Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society

Greetings fellow Brooklyn Creek enthusiasts!
A lot has happened in 2023: 

• We had a very successful smolt count in the Spring, reporting more than 2,700 coho smolts exiting the stream. This demonstrates the vitality and health of Brooklyn Creek as a rearing ground for small salmon, despite the urbanization of the watershed.
  
• We embarked on a project to collect water samples for 6 PPD-Q, a compound that leaches from tire wear on road surfaces and then makes its way to the creek via stormwater drainage. This is part of a larger project studying the issue in eastern Vancouver Island watersheds from Victoria to Campbell River.
  
• We are in Year 2 of a 4-year project to carry out habitat improvements of Brooklyn Creek at Birkdale Farm. Approximately 1.6 km of the creek’s 6 km passes through this property. Many of you helped in de-fishing the work site prior to construction and planting native vegetation in the riparian area afterwards.

We will hold our AGM on November 8, 2023 and everyone is welcome to attend.  As a Society, we advocate for the health of Brooklyn Creek and undertake just a few activities each year, recognizing we are all volunteers. But you know the saying, many hands make light work. We are seeking individuals who would be interested in taking on some of the duties that help things run smoothly, such as organizing volunteers for an activity, help in communications, grant writing, make presentations to municipal governments or other agencies, public education and outreach. You don’t need to know a lot about salmon or habitat restoration; you only require a passion for making this small part of the world a little bit better. 

If you are interested in attending the AGM or are considering becoming a Director, please send a note through the BCWS website or email me directly at . We’d love to see you there! 

I have enjoyed my time as President of BCWS very much but am now stepping away from the Society. I am happy to announce John Neilson and Carl Graves will take on the duties of President, with each taking the role for a year, starting with John.

Thank you all for volunteering over the years. BCWS and the fish are most appreciative! 

Sincerely,
Christine Hodgson

The Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society has been working with the BC Conservation Foundation to collect water samples to check for the presence of a car tire wear compound, known as 6 PPD-Q.  This organic chemical, often found in stormwater discharges,  has been shown to be toxic to coho salmon, even at very low concentrations. Read about 6PPD in Road Runoff Assessment.

 While we were able to get one rain event sampled this past summer; there is a need to expand our collection at the main site (Balmoral Avenue crossing) and possibly expand to include one or two other sites.

There was a tutorial led by Haley Tomlin, from the BC Conservation Foundation where we discussed our results so far, compared them with other streams being sampled, discussed the sampling protocols, and opened a new smartphone app to help us document the samples that are being collected. The samplings will be taken before, during, and after rain events. 

If you are interested in joining one of the sampling group, please contact Haley at or contact us.

Due to the weather forecast, the dates have changed to:
Wednesday, October 11th, 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00pm
Thursday, October 12th, 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00pm (if planting is completed, we may switch to invasive removal at Mac Lang park)
Friday, October 13th, 9:00-12:00pm (invasive removal at Mac Lang park)

Here is an opportunity to participate in a community planting of indigenous plants and removal of invasive plants along the creek at Birkdale Farm, 1836 Guthrie Road.

In the summer of 2023 there was another stage of restoration of Brooklyn Creek on the property of Birkdale Farm. The next stage is much more user friendly for any gardeners or invasive plant pullers and an opportunity to see the results of recently completed work. Perhaps we will see some avid Pink salmon travellers that were making their way up Brooklyn Creek this last week!

Please review the information below and pick some dates to participate in some fun, helpful volunteer work.

October 11th, 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00pm
October 12th, 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00pm (if planting is completed, we may switch to invasive removal at Mac Lang park)
October 13th, 9:00-12:00pm (invasive removal at Mac Lang park)

Activities will include planting native shrub species in the riparian area. Plants will be in 1-gallon pots.

We recommend bringing work gloves, weather appropriate wear, good work shoes or boots and some snacks. We would also really appreciate if you could bring your own shovel. We have several to share but may not have enough if we have a good turnout.

There will also be the opportunity for one or two volunteers to help install an informative sign just offsite, including digging 2 holes for posts and mixing concrete. If anyone feels particularly keen for an hour of this kind of labour, please let us know what date you plan to come. Email Mikala at to confirm if you would like to sign up for this specific activity.

If intending to participate, please use the following link for a sign up sheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PikfYdl2uHmocCNBv8ZxYSz4IXYdqYBMQi4nRvxlqy4/edit?usp=sharing
If unable to access the link, please email Carl at .

We hope to see you there!

BCWS Team

On Tuesday September 26, 2023 Comox young and old residents were delighted to see many pink salmon in Brooklyn Creek, after a big rainfall a few days earlier. Most were at the fish ladder just downstream from Balmoral Avenue. Thoughts were that they were misguided pinks that came from the nearby Puntledge River (UPDATE: or the Tsolum River article). Others thought that these fish were from the small run that was in Brooklyn Creek in 2021, just two years ago to almost the day. Article with photos here. Pinks swim to the ocean and return in two years. “Most fish I have ever seen in this creek” was a common comment many viewers said. The next day more had arrived, with estimates up to 100 fish in the fish ladder area alone.

Pinks are also known as “humpies” due to the males growing a distinctive hump on their shoulders when maturing. Below are some photos and video sent in by readers (send yours to the webmaster: ). Interestingly, several dead salmon had their heads removed, but none of the body parts (the row, the flesh) were eaten.

Video :

The local Record Newspaper has an article (with video) about this exceptional Fink salmon run.

If you have good photos, videos or stories you would like to share, send them along to the webmaster, Alan at .

The following was sent to all Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society volunteers September 27, 2023. Sign up to volunteer now.

There is an opportunity to participate in planting of indigenous plants and removal of invasive plants along the creek at Birkdale Farm, 1836 Guthrie Road.

As previously related in emails, this past summer there was another stage of restoration of Brooklyn Creek on the property of Birkdale Farm. The next stage is much more user friendly for any gardeners or invasive plant pullers and an opportunity to see the results of recently completed work. Perhaps we will see some avid Pink salmon travellers that were making their way up Brooklyn Creek on September 26th!

Please review the information below and pick some dates to participate in some helpful volunteer work. Note: dates were slightly changed because of weather forecast!

Wed. Oct. 11th, 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00pm
Thur. Oct. 12th, 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00pm

Fri. Oct. 13th 9:00 to 12:00 p.m.

Activities will include planting native shrub species. Plants will be in 1-gallon pots (<10lbs) and will be planted with shovels along the bank, where there is some mud and uneven ground. For folks with mobility limitations may be paired up with someone to help them plant, bringing them plants and preparing the ground. We will also focus on invasive removal in the reach that was restored last year. Many thistles and blackberries have reemerged and require hand pulling and digging up roots with shovels.

We recommend bringing work gloves, weather appropriate wear, good work shoes or boots and some snacks. We would also really appreciate if anyone has a shovel that they could bring and work with. We have several to share but may be limited if we have a good turnout.

If intending to participate, please use this google link for a sign up sheet. 
 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PikfYdl2uHmocCNBv8ZxYSz4IXYdqYBMQi4nRvxlqy4/edit?usp=sharing

 If unable to access this link, please email Carl at  

We hope to see you there!

BCWS Team

P.S. signup to volunteer now.

We are thrilled to report BCWS received a donation of $5,000 from Tree Island Yogurt to help with the work ongoing at Birkdale Farm.  Thank you, Merissa and Scott, for the kind and generous donation.  The donation reflects their commitment to be stewards of the natural world.

Tree Island Yogurt sources some of its milk from Birkdale Farm, owned by Guy Sim.  They are very supportive of BCWS’s planned 4-year project to restore 1.6 km of Brooklyn Creek’s 6 km length located on the farm property.  Last year, their staff volunteered with the planting.  This year, they made a significant contribution to the project with their cash gift. 

Last year, BCWS was successful in obtaining a grant from Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) to carry out habitat improvements along the lower 450m of the stream, just upstream from Guthrie Road.  This year, BCWS was successful in obtaining a $24,000 grant from PSF to work on the section immediately upstream.  In addition to the donation made by Tree Island Yogurt, this project has received donations from LaFarge and Leighton Contracting Ltd. of spawning gravel and rock over the next 3 years valued at $12,000. 

This work could not be accomplished without the cooperation of the landowner, Guy Sim, funding from PSF, professional oversight of the works by Current Environmental Ltd, and the countless hours our volunteers committed to the project.  This is a wonderful partnership that is reaping huge benefits to the watershed!

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Greetings Brooklyn Creek enthusiasts!  A lot has happened this summer with the financial help of Pacific Salmon Foundation and technical help from Current Environmental Ltd and friends.

Earlier, we posted an article about the fish ladder repairs (fish ladder repairs).  The construction part of the project was completed in August.  There will be a need for volunteers to help with planting native plants in the riparian area this fall.  We will wait for the rains to come before this is done.

Now, the focus is on Birkdale Farm.  Approximately 1.6 km of Brooklyn Creek’s 6 km length is located on the property of Birkdale Farm, a dairy farm operated by Guy Sim.  For 2022, BCWS received a grant from Pacific Salmon Foundation to undertake habitat improvements in the lower 450m of the stream, just upstream from Guthrie Road.

An Overview and Level 1 Fish Habitat Assessment was conducted on Brooklyn Creek in the lower and middle reaches (between the estuary and Anderton Road) in the summer of 2021 (Habitat Assessment link).  The results of the Assessment showed that the lowest reach (in Baybrook Nature Park) received a Good rating, the four reaches between Baybrook park and Guthrie Road (located in Mack Laing Nature Park, the Brooklyn Creek Greenway, and Salish Park) received a Fair rating, and the upper reach on Birkdale Farm received a Poor rating. As a result, this section of the creek has been prioritized for restoration works during the next four years, including summer 2022.

Much of the stream channel on the farm property is very narrow, occluded with vegetation such as willow and Reed Canary Grass.  The goal is to widen the channel as much as possible, stabilize the banks, replant the riparian areas with native vegetation, install spawning gravel, and create riffle/pool habitats.  Current Environmental Ltd., a local biological consulting firm, is managing the project.

The grant amount for 2022 is approximately $20,000.  However, much of the work could not be done without the help of volunteers and the generous support of local businesses.  Leighton Contracting (2009) Ltd and LaFarge Courtenay Ltd in total are donating over $12,000 worth of spawning gravel and rock over the next 4 years.  BCWS is very thankful for such generosity displayed by local businesses.

The work area will require planting of native vegetation once the rains have started.  Please keep an eye out for the call for volunteers.

If you have any questions regarding these activities, please leave a note on the Contact Us page and we will respond to your query. And you can sign up for the occasional emailed updates to stay informed.

The Birkdale dairy cows are curious about newcomers.  Hannah Sungaila, biologist for Current Environmental Ltd., gets a warm greeting.

Rupert Wong, principal of Current Environmental Ltd. and a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) is managing the project.

Somewhere in there is a narrow channel comprising Brooklyn Creek.  The goal of the project is to widen the creek bed, install riffles and pools, and replace non-native vegetation lining the streambanks with native species.

BCWS Volunteer setting a fish trap to collect fish fry that may be in the stream channel where work will commence.

Over a 4-day period in early September, 127 fry were collected and relocated to Salish Park.

The owner of Birkdale Farm, Guy Sim (on left), was as surprised as everyone else when so many fry were trapped and removed from this small section of the stream.

Remember to sign up for the occasional emailed updates to stay informed.

Power washing preparation.

Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society is pleased to announce the completion of repairs to the fish ladder located at Balmoral Avenue, in the Mack Laing Nature Park in Comox.  The concrete fish ladder was originally built in the 1980’s by the Comox Rotary Club and is maintained by the Town of Comox.  Over time, the floor of the fish ladder eroded, allowing water to leak through, thus causing potential fish barrier at low flows and raising concerns regarding the overall stability of the structure.

A generous $20,829 grant from Pacific Salmon Foundation has allowed the repairs to be made.

Carefully adding cement slurry.

Current Environmental Ltd., a local biological consulting firm, worked with the Town of Comox and Emerald Sea Engineering to complete the project.  Over a two-week period in August, the creek was diverted and cement was poured into the floors of each cell of the fish ladder.  Sediment, erosion, and water quality measures were employed to ensure no deleterious effects on the stream because of the activity.

Later in the fall, volunteers will plant the adjacent riparian area with native species such as sword fern, salmonberry, and dull-oregon grape and so the area will be protected from foot traffic.

Monitoring fish quality and numbers.

This project is one of many that Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society has facilitated to mitigate damage to the physical habitat and improve overall fish habitat quality.  Brooklyn Creek watershed is in an urbanized area with ongoing residential, business and agricultural development.  The creek is home to spawning populations of coho and chum salmon as well as resident cutthroat trout, sticklebacks, and sculpins.

Monitoring water quality.

The Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society is a registered non-profit society guided by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers dedicated to the protection, preservation, and restoration of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed through community stewardship and education.  If you would like to donate money to support ongoing restorative efforts, please click here.

Catching Smolts in Fish Trap

A sincere thanks to all who assisted with the fish count this year – it was certainly a unique and challenging one, but always helpful to get a sense of what’s happening in our beloved creek.

Smolts

The final tally was 16 smolts and 54 fry, for a total of 70 fish. This number is very low, but is likely an undercount based on unusual water conditions this year. We suspect that some of the fish counted as fry were, in fact, smolts, as this year’s smolts were quite small in comparison to previous years. The attached photo shows two smolts, measuring just 7-9 cm each – barely larger than a typical fry at 4-5 cm.

In addition, the fence overflowed on 12 sampling days out of 50, or about 25% of the time, which likely led to some fish bypassing the trap. This was very unusual with heavy rains, cold weather, and late migration of smolts. We normally see most smolts migrate by the 3rd week of May, but were still seeing the odd smolt in the trap last week, so perhaps there are a few more still making their way down. All of those factors lead us to believe that our number totals are likely a significant undercount, and hopefully next year will prove us right!

Thanks again for all your fine work to support fish counting this year. Despite the low numbers and extra work to keep the fence clear, we hope you had some fun and will be game to pull your boots on again in 2023. As always, if you have questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to send our way via the BCWS website.

Smolt Measurements

Happy summer (whenever it gets here)! 😉

Bill, on behalf of the BCWS group.

This summer of 2022 will be a busy one for Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society.  We were successful in two grant applications with Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and received over $40,000 in total.  The funds will be used to make repairs to the fish ladder located at Balmoral Avenue and to undertake habitat restoration work on Birkdale Farm in a section just below Anderton Avenue.

These projects were identified as high priority in the Level 1 Fish Habitat Assessment undertaken last year, again using funds from PSF.  We are thrilled to have these projects funded.  Current Environmental Ltd., a local biological consulting firm, will oversee the work.  Our local DFO Community Advisor, Laura Terry, is supportive of the projects and will provide advise as needed.

Most of the work will occur in the summer months during low water.  We will notify volunteers when we will need assistance to plant native species in the riparian areas and other projects.

Should you have any questions regarding these projects, send us a note.

Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society received funding from Pacific Salmon Foundation in 2021 to undertake a Level One Fish Assessment of the stream from Anderton Road down to the mouth. Below is the report from Current Environmental Ltd.  We are very pleased with the caliber and level of detail in the report as it provides a blueprint for future restoration activities.

Level 1 Fish Assessment April 2022 (large PDF, opens in new window)

We are still awaiting further information to be provided by a hydrological engineering firm regarding water flows.  We will post their report when it becomes available.

Sign up for future updates.

Hello,

– There have been numerous sightings of coho in Brooklyn Creek this fall, a couple as far upstream as Salish Park. This is good news. If you haven’t seen it, there are several photos and videos posted on the BCWS website.

A couple items to cover:
– you may recall an article in Decafnation regarding the sewage in Brooklyn Creek at Noel Ave. This was discovered by biologist staff from Current Environmental Ltd, a local biological consulting firm. They were conducting a Fish Habitat Assessment, a project funded by Pacific Salmon Foundation through BCWS. The sewage leak was identified on Thursday Sept. 2 around noon. That afternoon DFO, the provincial environmental hotline, and the Town of Comox were notified.
Current Environmental staff set up an isolation area and undertook mitigation by Friday noon. The Town identified the source of the spill, at Hillside but only daylights at Noel, by Friday afternoon and made their plans for a repair. All cleanup was completed by Friday evening, just before the September long weekend. Unfortunately, some of the riparian vegetation planted by volunteers in 2018 were removed in the process. We hope to replant the vegetation in the near future. In the meantime, we’re eagerly awaiting the final report from the Fish Habitat Assessment as it will guide future habitat restoration projects.

– On Oct. 20, BCWS made a presentation to the Town of Comox Council, asking they examine opportunities to have a walking path along the entire length of Brooklyn Creek within Town limits, from Guthrie to the mouth of the creek. At a subsequent Council meeting, Town Council agreed to add this to their list of initiatives. We hope this will move forward in the coming months.

– The Directors of BCWS, all 5 of us, are meeting this coming week. If you would like to join us, please let me know and I will provide details. We would love to see you.

Thank you.
Christine Hodgson

3 male coho in Brooklyn Creek.

Plenty of reports of Coho in the creek have come in this Fall of 2021. Video below (taken at Cedar Avenue bridge, Comox, Nov. 8) show a large red male salmon fighting off other males interested in the female. Also several female Coho salmon digging trenches for their eggs. But mostly fighting amongst the males – size matters!

Female coho in Brooklyn Creek.

Video on Nov. 8, 2021, length 10 minutes, at 1:11 a trout (?) enters the scene and passes through…

Video sent in by Steve Petrowsky of Comox, BC, November 18, 2021:

Video taken on November 20, 2021:

(coming soon)

Do you have photos or videos to show salmon in Brooklyn Creek? We would love to post them to show that there ARE salmon using the creek. Your name can be published or hidden, please say which you prefer. Use a polaroid filter (sunglasses work) to gain clearer images.  Contact us here or webmaster here: .

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These photos and videos were taken near the Balmoral Ave. fish ladder in Brooklyn Creek, Comox, from September 20 to 25, 2021. There had been a tremendous heavy rain on Friday the 17th of 56mm, which encouraged the pink salmon to swim upstream. It’s rewarding to see salmon in the creek! Best viewed on laptop or computer.

Sept. 20, 2021:

Video shows 8 pink salmon in the pool at the bottom of the fish ladder:

After recording the above video, I noticed several dead salmon downstream, and started to photo and count them – some (7) had been partially eaten, some (5) were whole fish, for a total of 12 dead. I went back a few days later and it was hard to find these dead fish, they just disappeared. With no rainfall or increase in the creek’s water level, it’s difficult to figure where the dead fish had gone. Click to enlarge the following photos of the dead salmon found September 21st:

Sept. 25

Later in the week, I returned to find NO alive fish, and lots of evidence of salmon having been eaten (by racoons I assume, see the photo of the footprints). There were zero live fish in the pond that had eight swimming a few days earlier. I looked upstream and downstream in the usual fish holding haunts but nothing to be seen.

If you see fish or wildlife in or around the creek, let us know, it’s always interesting to see what is going on in this urban environment.

Submitted by Alan Pattinson
BCWS Webmaster
Copyright 2021