Four Mile Creek Project

This project, which is located four miles upstream of the estuary on the San Juan River on Vancouver Island, was initiated in 1980 to enhance chum stocks. The 4Mile Creek Enhancement Society manages this project, which consists of a hatchery facility and seapen project that enhances chinook.

The first expansion took place in 1980 with the production and addition of chinook. This was followed by the initiation of the rearing program (1982), the lake pen rearing strategy for chinooks (1985), and the first downstream trapping program to assess coho smolt migration (1985). The project furthered its expansion in 1990 with addition of the onsite adult holding facility, rearing capacity and chinook counting fence.

By 2004, upgrades to the project included: the creation of the alternate groundwater source, turbine, surface water feed line, new hatchery building installed with round tubs, creation of off channel habitat, aluminium floating fences and four new net pens.

Current project objectives are to:

• restore chinook populations in the San Juan River
• maintain a healthy coho population in San Juan River
• implement a chinook stock assessment program
• promote education and awareness around importance of salmon stocks to community
• maintain fish passage into San Juan River
• provide local volunteer and school groups an opportunity to participate in hands on fisheries projects

Contact

Partner group: The 4Mile Creek Enhancement Society
Project managers: Lisa Margetish and Shane Burinsma
Telephone: 236-362-0067
Email: 4milehatcherydfo@gmail.com