As you know, we are in a drought that began last fall. Waterflow in Shelly Creek has been lower than normal since November 2025, which we believe prevented Coho Salmon from entering the creek to spawns. Low summer flow could threaten the resident Coastal Cutthroat Trout in Shelly Creek Park. MVIHES has responded by joining the province-wide Aquatic Environment Drought Monitoring Program (AEDM) along with many other community groups.
The project is led by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) and Pacific Salmon Foundation. Support from First Nations Fisheries Council, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, through the Salmon Emergency Action Support Table (SEAS) informs this collaborative approach to drought monitoring and funds emergency mitigation projects.
MVIHES members are monitoring drought conditions and looking for warning signs that fish rescue or flow-enhancement measures may be needed. We enter the data into a simple Survey123 reporting tool monitored by WLRS, allowing emergency response and intervention to help protect fish. Our monitoring so far includes sites along the Englishman River, Shelly Creek, Morningstar Creek and French Creek
Actions by SEAS could include:
- Emergency interventions such as flow releases on regulated systems, flow and groundwater reconnection for isolated pools, beaver dam management
- Regulatory responses such as curtailing licensed water use, angling closures related to temperatures,
- Outreach to licensed water users to maximize conservation efforts, compliance and enforcement of unauthorized water users
If you would like to get involved with AEDM contact us at info@mvihes.bc.ca