Trout Steam At Risk

Damage caused by off-highway vehicles in Fall Creek, an important bull trout fish spawning creek. Bull trout need clear and cold water to successfully reproduce. WAYNE CROCKER/ Alberta Environment and Parks

Trout Steam At Risk

by Mary-Ann Barr, Red Deer Advocate, August 22, 2015

— "You don't know what you've got till it's gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot." - Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi

Fall Creek, an important spawning water for the beleaguered bull trout — a protected native fish and Alberta’s provincial fish — is being damaged by people illegally driving their off-highway vehicles into it.
As well, the surrounding area is suffering from increased OHV traffic, enabled when logging in the area southwest of Rocky Mountain House started a few years ago.

Why should anyone care about the bull trout? After all, it’s just a fish and there are other kinds of fish. And there’s lots of wilderness for all users.

Actually, it’s about caring for native species that are part of our living heritage in this beautiful province, and it’s about the big picture — protect and respect the environment, or lose it.

Read more here:  http://bit.ly/1KbTnhA


From CBC Calgary today:

"The bull trout is not only Alberta's provincial fish, it's classified as sensitive and threatened under legislation. Now an important spawning stream for the trout is being damaged by people driving off-highway vehicles.

We spoke with Wayne Crocker, the backcountry co-ordinator for Alberta Environment and Parks, on alberta@noon today."

(Photo of Fall Creek in Central Alberta: Wayne Crocker)


Bow River Shuttles writes: The radio interview mentioned above will not be available on 'Past Episodes' for a few days. In the meantime, the article above is on the same subject, including comments from Wayne Crocker.


H/T to @Jordan Udo Pinkster (see blog 'Fishing Alberta with Pike Pinkster') who wrote: "I'm very pleased that the plight of Alberta's native trout species is finally getting some of the air time that it deserves. Scenes like this are all too common in our back country. It's time that we do something to address those that would seek to destroy some of Alberta's most sensitive habitats."