2017 Chapman Creek Coho Salmon Run Protected by The Chapman Creek Hatchery
Coho Salmon Run Protected by The Chapman Creek Hatchery
The Chapman Creek Hatchery is a flow through facility. The Hatchery is only diverting 26 litres of water per second for just 300 metres which then flows back into Chapman Creek. We are keeping 54,000 juvenile Coho Salmon spawned in the fall of 2014 alive by using well water infused with oxygen.
The low water levels are attributed to the SCRD reducing the flows for Chapman Creek in order to ensure water sustainability for the Sunshine Coast.
The Sunshine Coast Salmonid Enhancement Society is playing its part by only having four out of 30 tanks in use. Even though all the water flows back to the creek at 2 degrees Celsius lower temperature than the creek water temperature, the Hatchery is not able sustain more Coho production with the low water flows.We are cooling the water to ensure the next generation of Salmon will survive. The Coho will be released back into Chapman Creek in the Spring of 2016 and will return in the Fall of 2017