Fraser River slide: Salmon passing through site, officials considering permanent fix
Officials say thousands of migrating salmon are making their way past an area of British Columbia's Fraser River where a waterway was restructured following a massive rock slide more than two years ago.
Gwil Roberts, the Fisheries Department's director for the Big Bar landslide response, says 79,000 sockeye and chinook salmon have been counted passing through the site and sonar systems are not detecting delays of migrating salmon.
He says the design of a less treacherous route through the slide zone and low river levels this summer are helping salmon get to their upstream spawning grounds, but finding a permanent solution for the fish to navigate the area is now on hold.
The survival of valuable Fraser River salmon runs was threatened when a slide of more than 85,000 cubic metres of rock ended up in the river and created a five-metre waterfall that trapped the fish below.
Roberts says this year's completion of a protected fishway at the slide site is allowing salmon to make it upstream on their own after earlier efforts to truck them past the area or propel them in a tube with a so-called fish cannon.
He says plans to install a permanent fishway at the slide site by next May have been delayed due to safety and weather issues, while the provincial government as well as local Indigenous groups consider a long-term solution.
“We have passage this year,” Roberts told a news conference. “That's a tremendously good sign.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.