Alouette Sockeye Adult Enumeration Monitor (Bridging 2016)
The Alouette River Management Society and the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre have administered the Alouette Sockeye Adult Enumeration Monitoring Program for several years. The program has included monitoring component trapping, enumerating, and obtaining tissue samples from returning adult Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). The salmon are sampled from the Allco fish fence located on the South Alouette River, below the Allco Fish Hatchery in Maple Ridge, B.C. The hatchery is located 5.5 kilometres south of Alouette Dam and its associated reservoir (Alouette Lake) in Maple Ridge, and has operated since 1979 under the direction of B.C. Corrections, with authorization and guidance from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
This project not only provides information about Alouette returning Sockeye, their health and genetic data, but will also provide the Sockeye with either the means to spawn in their native spawning grounds, or else give their eggs to the hatchery to increase the survivability rate of the progeny.
Final Report: Executive Summary
Originally, through BC Hydro’s Water Use Plan for the Alouette Watershed, a spring surface release from the Alouette Dam has allowed for kokanee/sockeye smolts to migrate to the ocean from 2007 to 2016. The first surface releases occurred in 2005 and in 2007 the first adult sockeye returned to the Alouette Watershed. The 2016 Alouette sockeye salmon run saw 6 adults returning between July 19 and August 7, 2016. All six sockeye were in great condition and were sampled at the Allco trap location before being transported to Alouette Lake. Fork length measurements for all six sockeye were taken along with scale and tissue samples. The measurements indicated an average fork length of 60cm.
Click the provincial database link below to read the full final report for this project.