rearing pond

Rearing Pond Salvage Saves Crayfish, Lamprey and Coho

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society conducted our annual rearing pond salvage on May 29.

Coho smolts were released on May 18. The floor boards were removed. The water drained from the pond leaves lots of discoveries for invertebrates and crustaceans like crayfish, stoneflies and lamprey. We found crayfish, coho fry and smolts and caddis fly. All were released into the stream.

Thanks to our volunteers who helped out.

After the salvage, the City of Coquitlam arranges for the pond mud and sediment to be removed via McCrae's Environmental Services (a vacuum truck), and then the pond will be pressure washed and floorboards returned. The creek water will then be reintroduced to make way for the transfer of Coho fry from the hatchery.

This year our back pond area will also be cleaned.

A final look in the rearing pond before dark.

Rearing Pond Invertebrate Salvage

Mucky business, but good fun making discoveries!

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society conducted the annual rearing pond salvage on May 31.

Coho smolts were released on May 14. The water drained from the pond leaves lots of discoveries for invertebrates and crustaceans like crayfish, stoneflies and lamprey for discovery. We found crayfish, juvenile lamprey, coho fry, and caddis fly. All were released into the stream.

Thanks to our volunteers who helped out. Interesting was the shared relevant knowledge and experiences related to the activity expressed by participants!

Floorboards over the pond were first removed. After the salvage, the City of Coquitlam arranges for the pond mud and sediment to be removed via McCrae's Environmental Services (a vacuum truck), and then the pond will be pressure washed by the Society, floorboards returned, and then the creek water is reintroduced.

A very large crayfish! It was returned to Hoy Creek.

Later this month, the rearing pond will then be ready for the next coho brood to be transferred from the hatchery to live there until May 2024.

Salmon Return After Successful Home Coming Event

Isaac Nelson of DFO points out markings on the chum salmon held by HSWS hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard at the Salmon Come Home festival on Oct. 23 (HSWS photo)

Our annual Salmon Come Home event, held in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, took place on October 23, a beautiful cool dry autumn day. The popular community event has grown over the years, along with the forest area around the hatchery, so the event has expanded to include the Douglas College parking area. Salmon Come Home celebrates the life cycle of salmon, which spend their adult lives at sea and then return to the creeks where they hatched to spawn and die.

Thanks to the support of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, live salmon talks were provided each hour during the event, led by Isaac Nelson (DFO) and assisted by hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard. Live chum salmon were brought in from the Coquitlam River, as with the low rainfall, the streams had not risen to provide them passage.

That all changed on October 24, as enough rainfall had occurred to bring the chum salmon home.

A chum salmon jumps in Hoy Creek on Oct. 24 (HSWS photo)

Society members had the 10-month-old coho fry out for viewing adjacent to the rearing pond and visitors learned about the returning species. The hatchery incubation room was also on display.

Families were provided the opportunity to plant spruce seedlings or wildflower seeds in peat pots to take home.

Maple Creek Streamkeepers got people up close to examine a salmon dissection.

Members of Maple Creek Streamkeepers at the salmon dissection table (HSWS photo)

Over at the Douglas College site, live entertainment was provided by Elaina Buenaventura, Etienne Siew, and Erzsi Institorisz. Many other local environmental groups were on site. Other activities include the popular Nylon Zoo and costume parade with Angela Brown, food trucks and an explore nature contest.

Now that the salmon have begun their return, check out our Salmon Spotting Tips. Typically, chum salmon return to local creeks from early October to mid-November and coho from late October to mid-December. Return dates of salmon fluctuate annually based on weather conditions.

Families learn about the salmon species and view coho fry outside the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery (HSWS photo)

A beautiful fall day for Salmon Come Home on Oct. 23 at Hoy Creek Hatchery (HSWS Photo)

Rearing Pond Invertebrate Salvage

Crayfish catch! All found in the bottom of the rearing pond. (Photo: HSWS)

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society conducted the annual rearing pond salvage on May 24.

Coho smolts were released on May 14. The water drained from the pond leaves lots of discoveries for invertebrates and crustaceans like crayfish, stoneflies and lamprey for discovery. One salmon smolt, as well as about a dozen fry, were also found. All were released into the stream.

Floorboards over the pond were first removed. After the salvage, the City of Coquitlam arranges for the pond mud and sediment to be removed via McCrae's Environmental Services (a vacuum truck), and then the pond will be pressure washed by the Society, floorboards returned, and then the creek water is reintroduced.

Later this month, the rearing pond will then be ready for the next coho brood to be transferred from the hatchery to live there until May 2023.

(Photo: HSWS)

Tyler searching with flashlight. (Photo: HSWS)

(Photo: HSWS)

Hatchery Rearing Pond Gets a Face-lift

Photo taken in June 2021 during refurbishments by the City of Coquitlam. (Photo: HSWS)

Thanks to the City of Coquitlam for work on refurbishing the historic rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery. Structural beams were replaced. Read more in the Tri-City News.

The "Optimist Rearing Pond" was originally constructed in 1945 to hold trout on the old Brewer property, and was restored with help from the Coquitlam Optimists to be used to rear salmon. It is an enclosed and screened pond area that is stream-fed. Salmon fry are placed in the pond in May of each year and are raised there until they are released the following May at our 'Salmon Leave Home' event.

The crew from the City of Coquitlam during refurbishments. The decorative dragon fly came down until the new beams were put in. (Photo: HSWS)

The original trout rearing facility on the Frederick Brewer property is today's rearing pond at the Hoy Creek Hatchery. (Photo: HSWS Fonds)

The salmon in the rearing pond are fed daily, and society volunteers regularly check for weight and length.  Water temperatures are also checked daily.

Each May after the salmon smolts are released in to Hoy Creek at our 'Salmon Leave Home' event,  the rearing pond is then drained and cleaned. It's always a surprise to see what's living at the bottom! We usually find crayfish, lampreys, caddisfly nymphs and other invertebrates! They too are released into the creek. 

A look at the rearing pond in the year 2000 (Photo: HSWS Fonds)


Coho Smolts Released at Hoy Creek Hatchery

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Another year without fanfare as over 2700 coho smolts have now transitioned to Hoy Creek.

The rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery was opened to release the fingerlings on Saturday, May 23 by hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard. He was assisted by Hoy/Scott Watershed Society director, Kim Mayes.

Due to the pandemic, the usual Salmon Leave Home festival was once again canceled.

The rearing pond will be cleaned over the coming days and will be filled again so the coho salmon fry in the hatchery Capilano trough can be moved into it.

We often find crayfish when we lower the water and this year we did again. The crayfish was moved over to the stream.


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No Fanfare for Salmon Leaving Home at Hoy Creek Hatchery

Hatchery manager, Rodney Lee looks over the channel where the fish were released in a non-traditional manner this year due to COVID-19. No festival took place.

On May 16, a few Hoy/Scott Watershed Society members came out to the Hoy Creek Hatchery to witness the release of the coho smolts.

What has become known as a favourite community affair where children and adults help with releasing the fish with buckets, was kept hushed this year due to COVID-19. A few residents who happened to be out for a walk stood by to observe as hatchery manager Rodney Lee, and assistant hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard released the boards to open the waterway between the rearing pond and Hoy Creek.

Society volunteers see this particular coho brood of approximately 2700 as special because they were the resilient survivors of a major fish kill in May 2019 where thousands of fish in the hatchery and in the creek died of an unknown chemical substance.

Assistant hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard mans the channel where coho salmon smolts were released to the lower pond, where local residents can be seen peering into.

The weather was wet, which did not help visibility for the onlookers, but our team was able to use a Go-pro for some underwater shots, and once the fish made their way through the back pond and down the metal weir to Hoy Creek, it helped us capture this video for our Youtube page. (see videos below)

Now that our rearing pond has been emptied, it will be cleaned and then refilled to prepare for the transfer of our coho fry (broodstock from winter 2019/20). The fry will first undergo an adipose fin clip to identify them as hatchery fish.

Once in the rearing pond, they will remain there until their release at Salmon Leave Home in May 2021.

“We’d like to thank our dedicated and small group of volunteers,” said Society president, Robbin Whachell. “From our daily feeders to those that helped out during Saturday work sessions to monitor the health of our fish and help maintain the riparian area. We also want to thank our neighours, the public, and the residents who keep a watchful eye over the watershed and alert us and the authorities of anything suspicious or negligent.”

It should be noted that since mid-March and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoy/Scott Watershed Society has cancelled all Saturday work sessions, all in-person meetings and hatchery tours or open houses until further notice.

Check out our Facebook page ‘photos section’ for more images.

Hoy - Scott Watershed Society, (HSWS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run environmental stewardship group, that conducts a salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. We are actively involved in watershed restoration, public awareness, education, and preservation.

Rearing pond floorboards upgraded

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The Hoy/Scott Watershed wishes to thank the City of Coquitlam for securing our floorboards at the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery.

The integrity of the board were noted during the annual pond clean out which takes place after the release of our 5000 coho smolts at Salmon Leave Home in May.

Old and rotted wood were replaced.

Back pond reinforced at Hoy Creek Hatchery

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Over a few weeks in May 2018, the back rearing pond  (west of the screened rearing pond) was partially drained and inspected. This has not been done in many years. 

A new liner was added to the pond, and the banks were reinforced with new sandbags. Work sessions took place on Saturday mornings and during the week.

It was discovered that a small channel had formed around the pond's outflow area and salmon were getting confused by it since it didn't lead to the creek. It's all good now - we fixed it! 

What the pond area looks like with most of the water drained. 

What the pond area looks like with most of the water drained. 

Leo and Steven working hard to fill sand bags to secure the pond area. 

Leo and Steven working hard to fill sand bags to secure the pond area. 

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. 

New Art Fixture Installed at Hoy Creek Hatchery

A new dragonfly metal art-piece is proudly displayed above the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery contributed by local artist, Patricia Gaspar.  All three of the pieces here were created over the years by the same artist.

A new dragonfly metal art-piece is proudly displayed above the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery contributed by local artist, Patricia Gaspar.  All three of the pieces here were created over the years by the same artist.

The local salmon hatchery in Coquitlam, nestled in Hoy Creek Linear Park and operated by the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) has just welcomed a new art piece by local artist, Patricia Gaspar.

The metal dragonfly was installed in time for Salmon Leave Home on May 7th.

The sparkling and bejeweled dragonfly is mounted above the rearing pond which houses coho from May to May of each year before they are released into Hoy Creek at Salmon Leave Home.

"We are so pleased to have yet another charming piece of artwork from Patricia on the hatchery grounds," said HSWS president Robbin Whachell.  "Patricia's artwork can be enjoyed by the entire community, and is in sync with our objective of bringing public awareness and education toward the restoration and preservation of our local habitat."

View other artwork at Hoy Creek Hatchery by Patricia Gaspar HERE.

The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society executive would highly recommend Patricia Gaspar for any art projects, in particular those that benefit the community.  Visit the artist's website HERE.

The rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam. Home to our coho salmon from May through May.  When grown to smolts, the salmon are released into the creek at Salmon Leave Home.

The rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam. Home to our coho salmon from May through May.  When grown to smolts, the salmon are released into the creek at Salmon Leave Home.

The new dragonfly art piece by Patricia Gaspar, mounted above the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery.

The new dragonfly art piece by Patricia Gaspar, mounted above the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery.