References

https://commons.bcit.ca/factorfour/2014/11/13/daylighting-guichon-creek/

https://commons.bcit.ca/factorfour/2014/01/30/bcit-and-city-of-burnaby-agree-to-protect-and-enhance-guichon-creek/

https://commons.bcit.ca/broadcastnews/2018/04/26/this-release-today-is-very-much-a-sign-of-hope-10000-salmon-released-into-bcits-guichon-creek/

https://www.burnabynow.com/bcit-plans-to-daylight-guichon-creek-1.1386451

https://www.burnabynow.com/news/bcit-s-guichon-creek-hits-another-restoration-milestone-1.2224384
https://www.burnabynow.com/community/bcit-plans-to-uncover-campus-creek-1.1386252

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bcit-salmon-guichon-creek-mark-angelo-1.3521768

https://globalnews.ca/news/2310407/how-burnabys-guichon-creek-is-becoming-hospitable-to-salmon/

Conclusion

Conclusion

Post 5

In conclusion its important to realize that if water bodies are to be transformed back into a thriving water way then it will be a lengthy process, an expensive issue that requires support by the community and the municipal party in charge as well as any additional support it can stir up.

For Guichon Creek to be restored to the fish bearing point it is now it took 17 years of trout seeding. support funded by BCIT FWR and continuous effort between environmental groups and the city of Burnaby BC Canada. Additional support came from news outlets such as Global TV that aroused the interest of the communities in the lower mainland.

                                               Image from Burnabynow

                                          Image from BCIT Flickr

Restoration Process

Restoration Process

Post 4
Now that Salmon were added this story can have a happy ending right?

Well yes and no.
Yes because there is fish in the water and no because the school is not done restoring the creek. "Guichon Creek transects the east side of BCIT’s Burnaby Campus and is a fish bearing stream at its south end. Near the mid-point on campus, Guichon Creek spills into a large concrete culvert and travels underground through the north-east quadrant of the campus. Recent studies by the BCIT FWR Program faculty and students indicate that trout and salmon cannot navigate upstream through the underground section of the culvert" BCIT https://commons.bcit.ca/factorfour/2014/11/13/daylighting-guichon-creek/

https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/freshwater-fish-of-america/chum_salmon.html

Fish don't like to swim into dark tunnels for long periods of time as its not natural. this is a problem as currently 700 meters of the creek is currently culverted. Fish only swim into darkness if they see a light at the end.

Does this mean all hope is lost?
No, Large sections of this creek as well as still creek was culverted. According to Robin Taylor, Hemmera Environmental Manager
“We replaced the culvert that was there with these big box culverts, which have national substrate in the bottom of them, which is much more conducive to fish using them.”fish have also began to swim under the trans Canada Highway as they see light. What this means is that salmon have returned to Canada Highway which is connected to Guichon Creek through a culvert. Now that salmon have also been added to Guichon creek, all that's needed is a pathway that connects the 2.

Another thing to note:
Cutthroat trout were added into the creek and currently still reside at Guichon creek. These trout have been released into the creek for the past 17 years. This goes to show how long it takes for restoration to work. 
So if this works for Trout can it work for Salmon? Currently lower Guichon Creek has seen Chum Salmon return but they refuse to enter the 700 meter culvert. This is proof that these salmon have in fact wandered back into there spawning spots.
How do we get his Culvert out of the way?
Mark Angelo along with BCIT FWR program and the city of Burnaby are planning to add light to the culvert by opening a large chunk of the road. The more light added will result in salmon moving in and out of the culvert.
 

Why I chose Guichon Creek

Why I Chose Guichon Creek

Post 3

As a former BCIT student I had the opportunity to hear about the the school boast about its biggest environmental accomplishment which was restoring Guichon Creek and parts of Still Creek. The school had taken a once lifeless water body (Baby Boomers!) and had removed pollutants and invasive plants and added native plant species. This attracted our native animal species that moved back and began to inhabit Guichon Creek.

Picture from CBC Radio 

During my time at BCIT I decided to view this creek my self and I was delighted see birds, insects and plants all thriving. One thing that would shock me is that there were small fish swimming around.

Where did the fish come from?
It turns out that these fish along with many other species were added recently by BCIT Rivers Institute chair emeritus Mark Angelo.
The particular fish that I saw that day were Chum Salmon that were released into the the creek on world rivers day. A total of 15 000 juvenile salmon were added that day. 

So now that salmon have been seeded into the creek, that means this story has a happy ending right?

Guichon Creek

Post 2

Whats Guichon Creek?
This is a creek that a large chunk of BCIT Burnaby Campus was originally built over, with a large portion of the creek forced below a parking lot. This creek is a tributary of the Fraser River through the Brunette River, Burnaby Lake and through Still Creek.

So what happened next?

Well Guichon Creek was originally a spawning spot for Chum Salmon and provided a home for many other fish, such as Cutthroat Trout as well as aquatic birds and insects. These animals lost their homes and eventually disappeared from BCIT.
This creek became a drainage ditch where industrial plants would frequently dump their sewage in.
This creek was urbanized back in the 30's.
This was a common practice in Burnaby as it seems the Baby Boomer generation didn't care much about the environment they were in.

Day-lighting dead creeks?

Post 1

As an Environmental Protection and Technology student a project was proposed by Paul Richard in my Environmental Issues class where we had to find an environmental issue and present if it is something feasible or not, and share our personal opinion on the matter.

I immediately knew what it was that I would present my project on.

Day-lighting dead bodies of water.

What is Day-lighting?
 This is when a body of water such as a stream is redirected above ground and can also be referred to as when a formally 'destroyed' body of water due to construction is converted back into how it once looked by removing pollutants and adding native plants in hopes of restoration as well as bringing back native animal species.

Before and after the daylighting of a 1,200 linear foot section of piped stream located on the property of the University of Virginia
Picture provided by https://i0.wp.com/ced.sog.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/streams.png