepers; Port Moody Ecological Society; and Kwikwetlem First Nation.

Hoy Creek Hatchery is located off of Princess Crescent, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex and the Pinetree Community Centre in Coquitlam.  Parking is available at City Hall or at Douglas College David Lam Campus where you can enjoy a short walk inland to the hatchery via Hoy Creek Trail. To find the exact location simply Google "Hoy Creek Hatchery."

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society has been in operation since 2002 and is a volunteer run society that operates a small salmon hatchery, and conducts a salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, with technical expertise from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  The Society also works to restore and maintain the riparian habitat in the watershed by removing invasive plant species and re-planting with native plant species. Learn more about the Society at hoyscottcreeks.org

Salmon Come Home is environmentally-themed and designed to promote public awareness about conservation and spawning salmon that migrate back to Coquitlam. For more information on Salmon Come Home, please visit coquitlam.ca/enviroevents

Hatchery Manager Internship / Assistant Hatchery Manager Position Available

Hoy Creek Hatchery is located east of Douglas College David Lam campus in Coquitlam, along Hoy Trail.

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society in Coquitlam, B.C. has an internship opening for a fish hatchery manager.

The individual will work with current hatchery manager, Rodney Lee as an assistant in managing the hatchery. No previous experience is needed.  This role will act as the manager's backup, and will train in all aspects of managing the hatchery including brood stock collection, egg takes, equipment operation and maintenance, egg incubation and caring for the alevins and fry. 

Interested persons should provide a brief essay stating your interest, previous experience (if any) and why you'd like this role. 

Time commitment: Late September to end June.  Hours vary but would typically require at least 3 hours every Saturday morning through the season.  This commitment will coincide with our season where we capture broodstock all the way through until the fry are marked (adipose clipped) and can be transferred across to the rearing pond.  The commitment ends with season ending equipment cleaning.

Communication: Needs to be available by cell phone and text message as a primary means of communication.  Email is secondary.

What will the intern do?:
- Learn how the hatchery operates
- Learn how to start-up and maintain equipment
- Learn about salmon and primarily the 2 species we will be incubating - Chum and Coho
- Learn about and conduct the egg take and fertilization process.
- Learn about and maintain biosecurity protocol for the facility.
- Assist with weekly and season maintenance activities
- Assist with the care and feeding of all generations of fish
- Assist with fish length and weight sampling including started fish health calculations
- Assist with taking water quality measurements
- Assist with operation of the rearing pond including the operation of the lower pond and outlet weir.
- Learn about aquaculture in the context of the Salmon Enhancement Program through Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
- Assist with planning and execution of fish marking (adipose clipping).
- Assist with transport and release of surplus Coho fry to Upper Hoy and Upper Scott if necessary.
- Help with riparian restoration by removing invasive plants (maintain sites that have been recently restored) - optional.
- Assist at our public events: Salmon Come Home (October); Salmon Leave Home (May)
- Act as the backup for Rodney in terms of managing the hatchery once trained.

Please email Rodney Lee with questions or to state your interest in this role: rodneyclee@gmail.com

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) is a volunteer run non-profit society that operates a small salmon hatchery beside Hoy Creek, and conducts a salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and with technical expertise from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The group stewards the Hoy and Scott Watersheds, promoting public awareness and education, and is involved in watershed habitat restoration and preservation.  Learn more at our website: hoyscottcreeks.org