Keeping Steelhead Rainbow Trout in the Saugeen River For Future Generations
The Graham Sustainability Institute and Michigan Office of the Great Lakes are providing approximately $50,000 to each of four U.S. and Canadian research teams to identify and evaluate adaptive responses to changing Great Lakes water levels. During the 18-month Integrated Assessment project, the teams will work with shoreline communities to assess localized solutions and to provide insights for the Great Lakes basin more broadly.
More information: http://bit.ly/22lzuRU
Just an update to the rabies situation that is taking place right now in the Hamilton area. 5 cases have been determined positive by the Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section (WRMS) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as of right now. Additional testing is ongoing and it is possible we will have additional positive cases. Attached is the most recent mapping from WRMS of the cases and how they are managing the situation.
We have not had a positive case of raccoon strain rabies in Ontario since 2005.
Right now we are outside of the surveillance perimeter but that could change if additional cases start to encroach the lower portions of Grey Bruce.
Mitigation that is taking place is the distributing of the ONRAB oral vaccine by hand baiting within urban areas and flying the twin otter over the rural areas. This has been a very productive approach in Quebec to eliminate rabies, hopefully that will be the case in this situation as well.
Hey Folks,
The King of the Drift derby was hosted at the Dennys Dam Park on the Saugeen River earlier this fall on November 7, 2015. Ben Lam was one of the primary organizers and the event proved to be a success.
The derby was focused on combined fish length. Each entrant could enter two steelhead trout and use the combined length of the two fish as a total length. There were 3 entrants who tied for first place. The winner holding the trophy was the longest fish that was caught on artificial bait.
King of the Drift host events on other Ontario rivers as well. For more information on the next King of the Drift event, please contact Ben Lam.
Utilizing a Department of Fisheries and Oceans “Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program Grant”, the are implementing an aeration project on Spring Creek to enhance migratory and resident fish populations.
800 meters of electrical wire was buried to provide power to an oxygen generator to be housed in the shed, currently under construction. The oxygen generator will provide and maintain optimum levels of dissolved oxygen to three of the major springs on Spring Creek, as studies have revealed insufficient levels of dissolved oxygen to sustain fish in the upper portion of Spring Creek, during the summer/early fall. Local contractors Tom MacDonald, Kelsey Lamont and Jim Gulliver are assisting with the project.
Best Regards,
Bill Nafziger
Stream Improvement
Hepworth Anglers Club
Notice to all fisherman: The MNR is conducting a survey Saugeen River until spring 2016.
Surveyors will be interviewing fisherman and asking simple questions such as:
Additionally when being interviewed, the MNR staff may ask to take a scale sample and scan the fish for a digital chip/tracker. Its been reported, some have refused these types of requests.
Please consider cooperating with this study. Your honest answers are valuable information and only benefits the efforts of the Ontario Steelheaders and its partners.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Ontario Steelheaders
October is prime steelhead month. Use the pattern below to carve a steelhead trout in your pumpkin this year.
The annual fall steelhead rainbow trout transfer on the Saugeen River is underway and currently in progress. We will try to update the daily transfer numbers as the project progresses. Each year, Ontario Steelheaders uses custom-made aquariums on wheels to transfer adult steelhead to Hanover, Ontario, bypassing many of the dams that exist on the Saugeen River for a better chance at survival. The transportation trailers are also used and release stocked steelhead (rainbow) and brown trout in the Saugeen River at other times of the year.
Thanks to everyone who came out to our annual fall derby this year. We hope to see all of you and more at the spring derby in May 2016.
1st Place – Greg Allen – 9.7lb
2nd Place – Jeff Byrne – 9.5lb
3rd Place – Barry Pieta – 7.5lb
Catch and release went to Brian Watson – 28.5″ & Junior division goes to Cory Munro with 4.6lb.
