Hoy/Scott Watershed Society cancels all public activities

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.

Updates will be provided on the Society website and the Society Facebook page when there is certainty as to whether our Salmon Leave Home event and our annual general meeting will go ahead or be cancelled.

Please note that we are still seeking nominations for directors, vice president, and secretary. If you are interested in putting your name forward or want to nominate someone else (with their approval), please email your nomination to hoyscottwatershed@gmail.com.

Feel free to also email us with any questions or concerns.

Stay safe, and enjoy the watershed!

Robbin Whachell
President,
Hoy/Scott Watershed Society

MP for Coquitlam Visits Hoy Creek Hatchery

Thank you Ron McKinnon, Member of Parliament for Coquitlam - Port Coquitlam for taking time and interest in the Hoy - Scott Watershed Society. It was great to show you and some of your team around the Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery and rearing pond area.

On Wednesday, March 4, minister of parliament for Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, Ron McKinnon visited Hoy Creek salmon hatchery to learn about the work of the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society.

The tour was led by society president, Robbin Whachell and Fisheries & Oceans Canada community advisor Scott Ducharme reviewed the incubation room which now holds close to 15,000 coho salmon in stages from eyed-egg to alevins ready to soon swim-up to fry stage.

“Thank you Robbin, for giving me an amazing tour of the community hatchery! It was great to see all the Coho at different stages of incubation,” said MP McKinnon said on his social media page after the visit. “Hoy-Scott Watershed Society is a volunteer-run society committed to environmental stewardship of Hoy-Scott watershed.”

“The work done by Hoy-Scott Watershed Society helps make a sustainable future for our salmon population a reality while ensuring the protection of their natural habitat.”

Scott Ducharme of Fisheries & Oceans Canada shows MP McKinnon coho alevins in the incubation room of Hoy Creek Hatchery.

Left to right: President of Hoy/Scott Watershed Society, Robbin Whachell; Ron McKinnon, MP for Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, and Scott Ducharme, Community Advisor, Fisheries & Oceans Canada.

City Archivist Visits Hoy Creek Hatchery

Emily Lonie, Archivist in the office at Hoy Creek Hatchery (Photo: HSWS)

On Jan. 31, City of Coquitlam archivist, Emily Lonie visited Hoy Creek Hatchery to give guidance on how the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society can protect the documents they have crammed into their little office within the Hoy Creek Hatchery.

“We’re really busting at the seams,” said society president, Robbin Whachell.  “Every inch of space is of value in our small building and we want to ensure our documents are protected now that we’ve long since moved to a digital way of record-keeping.” 

Information deemed historic about the society, the hatchery building and rearing pond, which sits on the former Frederick Brewer property, will be boxed up and transferred to the city archives for preservation and future reference. 

Lonie advised that documents such as society reports, agendas, photographs and drawings are all important to preserve the history of the land and the environmental stewardship group. 

“We’re excited to make space, but even more excited that the public will have access to information that may have only been collecting dust in the hatchery,” said Whachell. 

The hatchery construction started in 1995 and was completed in 1997, and is located in Hoy Creek Linear Park, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex and north of  Guildford Way in Coquitlam, B.C.

Read more about our HISTORY here.

UPDATE: Our hardcopy records transfer was completed on April 2, 2020.

Hatchery Update – Understanding ATUs

Coho salmon eggs (Photo: HSWS)

For salmonid enhancement purposes Hoy-Scott Watershed Society members actively fished and monitored for coho salmon broodstock collections in late 2019, however due to low returns efforts for collection ceased early.

Our team was successful in a coho broodstock collection of close to 15,000 eggs. 3 of our 4 trays

in the incubator have reached the eyed stage and  have now been shocked (addled). The 4th tray is nearing the ATU (Accumulated Thermal Units) where we will see the eggs becoming eyed as the next stage in their life cycle.

To date, survival rates of the fertilized eggs have been excellent which can be a result of many factors including water temperature/quality, handling by staff, disinfection of eggs to equipment and biosecurity. As a reminder to all, water quality can deteriorate from road salts, ice melting products, heavy rains and discharging of spa equipment (pools/hot tubs) to storm drains.The hatchery water supply is fed entirely from Hoy Creek, and harmful substances can effect broodstock mortality in the hatchery as well as the mortality of wild salmon who have spawned in the creek.

HSWS fish trap in Hoy Creek used for broodstock collection. (HSWS photo)

We've been experiencing low water temperatures since late November and this will naturally slow the broodstock's development. In predicting the hatch we calculate ATU's (Accumulated Thermal Units) which are recorded daily. As the eggs approach 448 - 475 ATU, we will see the next stage. The hatch is a result of free oxygen in the egg and as the embryo requires more, it breaks free of the shell but holds on to the yolk sack (food source). 

This next stage is Alevins - more on this in the next update.

Coho fry held in our rearing pond are healthy and at little risk of mortality during this time of year having a higher amount of dissolved oxygen than we would see during warm water temperatures throughout the summer months. However, they are susceptible to environmental conditions such as water quality as mentioned as earlier. The Fry are slower to respond at this time of year due to lower temperatures and when below 6 C, feeding is even withheld due to a slowing metabolic rate in the Fry.

Eggs being prepared for incubation at Hoy Creek Hatchery (Photo:HSWS)

ATUs explained:

ATU stands for Accumulated Thermal Units. This is the method we use to predict when our salmon eggs will hatch, as well as keep track of the progress of our eggs. Here's how it works:

1. On the day the fish are spawned, we measure the water temperature, and record it in the "temp" column in our logs, as well as the ATU column.

2. Each day, the assigned volunteer goes to the hatchery, records the water temperature in the current day "temp" column, and adds it to the previous day's entry in the ATU column.

For example, if the temperature is 9 degrees on Nov. 7 and 9 degrees on Nov. 8, then the ATU would be 18; and if the temperature is 10 degrees on Nov. 9 the new total would = 28 ATUs.

Once this number hits ~ 250 we will know the eggs are eyed and we can clean them. The eggs develop according to water temperature, cooler water, slower development.

In our next update we'll cover the next milestone (Alevin stage) in coho salmon development.

If you have questions or are interested in volunteering with the society, please contact us at hoyscottwatershed@gmail.com.

(Written by Tyler Storgaard, Asst. Hatchery Manager)

Inside the incubation room at Hoy Creek Hatchery. Calculations of broodstock. (HSWS photo)

Earl Elliott recipient of inaugural Hatchery Manager's Award

Left to right: Hoy Creek hatchery manager, Rodney Lee; recipient Earl Elliott and his wife Lilian Elliott, Hoy/Scott Watershed Society director.

On Oct. 20 during the Salmon Come Home event, Hoy Creek Hatchery manager, Rodney Lee awarded the inaugural Hatchery Manager’s Award created to recognize the unparalleled contribution of an individual to the Hoy Creek hatchery.

The distinct honour went to Earl Elliott who has been a Society volunteer since 2006 as well as a past Society Vice President.

Earl working at the Hoy Creek Hatchery in earlier days.

In presenting the award, Rodney Lee said, “Earl has been a valued contributor to the operation of the hatchery. Most importantly, whenever I have needed help with the hatchery, Earl has been there to offer his assistance.”

This has included:

• Routine feeding and maintenance duties

• Bucketing coho smolts in prep for public release at our Salmon Leave Home festival

• Support during our fin clipping sessions

• Sandbagging work to reinforce our lower pond

• Support during annual pond cleanouts

Hatchery Manager Award recipient Earl Elliott (holding his certificate) surrounded by some of the HSWS volunteers at Salmon Come Home.

In addition, Earl has helped with staffing and mentorship for other Society activities such as:

• Manning our display table at public events

• Manning the wheelbarrow during our first series of stream clean-ups and

• Helping with the various weed pulls where we’ve worked with student groups.

“As you can see, it’s not typically the most glamourous work, however, it’s all work that needs to be done to the benefit of the hatchery and our watershed.

Lastly, but most important to me, his involvement kept me going during a critical juncture in the survival of the Society. This has enabled our Society to continue to raise salmon, engage the public and advocate for the Hoy/Scott Watershed.”

Left to right: Rodney Lee, Hoy Creek hatchery manager and HSWS Vice President; Chief Ed Hall, Kwikwetlem First Nation; Lilian Elliott, Director, HSWS; and recipient of the Hatchery Manager’s Award, Earl Elliott. Photo taken during Salmon Come Home on Oct. 20.

Salmon Come Home to Coquitlam Creeks

Families look on at the Maple Creek Streamkeepers table, ready for a salmon dissection demonstration. (HSWS photo)

The annual event Salmon Come Home event hosted by the City of Coquitlam and the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) took place on a very wet Sunday (Oct. 20). Approximately 1300 residents geared up and came out anyway to take part in learning about their watershed and about the salmon lifecycle.

The heavy rain and high water flow dampened the ability to see salmon in the stream for the most part, but several chum salmon were spotted throughout the day in the lower-lying creek areas along Hoy Trail.

The event’s expanded area, allowed for families to enjoy a ‘watershed walk’ between two festival sites, the main site behind Pinetree Community Centre situated next to a Hoy Creek Linear Park trailhead, and the feature site, the Hoy Creek Hatchery. Along the watershed walk between both locations, HSWS put out interpretational signage for the public to enjoy information about plant-life, insects, birds and other animals of the watershed.

Naomi Higo, Institute of Urban Ecology Coordinator for Douglas College provided hourly guided tours along Hoy Trail between the two sites assisted by Lani Lehun of Hoy/Scott Watershed Society.

A welcome with Chief Ed Hall. (HSWS photo)

Chief Ed Hall of Kwikwetlem First Nation offered words of welcome and acknowledged the Society’s loss of HSWS founding member, Chris Hamming in 2019.

HSWS members gathered to pay tribute to Earl Elliott, the recipient of the inaugural Hatchery Manager’s Award presented by Rodney Lee.

Angela Brown’s coho tent provided fun and dry retreat from the rain, as children’s gathered inside the inflated fish to hear stories before suiting up in nylon zoo costumes for a parade along the trail.

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society volunteers had the hatchery on full display and provided talks in front of the rearing pond which houses the young coho fry which will be released this coming May at Salmon Leave Home.

The expanded layout focused on the ‘watershed walk’ which is Hoy Trail, between Pinetree Community Centre and the Hoy Creek Hatchery. (HSWS photo)

Maple Creek Streamkeepers provided salmon dissection for all to view the inside of the fish up close.

The Wild Salmon Creative Cafe kept hearts warm with music provided by several local performers, and hands and bellies warm with Spirit Bear Coffee. Food trucks, BC Taco and Bannock Queen kept everyone well fed. Creative Cafe musical performers were Elaina Buenaventura, Julia DePieri, and Bobby Ravensdaughter,. Metis artist, Pat Calihou gave a carving paddle demonstration.

Creative Cafe artists helped brighten moods on the wet cool day!

Other contributors to the event were: Articipation; Burke Mountain Naturalists; City of Coquitlam Urban Forestry (Bad Seed); City of Coquitlam Environmental Services; Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable; Coquitlam Riverwatch; Friends of DeBoville Slough; Hyde Creek Watershed Society; Maple Creek Watershed Streamkeepers; Port Moody Ecological Society; VanCity Pinetree Branch; Kwiketlem First Nation; and the Minnekhada Park Association.

An event favourite! Angela Brown’s inflatable coho provided a dry spot to hear stories before children and parents suited up in the nylon zoo costume for a parade along the trail. (HSWS photo)

Thank you to all of our youth volunteers that assisted to make this day a success! (HSWS photo)

Interpretational signage along the ‘watershed walk.’ This exact location is where several salmon were spotted on the day. (HSWS photo)

With the heavy rain behind us and current cool clear weather, it makes for idyllic conditions for salmon spotting at both Scott and Hoy Creeks.

Hatchery volunteers have begun their broodstock collecting. Salmon spawning time runs through to mid-December.

(View our Facebook photo album)

A chum salmon spotted in Hoy Creek on Oct. 27, 2019 (Photo: Lilian Elliott)

“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. ”

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society Exhibits at Welcome to Coquitlam

Youth volunteers Ririka Kato and Maya Uno during Welcome to Coquitlam

Volunteers of the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society participated for their first time at the Welcome to Coquitlam event on Oct. 9, 2019, held in city hall. 

The event showcases community-based programs and services and is designed to welcome newcomers to the City of Coquitlam.

“This was a great experience for our volunteers as it made us look at our messaging,” said society president, Robbin Whachell.  “Many newcomers to Coquitlam use English as their second language. This experience put us on our toes ensuring we spoke more concisely about the work that we do. We learned a lot!” 

“We’re looking forward to next year when we can develop our materials for an event like this. I’d like to thank Maya Uno, Steven Wang, Ririka Kato, and Lilian and Earl Elliott for hosting our exhibit and for speaking to the public about our salmon enhancement program,” said Whachell. 

Those interested in joining the society should click the ‘Get Involved’ button at hoyscottcreeks.org to start the simple process. Some of the aspects of helping with the society involve helping maintain the Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery which includes broodstock collection, care of salmon from the egg to smolt stage, and work within the riparian area of the watershed.

Please note that we are all stewards of the watershed. Please enjoy it and help us take care of this precious place.  

Left to right: Maya Uno, Earl Elliott, and Lilian Elliott.

Rain Forecast Hopeful for Salmon Coming Home

Broodstock collection: A coho salmon caught in 2018 for the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society’s salmon enhancement program. (HSWS photo)

The annual event hosted by the City of Coquitlam and the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society takes place this Sunday, Oct. 20 covering an expanded area. The main festival site will be set up behind Pinetree Community Centre between Douglas College David Lam Campus and Pinetree Secondary School, which is just steps away from the Hoy Trail where residents can take a ‘watershed walk’ along Hoy Trail to Hoy Creek Hatchery.

“We’re excited about this year’s new layout,” said the president of Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, Robbin Whachell. “The event attracts a lot of people, and it had become quite tight around the hatchery and creek, in particular with the growth of the surrounding trees. Now we have so much more space, and everyone can enjoy the forest walk from Pinetree which provides some close views of Hoy Creek. Once at the hatchery, which is adjacent to the creek, hatchery volunteers will provide educational talks with live salmon and give hatchery tours.”

The big question everyone is already asking is, “Where are the salmon?”

“We’ve been checking the creek daily for signs of return. Steam water levels are low again, and we’re hoping the rain forecast for this week will bring the salmon home. We have heard salmon are in the Coquitlam River, so they are almost here,“ said Whachell.

Hatchery manager, Rodney Lee providing a talk on the salmon life cycle in 2018 in front of the hatchery rearing pond.

The Society runs a year-round salmon enhancement program focusing on chum and coho stocks and has already prepared for the upcoming broodstock collection.

Even if the salmon do not return in time for the event, it will be an excellent opportunity to explore the watershed and learn from local environmental groups. The hatchery rearing pond has close to 3000 fingerlings, just short from the usual 5000 after the fish kill incident in May. Young wild salmon can also be spotted in the stream in various areas.

“With the environment taking such a strong focus in world news today, one can’t help but worry about the salmon return. Nature is resilient, however, and every year the salmon do arrive. It’s hard to remain patient,” said Whachell. “We have people emailing us asking what day they will arrive, and the best thing to do is keep tabs on our Facebook page. We’ll announce as soon as they show up.”

Visitors are encouraged to start their visit to Salmon Come Home on Sunday at Pinetree Community Centre and enjoy the 'Watershed Walk' to the hatchery. Visitors can use this handy event map to assist with their visit. The event runs rain or shine from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Salmon viewing

There will also be food trucks, live entertainment, a scavenger hunt, face-painting and more.

Maple Creek Watershed Streamkeepers will be attending again performing a salmon dissection.

Location & Parking

The Hoy Creek Hatchery is located in Hoy Creek Linear Park, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex, 1210 Pinetree Way (Pinetree and Guildford Way) and the Pinetree Community Centre, located at 1260 Pinetree Way, just north of Douglas College.

Free parking is available at Coquitlam City Hall, Pinetree Community Centre and Douglas College. Both Pinetree Community Centre and the Hoy Creek Hatchery are also a 7-minute walk from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain Station.

Visitors can use this handy event map to assist with their visit.

More information is available at www.coquitlam.ca/salmoncomehome and  www.hoyscottcreeks.org.  

Thank you to Vancity, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, and the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program.

RSVP TO THE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

Angela Brown’s nylon zoo red salmon will be spawning at Salmon Come Home on Oct. 20, 2019. Come inside, hear a story and dress up in costumes provided for a parade in the watershed.

Expanded Salmon Come Home Event Sunday, Oct. 20

HSWS volunteer, AJ holds up a chum salmon for viewing at Salmon Come Home (Photo: City of Coquitlam)

COQUITLAM, BC, Oct. 9, 2019 – Coquitlam residents are invited to celebrate the annual fall return of chum and coho salmon to Hoy Creek at the popular Salmon Come Home event held on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Event Details

Co-hosted by the City of Coquitlam and Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, the free family event has an expanded site this year.

• New this year are expanded interactive exhibits, musical entertainment, children’s crafts, activities, face painting and food vendors.

• BC Taco, the Jerk Shack, and Spirit Bear Mobile Café will be at Pinetree Community Centre rear parking lot (1260 Pinetree Way) located immediately adjacent to one of the pedestrian entry paths to Hoy Creek Trail.

• Hoy Creek Hatchery has streamside live salmon viewing, informative talks, expanded hatchery tours, crafts and the always-popular Nylon Zoo kids’ costume parade.

• Visitors can enjoy a 'Watershed Walk' and a children's scavenger hunt between the hatchery and Pinetree Community Centre rear parking lot along the Hoy Creek Linear Park Trail that will also be populated with informative signs about the Hoy Creek watershed.

Attendees are advised to dress for the weather, as the event runs rain or shine. See photos of last year’s event.

Location & Parking

The Hoy Creek Hatchery is located in Hoy Creek Linear Park, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex, 1210 Pinetree Way (Pinetree and Guildford Way) and the Pinetree Community Centre, located at 1260 Pinetree Way, just north of Douglas College.

Free parking is available at Coquitlam City Hall, Pinetree Community Centre and Douglas College. Both Pinetree Community Centre and the Hoy Creek Hatchery are also a 7-minute walk from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain Station.

Visitors are encouraged to start their visit at Pinetree Community Centre and enjoy the 'Watershed Walk' to the hatchery. Visitors can use this handy event map to assist with their visit.

More information is available at www.coquitlam.ca/salmoncomehome and  www.hoyscottcreeks.org.  

Volunteers Clean-up Scott Creek near Runnel Drive

The haul after 2 hours in an along Scott Creek north of Runnel Drive.

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society volunteers were out on August 24 for the annual creek clean. This year the focus was Scott Creek, and within two-hours the group was able to remove a sizeable amount of refuse from the urban stream.

The haul consisted mainly of: trash (cans/wrappers/plastics), a Xmas tree, chairs, car and bicycle tires, bike parts, a book, bottles, needles, clothes, bedding, lots of doggy doo bags and more.

“I’m very proud of our group of volunteers,” said society president Robbin Whachell. “Several of whom are new and experiencing Scott Creek for the first time. Our cleanup exercise, which can be discouraging to see the trash, allows us to experience the stream up close and personal.“

“It’s a beautiful time of year, and a safe time for us to walk within the stream without disturbing fish eggs/nests,” said Whachell.

“Although we found a good amount of trash, there were long stretches that appeared unmarred by humans, which was great to see!”

The Society will begin hosting monthly open houses the first Saturday of each month, starting in September. Come by Sept. 7 for a tour and to ask questions. If you’d like to become a volunteer, this is the perfect opportunity to learn more.

Save the date for Salmon Come Home, a family-friendly event hosted by the Society along with the City of Coquitlam. This year the four hour event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20.

(See more photos in our Facebook album)

Helena removes a bed sheet from the stream. (Scott Creek)

Volunteers collecting trash along Scott Creek north of Runnel Dr.

Volunteers of the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society stand near the information sign on Runnel Drive.