www.PeninsulaStreams.ca

Peninsula Streams Society helps initiate and coordinate stream

restoration and habitat conservation on the Saanich

Peninsula.

The purposes of Peninsula Streams Society are:

To develop, organize and participate in environmental projects and programs on the Saanich Peninsula and surrounding areas that will:

- Monitor, preserve and restore flora and fauna

- Monitor, preserve and restore rivers, creeks and watersheds, marine environments and near-shore environments

- Conserve, re-use and reduce water and waste

- Improve the urban and rural/agricultural environments

To educate and increase the understanding of the public, environmental organizations, government and the press about environmental preservation and restoration and their importance, by offering workshops, seminars, training and lectures.

To conduct research relating to the environment and disseminate the results of such research.

Letter from the ChairA big Thank You to all previous donors to the Peninsula Streams Society, without whom we would have been unable to celebrate ten years of useful work, education of school children and stewardship of the streams and environment of the Saanich Peninsula.

Our mission is being accomplished but we need your help to continue with our efforts to restore our streams. Cutbacks from every level of government are making your financial contribution vital for the survival and expansion of the Society. Remember, all dollars donated are multiplied by the efforts of our many volunteers.

Donations are essential to cover the overhead costs of operating an office with two part-time professionals who provide immediate response to environmental situations as well as plan the work of the organization. We would like to proceed with many worthwhile projects but the pace of our work depends upon your generosity.

Newton Hockey Charitable status # 86500 1457 RR0001

Members of Peninsula Streams are also active

in the following organizations:

- Friends of Chalet Creek

- Friends of Pat Bay Watershed

- Friends of Reay (Kelset) Creek Park

- Friends of Dominion Brook Park

- SeaChange Marine Conservation Society

- Sidney Anglers Association

- Haig-Brown Fly Fishing Association

- Saanich Inlet Protection Society

- KENNES (Hagan-Graham ) Watershed

Project

- Friends of Tetayut (Sandhill) Creek

- Friends of Shoal Harbour

- Friends of Tod Creek Watershed

- Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary

- Friends of Swan Creek

We work in many

different watersheds.

GovernmentsDistrict of Central SaanichDistrict of North SaanichTown of SidneyDistrict of SaanichInstitute of Ocean SciencesDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans

FoundationsVictoria Foundation

Alistair S. Thomson FundColonel R.O. Bull FundOolichan FundWoodsome Family Fund

Pacific Salmon FoundationDee M. Bailin Family Fund

OrganizationsSidney Anglers AssociationSidney Lions Club

IndividualsF & P. BoyceI. BruceP. ChandlerJ. ClearihueD. CouplandG.B. DavidsonB. DruryA. FinallM. GarsideS. GuyM. Haig-BrownB. HardyS. IrvingA. JohnsonP. KerfootA. MarshC. MearnsA. NelsonP. NoelB.PeartJ. ThornburghA. WaterhouseR. Windsor

Past & Present Supporters

Businesses

Alexander’s CoffeeArbutus Grove Nursery

Canoe Cove MarinaCustom Yacht Sales Ltd.Drillwell Enterprises Ltd.

LGL Ltd.Market on Yates and Millstream

Michell ExcavatingPeninsula Co-op

Peninsula Rock Products Ltd.Red Barn MarketRhys Davis Ltd.Russel NurserySeahorses Café

Sherwood Marine CentreSidney Bottle Depot

Slegg Construction Materials Ltd.Thrifty Foods - Smile Card Program

Vancity Savings Credit UnionVictoria Airport Authority

Westport Marina

Improved community and ecological health

Core funding to cover overhead costs

(including staffing)

Peninsula Streams Society:A pathway to community environmental health

The Need:

- Poor water quality, habitat loss, soil erosion, lost salmon streams

- absence of enforcement of environmental guidelines

- downloading of environmental protection responsibility to communities

- no other environmental health or leadership agency serving stewardship goals on the Peninsula

Project and Program Funding:

from community members, individuals, businesses, foundations

Expertise and Equipment:

from staff, members, community

Community Support:

labour and services provided by volunteers and

groups

Budget for Peninsula Streams Society Core Activity 2012 (9 months)(April 1, 2012-December 31, 2012)

Revenue

Donations

Business $5,000Organizations $1,500Foundations $8,250Individual $3,000

Subtotal = $17,750Grants

Central Saanich $7,500Vancity Savings $500North Saanich $3,750Sidney $375DFO $1,500

Subtotal = $13,625

Miscellaneous $10,300

Revenue Total = $41,675

Expenditures

2011-2012 Deficit $2,000

Contract Wages (core functions)

Executive Coordinator 9 months @ ~ 30 hours/month @$50/hr $13,500Stewardship Co-ordinator 9 months @ ~ 90 hours/mo @ $22.50/hr $18,000

Subtotal = $31,500Staff overhead

WCB, Revenue Canada, HST, etc. $4,620Professional Development $1,000

Subtotal = $5,620Organisational Costs

Accounting, banking, reporting, AGM, filing fees, etc. $2,250Travel & Mileage

To/from projects on Peninsula, meetings $1,125

Expenditure Total = $42,495

Difference = -$820

Some of our Projects

Partial restoration of the creek has been accomplished by re-routing of the creek bed and installation of riffles for water flow control and the establishment of gravel beds for fish spawning. The work has involved detailed planning, heavy machinery, hundreds of volunteer hours and the planting of shade trees by students of Deep Cove School. For several years, the children have received on-site education about stream life and have been given Chum Salmon fry to release into the creek each Spring. In addition, volunteers released Coho Salmon fry into the creek in 2011.

Friends of Chalet Creek Watershed

We are currently preparing the groundwork for a project to enhance the summer water flow in Chalet Creek. This entails the testing of existing and disused wells in the area of Gardner’s Pond, at the head of the creek, with view to pumping water into the pond. Retention of water in the pond will be enhanced by the construction of a berm to maintain the existing high-water level for a longer period in the Spring and Summer and to regulate the flow of water from the pond. A biophysical survey of the pond is also planned. The objective of the project is to enhance the environment of the stream for the survival of plant, insect and animal life. This will increase the chances of survival and development of fry released by Deep Cove School children each year and of the health of returning salmon in the Fall and Winter.

Several projects are ongoing along Tod Creek as we work toward a restoration of coho and sea run cutthroat populations. Whitehead Park, at the point where Tod Creek leaves Prospect Lake has been a focus for the past few years. With a great deal of help from Saanich Parks staff, volunteers have removed blackberry and other invasives on the east side of the creek and replaced them with native plants. We have worked on about two thirds of this area with last third waiting for our clippers. The west side of the creek was choked by Golden Willow which have been removed leaving a vigorous band of Yellow Flag Iris to be dealt with. These Iris have been hand dug, dried and removed over this past summer. The area has been seeded with fall rye and covered with cocamat to prevent silting of the creek. Continued monitoring for shoots of Golden willow and Yellow Flag Iris lie ahead. The area will also need to be planted with robust riparian vegetation in order to minimize the recurrence of invasives.

Friends of Tod Creek Watershed

Water quality through the low flow period is being carefully monitored. A source of fresh water for the creek during this period is being explored. A long term project to reroute the creek through Tod Creek Flats is also being worked on and could enhance the farm land as well as creek health and flood plain function.

Next came the building of pools and riffles and encouragement of natural meanders on a major portion of Hagan Creek as it flows through Woodwynn Farms in the lower Mount Newton Valley. The riparian area was fenced and a program of tree planting was commenced which still continues.

In recent years, the major focus has been on similar stream restoration and riparian planting on a one kilometer stretch of Hagan Creek in the upper Mount Newton Valley on three adjacent farm properties. This year, a wetlands pond fed by artesian springs was added to the complex.

Next year, attention will focus on restoring the natural function of other areas on the slopes of Mount Newton near the northern headwaters of Hagan Creek.

A partnership was formed in 1997 between the University of Victoria, the Institute of Ocean Sciences, Woodwynn Farms and the Tsartlip First Nation to undertake the ecological restoration of this major watershed in Central Saanich. The first project undertaken, in cooperation with the Municipal District, was the recreation of pools and riffles and bank stabilization of Graham Creek as it flows through Centennial Park. Trails along the creek were also fenced to prevent trampling of the banks and to allow riparian plant regrowth. Within a year of completion, Cutthroat Trout and other natural inhabitants had returned to the Park.

KENNES (Hagan/Graham Creek) Watershed Project

Swan/Blenkinsop CreeksSwan Creek and Blenkinsop Creek, with Swan Lake in the middle, flow into the lower Colquitz Creek system in Saanich. Swan Creek suffered a significant home heating oil spill in late 2011. During the spill response and assessment phase, Ian Bruce noticed that in spite of upwards of 40 coho adult spawners, Swan Creek was lacking in spawning and rearing habitat. Striking a partnership with the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary and the District of Saanich, Peninsula Streams applied for and received funding from the Ministry of Transportation and Highways, the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. The first year’s goals include some spawning habitat improvements (completed Sept. 2012), habitat surveys & assessment, the creation of a “Friends of Swan Creek” stewardship group and the subsequent development of a 5 year restoration plan.

Hagan/Graham Creeks

In 2009, the District of Central Saanich adopted the first Integrated Stormwater Management Plan on Vancouver Island. Its recommendations call not simply for the control of stormwater but rather its integration into the natural functioning of the 50 kilometers of streams contained within the District’s three major watersheds. There are a myriad of individual stream restoration projects in the Plan which will need to be undertaken over the next few years but there is one that stands out, the creation of a 25 acre wetland on Graham Creek in the Maber Flats.

The whole of the flats used to be a cranberry-willow bog and was a major harvesting and food cultivation area for the Tsartlip First Nation. Then, in the 1870’s a trench was dug from where Graham Creek flowed into the bog across to what is now Centennial Park to drain it and create farmland for the new settlers. It has had to be continuously deepened and dredged over the years as high winter and spring flows stripped soil from the tilled fields. Not only is this sediment carried downstream but the increased water flow erodes the banks of Graham Creek as it proceeds into the Mount Newton Valley and merges with Hagan Creek. This in turn has required dredging of the streambed in this area and the sediment outflows smother plants, algae and bivalves in the KENNES estuary.

Future Projects

The potential new wetland will serve as a biofiltration system for the stormwater outflow from the Keating Industrial Park and will be of sufficient depth that springtime floodwaters will recede earlier from the surrounding farmland. This water retention will also alleviate some of the torrential downstream flow during the high water period and then allow it to be released during the summer to maintain downstream water levels.

The wetlands will be planted with pre-settlement native vegetation and be managed with the Tsartlip First Nation both as a cultural centre teaching their harvesting and cultivation techniques and as a source of their traditional foods and other natural materials.

31

6

6b

5

4Confluence of Hagan and Graham Creeks

HAGAN CREEK

GRAHAM CREEK

Tetayut Creek

The creation of a stormwater detention pond that will function as a turtle and amphibian refuge pond is still planned for Adam Kerr Park. This exciting project has great potential for public viewing and education while relieving downstream stormwater pressure on Tetayut Creek. As well, critical nesting and rearing habitat for endangered Western painted turtles and red-legged frogs will be created. This project will complete work undertaken in the park by Peninsula Streams and the District of Central Saanich in 2008-09.

Reay Creek and TenTen Creek

Peninsula Streams continues to work closely with the Victoria Airport Authority (VAA) on the restoration of Reay and TenTen Creeks, both of which have a significant part of their stream paths on airport property. A renewed commitment by the new Board and staff at VAA to bring back salmon and sea-run cutthroat trout to these creeks is great news for the health of the watersheds and their receiving waters of Bazan Bay and Patricia Bay respectively.

Water Quality

Water Quality Monitoring continues to be a monthly activity on three creeks: Hagan/Graham, Tetayut and Tseycum Creeks. Volunteers measure stream conditions by taking water samples for complex lab analyses, as well as measuring physical and nutrient parameters of the water themselves. This activity is an important safeguard for these creeks as no-one else does this work. Our volunteers have discovered many pollution incidents over the years which have resulted in the problems being remediated.

Our Youth Education Programs

Every year since 2006, 500+ Gr. 3 students in SD63 participate in watershed model activities, salmon life-cycle education, growing alder trees for riparian zone restoration, stream-side planting, and raising and releasing salmon fry. This program is delivered free-of-charge to the nine elementary schools in SD 63 (Saanich), including Deep Cove, Sidney, Brentwood, Prospect Lake, Cordova Bay, Lochside, Keating, Kelset and the LAU WELNEW Tribal School. In May/June, we visit each grade three class at their school to deliver a one hour interactive presentation, which is composed of three parts: Watershed Education, Salmon Lifecycle and Tree planting.

Gr. 3 Program – Watershed and Salmon Lifecycle

Each students is given a red alder seedling that they plant in a pot and care for over the summer, then plant at a restoration site with us in the fall. We plant the trees at stream-side locations on Chalet, Tetayut, Hagan, Reay and Tod Creeks.

Above: Our watershed model depicting the TenTen and Reay Creek watersheds

Starting in 2009, Peninsula Streams Society has, with the support of high school students, adult and senior volunteers and other environmental organizations on the Peninsula, delivered our highly successful Creatures of Habitat environmental education program to coincide with Earth Week in April. Every year, Creatures of Habitat is delivered free-of-charge to almost 500 Gr. 6 students and is comprised of several parts: a half day of interactive displays and environmental education presentations, songs and skits, and a half day of hands-on restoration work on or near the school grounds.

Gr. 6 Program – “Creatures of Habitat”

Recently in the News…

“Things don’t look after themselves. We have to be stewards and advocates for the environment and it’s so much better if the people who live in that neighbourhood take that watershed under their care,” said Ian Bruce, Peninsula Streams’ executive co-ordinator.

On Saturday, July 14, the society celebrated its 10th anniversary with cake, a nature walk and music by Water in the Crawl Space. MP Elizabeth May attended, as well as representatives from Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney councils.

Peninsula Streams was born from four groups that all sought to protect waterways from Saanich to Lands End. Since then, it has produced about 12 offshoots, each with a mandate to protect a certain stream or to tackle a specific environmental hazard.

The society’s goal is “to restore streams and the areas alongside streams to their original and natural conditions,” said Newton Hockey, the society’s chairman. “A lot of farms over the years have built straight ditches and it has changed the landscape altogether and removed habitat. What we will do, we will make a winding stream with riffles so they [it] flow and put in gravel for salmon or trout to spawn, we plant trees to create shade. And we get schoolchildren involved in doing this, Deep Cove school particularly.”

In the coming months and years, Peninsula Streams hopes to increase awareness of its activities in hopes of attracting more funding to keep their work running.

“People should care about the watersheds, because if the local environment is healthy, then it’s a reflection on the community,” said Bruce. “If you live in a degraded environment, your community’s not going to be healthy in so many different ways.”

Peninsula Streams celebrates a decade of protecting our environment

By Erin CardonePublished: July 18, 2012

In a decade, the Peninsula Streams Society has achieved a lot.

The group of mostly volunteers has toiled to bring Hagan Creek back to a salmon habitat, fostered a water quality testing program with Tseycum First Nation and taught hundreds of kids in grades 3 and 6 about protecting watershed ecosystems.

Photo credit: Erin Cardone, PNR

“I think for an organization with such a small staff … The work we have been able to accomplish has been pretty spectacular,” Loro said. “We have been really good at working with our different resources and being effective on how we use them.”From on-the-ground restoration projects including revitalization of Hagen Creek, to educational opportunities delivering environmental programs to local schools including North Saanich middle school, Bayside middle school and Royal Oak middle school – the work is never done.

However, the experience of guiding future generations of environmentally conscious citizens has been a positive experience for the four-year veteran of the society. “We hope to educate, make [students] aware of their environment and get them involved,” Loro said. “Kids bring the message home to parents and grandparents.”

She believes youth involvement is key to long-term success in their current homes and their future family homes, so initiatives including outdoor restoration projects to remove invasive plant species and releasing salmon fry into local streams are important education opportunities. She is excited by the dedication of students including 11-year-old Chelsea Da Silva, who was snipping non-native blackberries out of Lillian Hoffar park as part of a Peninsula Streams initiative last Friday.

“This is what I like to do because it is fun and helping,” the North Saanich middle school student said. “We live on the earth and we need the earth for us to live.”Armed with pink pruning shears, the Grade 6 student was adamant that regardless of what she ends up doing as an adult, the environment will always be a consideration for her.

“I like what I am doing and I like saving the world. I live here and I want it to be a special place for everyone who comes here,” she said. “It is also your world, so [you] should keep it the way you got it.”

Peninsula Streams turns 10

Photo credit: Arnold Lim, PNR

This year marks 10 years of education, restoration and conservation.

With the help of a dedicated army of volunteers, the Peninsula Streams’ contributions to positive change in the environment in a relatively short period of time, is something stewardship coordinator Francesca Loro is proud to have been involved with and proof positive change begins with one person.

By Arnold Lim Published: April 24, 2012

Peninsula Streams Turns Ten!

July 1, 2012

By Alice Johnson, Citizen Journalist

If a stream on the peninsula runs through your property, you have probably met Ian Bruce, Executive Director of the Peninsula Streams Society (PSS). In only ten years this largely volunteer group has changed the landscape for the better.

In the Mount Newton valley, through which Hagen Creek flows, Anne Waterhouse spoke about her experience with Peninsula Streams and her land which includes the creek. “I enjoyed hearing a bit of history on how the First Nations people used to catch many trout almost daily in the stream… My cousin was impressed on how this is the first group [Peninsula Streams Society] she has heard of who are not just trying to restore salmon streams but trout streams as well.”

Waterhouse explains that when she first moved to the property in 2000, the bridge crossing the creek was level, but successive years of flooding caused the bridge to tilt sideways. After some heavy work removing blackberry bushes the stream has stopped flooding and returned to its healthy flow. Another surprise awaited Anne after the clearing… she noted that from her house she now had an unobscured view of the lovely stream. Anne said, “When I am walking down by the stream there is the added sound ofthe riffles which were not there before.”

Anne recalled the stages of the creek restoration and said, ”When Ian suggested a small wetlands pond in the beginning I said ‘great!’ The land in the area was not usable for anything else. Little did I know that he would get so excited and start increasing the size of the pond. How could I stop him? It is quite elaborate with islands, logs and stumps added and all the plants put in by the volunteers.” Anne explained that the work continued and, “Now, more has been added in the way of a channel from the creek to the pond for creek overflow and a mini-lock to stop the outflow of the pond water … to raise the level of the pond.” Anne jokes, “I could almost add a boat launch for a lazy boat drift … in the summer.”

As a non profit society Peninsula Streams promotes healthy watersheds and coastlines through educational programmes in schools, water quality testing and physical stream restoration. The Society includes several watershed committees and coastline protection groups on the Saanich Peninsula. Their accomplishments over the past decade have been significant and worthy of celebration.

Regarding his ten year involvement with PSS, Bruce says: “It has been my pleasure and honour to have worked with over a 1000 dedicated volunteers and students from 8 to 80 years old over the past 10 years. We have pulled ivy, re-built streams, released salmon, and reclaimed habitat amongst other activities.”

Bruce also enjoys the school programs where he works with teachers and children. “Our school programs reach almost 1000… Grade 3 and 6 students every year and it is so rewarding to see them take an interest in helping their local ecosystems. I can’t think of a better way to spend my life” Says Bruce.

Peninsula Streams Society says that on July 14th they invite everyone to Centennial Park in Central Saanich to see their work and celebrate their accomplishments. According to their news release, 2012 marks the tenth anniversary for this important society. “As a Society we have undergone changes and growth, but what has remained constant is the support received from the community. This has included support from municipalities, local businesses and organisations, foundations, volunteers and friends.”

July 14th event attractions will include project displays, watershed model, stream tours, live music, wine and snack sales an aquarium with live fish, plus release-a-fish and adopt-a-tree by donation.

Peninsula Streams Society asks you to come on out and see if you live in one of the Peninsula’s many Watersheds.

How can you contribute to the success of Peninsula Streams Society?

- Volunteer with us.

- Purchase an individual membership ($5/year)

- Participate in Thrifty Foods Smile Card program

- Make a financial donation. Tax receipts issued.

- Donate a product or service for our annual Silent Auction Fundraiser. Tax receipts issued.

For more information, please contact:

Ian Bruce, R.P.Bio., Executive Coordinator250-363-6596 PeninsulaStreams@gmail.com

Peninsula Streams SocietyPO Box 6000 Stn Main

9860 West Saanich RoadNorth Saanich, BC, V8L 4B2

www.PeninsulaStreams.ca