September 27, Rivers Day celebrates 40 years - an important initiative started in BC that is now an international event. Bringing attention to watersheds, ecosystems and fish populations, it has been an effective tool in engaging and educating people about their relationship to waterway health. Healthy streams, lakes and rivers equal healthy people is the message. Yet four decades later we still have declining fish stocks, over extraction from water licenses, in-stream and riparian development damaging fish habitat, and aquatic biodiversity threats from invasive species, pollution and climate change.
The Nootka Sound Watershed Society along with partners and allies propose to take one watershed, the Muchalat Lake Watershed and make things right. With steelhead trout as the ambassador representing all salmonids and healthy watershed ecosystems, we will address issues at the watershed level. Two rivers drain to Muchalat Lake and look very different (below). Here's a video about the Gold River and Muchalat Lake Watershed:
Below the Oktwanch River and watershed is scarred and the riverbed over widened.
Oktwanch River with extensive stream and riparian impacts & dewatering in summer.
Muchalat River has an intact old growth forest and freshwater estuary at its outlet.
To learn more about how steelhead are the 'canary in the coal mine' for freshwater ecosystems and how helping them helps salmon and other species, read the article below or follow this link: