Blurton Creek-Coho Habitat Restoration Project

The 2010-11 Blurton Creek-Coho Habitat Restoration Project on the John Schaap Farm in Mara had three main objectives. The first objective was the completion of a multi-year Coho habitat restoration project on Blurton Creek where it passes through the John Schaap Farm. This final stage of the project included: re-contouring and stabilizing the remaining eroding stream banks, creating shady holding pools with large blast rock and woody debris, narrowing and deepening the flow of Blurton Creek where needed, intergrading rock and debris in the channels to create a more natural habitat for fish, planting the newly disturbed riparian areas with pacific willow brush layers and other native species of trees and bushes, and also fill planting previously restored areas where needed. The second objective, to prevent livestock from entering the restoration area, was achieved by building a 280 meter post and 4 strand wire fence. This fence was the final fence to be built to completely protect the site from livestock access. Two movable gated watering sites were added to the project (by request of the land owner) to allow livestock access to water for drinking only. The 3rd objective was to raise awareness of salmon species in the watershed and provide capacity building opportunities for the Lower Shuswap Stewardship Society, the local Splat’sin First Nation, Farmland Riparian Interface Stewardship Program and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The FSWP allowed the possibilities for our partnerships with FRISP, DFO and Splat’sin 1st Nations with the funds that they provided for this project. LSSS see’s many more projects in the future with these partners.