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October 10, 2012
▼ SAVING A FISHERY
Inside
Urban growth a challenge to kokanee stream KEVIN PARNELL
Hunter’s body found within 600 metres of where he left his truck east of Oyama. ...............................
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Lake Country council has put its support behind Kelowna’s bid to bring Ironman Canada event to the region. Penticton had been hosting the event for decades. ...............................
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Donation of both fund-raised cash and donated food goes to the food bank from Kel-Lake Greenhouses. ...............................
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Flyers ■ Home Depot ■ JYSK
On the surface, Wood Lake appears to be the perfect recreational lake. Its inviting waters are situated close to residents of the Okanagan, running alongside Highway 97. Water sports enthusiasts share the lake with anglers who fish for kokanee in one of the province’s last and best available kokanee fisheries. But stocks are falling for a number of reasons and many people don’t seem to care. However, the work of fisheries biologists and the local fishing club are having a big impact in trying to revive the kokanee before it’s too late and Wood Lake joins the list of kokanee lakes that are in crisis. ••• Driving past Wood Lake, it’s easy to take that body of water for granted as just another beautiful Okanagan lake. Waterskiers, jet skis and pleasure boats dot the surface through the warm summer months sharing the waters with anglers. While it’s beautiful, warm and inviting, Wood Lake is much more than just a summer recreation spot or a good fishing lake. It is home to one of the top remaining kokanee fisheries in B.C., Canada and quite possibly the entire world. But for two straight years, the number of kokanee in Wood Lake has decreased due to a number of factors, from warm water, to problems with the main stream the ko-
DOUG FARROW/CONTRIBUTOR
OCEOLA FISH AND GAME CLUB members clear forest debris from Middle Vernon Creek, which connects Wood Lake to Duck Lake in Lake Country. kanee use to spawn. It’s a trend that has fisheries biologists and local anglers worried and working towards finding solutions that will keep the kokanee healthy for generations to come. From work done by the Oceola Fish and Game Club to a new long-term project to detail the water usage in Wood Lake, the time is now to help sustain a fishery that is one-of-akind and a true Okanagan treasure. ••• Kokanee are not your normal sport fish. They
are a land-locked version of sockeye salmon with a four year life cycle. At the end of their life cycle, they return to the stream where they were born, or to the lake shore to spawn and then die. And Wood Lake is not your normal sport fishing lake. It has high nutrient levels that help produce such a great fishery with kokanee that are larger than what is normal. Fish up to two pounds are not out of the ordinary. But it is also an urban lake, situated alongside Highway 97
with easy access to boaters, residents, businesses and polluters. “Kokanee numbers have always been unstable in Wood Lake,” explains fisheries biologist Paul Askey. “The lake is a under a variety of stresses. What makes it such a high use fishery and such a great fishery is the fact that it is an urban lake. It’s got easy access. It has a lot of development around it so we have a lot of pressure on the water from different sources. “There is a lot of pollution and those kinds
of things that go with an urban environment that can impact the lake.” Last year, lake conditions were too warm for the kokanee. High levels of algae sank to the bottom and used up much of the oxygen that the kokanee needed, resulting in significant fish kill. This season, lake temperatures have been more suitable, resulting in better fishing. But numbers remain down and the fishery is in a constant state of flux. And that has fisheries biologists working
hard to keep the Wood Lake fishery intact and healthy. “Wood Lake is a recreational fishery that is currently producing a lot of value for a lot of people but it is also under a lot of stress,” says Askey. “I would say right now is the time we need to figure this out. We are already seeing numbers going down the last couple years and we need to turn that around. Hopefully we can get it SEE KOKANEE A3