Gravel Bar Live Staking Projects
In September 2022, we completed our 5th season of willow live staking on the large Tsolum River gravel bars. We are working our way gradually downstream targeting the largest of the bars and have planted 2.5ha of bars altogether so far. We have also been planting sitka spruce, douglas fir and balsam fir seedlings in the alder dominated riparian understory along the edges of the Tsolum River. So far we have planted over 9,500 trees that were donated by Mosaic Forest Management. Thanks to Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation for their project funding support in 2019, 2020, 2021and 2022. We are always looking for volunteers to help collect willow cuttings for this ambitious project. Click here if you are interested in helping.
Tsolum Wetland Interest Group (TWIG)
Formed in 2021, this branch of TRRS focuses on gathering information about the vast network of wetlands in lower Merville (west of the old Island Highway). Piloted in 2021 the group is involving local neighbours to monitor wetland health, perimeters, fish use, and western toad and other amphibian populations. In 2021 the western toadlet migrations were monitored and mapped, and mitigation measures were installed to try and reduce mortalities at important road crossings. We hope to raise awareness in the Merville neighbourhood and beyond about the tremendous value and ecological services that Tsolum watershed wetlands provide. Read the wetland monitoring report here. Thanks to Sally Gellard and Cherie Lamb for helping to get this program off the ground.
Gravel Bar Live Staking Projects
In September 2022, we completed our 5th season of willow live staking on the large Tsolum River gravel bars. We are working our way gradually downstream targeting the largest of the bars and have planted 2.5ha of bars altogether so far. We have also been planting sitka spruce, douglas fir and balsam fir seedlings in the alder dominated riparian understory along the edges of the Tsolum River. So far we have planted over 9,500 trees that were donated by Mosaic Forest Management. Thanks to Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation for their project funding support in 2019, 2020, 2021and 2022. We are always looking for volunteers to help collect willow cuttings for this ambitious project. Click here if you are interested in helping.
Tsolum Wetland Interest Group (TWIG)
Formed in 2021, this branch of TRRS focuses on gathering information about the vast network of wetlands in lower Merville (west of the old Island Highway). Piloted in 2021 the group is involving local neighbours to monitor wetland health, perimeters, fish use, and western toad and other amphibian populations. In 2021 the western toadlet migrations were monitored and mapped, and mitigation measures were installed to try and reduce mortalities at important road crossings. We hope to raise awareness in the Merville neighbourhood and beyond about the tremendous value and ecological services that Tsolum watershed wetlands provide. Read the wetland monitoring report here. Thanks to Sally Gellard and Cherie Lamb for helping to get this program off the ground.
Other Projects- Lower Tsolum
We assisted the K’omoks First Nation (KFN) in securing funding and environmental permitting for a lower Tsolum gravel bar removal project that was completed in summer of 2022. A large gravel bar was excavated in order to make more room for the river during flood periods. The gravel was used to build a road that will act as a set back dyke to stop flood waters from eroding valuable reserve land including archeological remains. The project focused on the protection of KFN land (IR #2 at the Puntledge Campground) and was funded by Emergency and Disaster Relief funding from the provincial government.
We assisted the K’omoks First Nation (KFN) in securing funding and environmental permitting for a lower Tsolum gravel bar removal project that was completed in summer of 2022. A large gravel bar was excavated in order to make more room for the river during flood periods. The gravel was used to build a road that will act as a set back dyke to stop flood waters from eroding valuable reserve land including archeological remains. The project focused on the protection of KFN land (IR #2 at the Puntledge Campground) and was funded by Emergency and Disaster Relief funding from the provincial government.
Temperature Monitoring Study
In the summer of 2019 we partnered with BCIT/SFU to conduct a temperature monitoring study in the mid watershed. The focus of the study was to identify potential groundwater sources, to measure correlations between riparian status and instream temperature, and to compare current water temperatures to historical temperatures. An SFU Masters student candidate, Kate O'Neill, was the lead on this applied research project that was part of her Masters thesis in Ecological Restoration. Data has been gathered and report is available here. We installed 16 temperature stations in the Tsolum in the summer of 2020 based on Kate's recommendations, and also installed them in 202 and 2022. Find more temperature reports here. This work continues, and each summer, TRRS installs temperature monitoring stations to better understand the temperature trends in the river. We are especially interested in the temperature of water leaving Wolf Lake in the summer which is used to augment, or add to, the flows in Headquarters Creek which feeds the Tsolum.
In the summer of 2019 we partnered with BCIT/SFU to conduct a temperature monitoring study in the mid watershed. The focus of the study was to identify potential groundwater sources, to measure correlations between riparian status and instream temperature, and to compare current water temperatures to historical temperatures. An SFU Masters student candidate, Kate O'Neill, was the lead on this applied research project that was part of her Masters thesis in Ecological Restoration. Data has been gathered and report is available here. We installed 16 temperature stations in the Tsolum in the summer of 2020 based on Kate's recommendations, and also installed them in 202 and 2022. Find more temperature reports here. This work continues, and each summer, TRRS installs temperature monitoring stations to better understand the temperature trends in the river. We are especially interested in the temperature of water leaving Wolf Lake in the summer which is used to augment, or add to, the flows in Headquarters Creek which feeds the Tsolum.