November 1995
In the News
Hello again from the Saanich Inlet Study Project Team! Work has been progressing at a rapid pace since the first newsletter in April 1995. So much has been accomplished that we wanted to give you a sample of the kinds of research that have been carried out and the information that has been collected.
This newsletter will provide you with:
Please contact us at the Project Office if you have any questions about the Saanich Inlet Study (see last page).
Public Open Houses
Once again the Saanich Inlet Study Project Team is inviting you to join us at an open house. This final set of open houses will present to you the final results of the Study and ask for your feedback. The open houses will include display panels, handouts, maps, a video highlighting the study process and key study findings, and a commented slide presentation of marine life in Saanich Inlet. Members of the Advisory & Technical Committees, Ministry staff, scientists and consultants will be on hand to answer your questions and to hear your comments and suggestions. The input you provide to us during these open houses will be summarized and released as a final product of the Study.
Dates and locations of the upcoming open houses will be announced and advertised in the new year.
Field Work Update
A number of field research and simulation studies have been completed this summer and fall. These studies will add to existing information and provide scientists with a better picture of Saanich Inlet. Research programs include:
Synthesis Workshop
A two-day scientific workshop held in April 1995 brought together a broad spectrum of marine environmental experts to discuss early study findings and to explore ways of most effectively completing the final analysis stage of the Saanich Inlet Study. Presentations were made to 65 participants on a range of subjects from chemical oceanography to shellfish contamination and sensitive habitats and biota. An evening of Saanich and Malahat cultural activities at the LAU,WELNEW Tribal School in Brentwood Bay provided an opportunity for participants to learn more about local First Nations' values and concerns for the inlet environment.
A great deal of progress was made by each of four small groups which addressed issues of physical oceanography, fisheries, sewage and non-point source contamination, and nutrient enrichment. Results of the workshop have provided the Project Team with general guidance and specific tools to complete the Study. Workshop presentations, discussions and workgroup findings are presented in the Synthesis Workshop Summary.
Traditional First Nations Uses
six communities. Sir James Douglas signed an agreement with the Saanich people in 1852 that involved the purchase of their land. A condition of this agreement was that historical subsistence activities continue. The location of the present day reserves was established by the McKenna-McBride Commission in 1913. The present day First Nation communities in the region include Tsawout Village at Saanichton Bay, Tseycum Village at Patricia Bay, Pauquachin Village at Cole Bay, Tsartlip Village at Brentwood, Malahat First Nation south of Mill Bay, the Cowichan Lake First Nations, and the Cowichan tribes near Duncan.
Saanich Inlet was considered shared territory by all First Nations groups and served as a winter home-base. Dried salmon was the main food source in the winter, with smaller amounts of dried berries, fresh fish, waterfowl, shellfish and seaweed. Game, such as deer, was also an important food source. Ceremonial dancing and initiation rites took place during the winter season.
As spring unfolded, other marine food sources were sought after, particularly seals, spring salmon, rock cod, grilse, halibut and herring. Land mammals, including deer and elk, were hunted more frequently and gathering of plants such as camas took place. In late spring, First Nations families moved out of the sheltered waters of Saanich Inlet to the Gulf Islands and Point Roberts to fish sockeye and humpback salmon. Families would return through the San Juan and Gulf Islands in August and September to complete the cycle with a major harvest of chum salmon in the Goldstream area of Saanich Inlet.
Further information on First Nations uses of Saanich Inlet, the archaeological record and discussions with local First Nations are contained in the Report on First Nations Consultation. Findings related to water uses and values will be incorporated into the final Synthesis Report.
Water Circulation
Saanich Inlet is a narrow and deep (over 200 metres) fjord that is partly cut off from Haro Strait by a shallow sill (70 metres deep) at the mouth of the Inlet. Like most inlets, Saanich Inlet has a deep low oxygen layer, beginning at depths of 75 to 100 metres. During late summer and early fall, higher density waters from Haro Strait flow over the sill at the mouth of the inlet and displace some of this low oxygen water.
The circulation of coastal inlets in B.C. is strongly influenced by fresh water from rivers. Saanich Inlet differs from most west coast inlets in that it does not have a large source of water at its head. Some fresh water enters the inlet from streams and small rivers, primarily Shawnigan Creek and Goldstream River. However, the fresh water influence comes from winter flow from outside the inlet, from the Cowichan River. Without a large water source at the head of the inlet, the circulation of water in the inlet is more strongly influenced by a number of other factors such as wind, tidal forces, and Cowichan River flows.
To better understand water circulation in Saanich Inlet, approximately 25 drifters (curtain-shaped objects that drift with the current) were deployed and tracked during December 1994 and July 1995. The results from this research, along with other historical information, are being used to determine how quickly the inlet "flushes" and how sensitive various regions of the inlet are to pollution.
Salmon
Saanich Inlet has a rich history as a major recreational fishing destination. Coho and chinook were the main salmon species caught recreationally by Victoria residents and enticed visitors such as John Diefenbaker (1960), Lester B. Pearson (1963), Mackenzie King and Gordie Howe (1964). Most of the fish caught in the inlet originate from other regions of B.C. and the United States, rather than from Saanich Inlet streams. Commercial fishing for salmon has been prohibited in the inlet since 1912 to protect the recreational fishery.
Since the 1970's, the total catch of salmon has generally declined in Saanich Inlet and other coastal areas throughout B.C., Washington, and Oregon. However, the observed declines have been more pronounced in Saanich Inlet than in other areas. The value of Saanich Inlet as a feeding and rearing area for salmon has been degraded, possibly due to fewer herring and a reduction in eelgrass habitat. It is unlikely, however, that conditions within the Inlet are directly responsible for these impacts since similar reductions in feed fish have been reported throughout most of the southern Strait of Georgia. Factors related to these declines include a loss of fish habitat, fish management strategies, recreational and commercial fishing pressures, and climatic events such as El Niño. Local habitat enhancement efforts at Goldstream River may now be showing some success in increasing the return of adult chinook and coho salmon.
Goldstream River is the major salmon bearing stream in Saanich Inlet and supports chum and coho. Chum is by far the most abundant species. Excellent returns of chum in excess of spawning requirements support an aboriginal fishery utilized by Saanich and Malahat First Nations.
The Water Use Inventory & Water Quality Assessment contains a detailed assessment of the salmon fishery in Saanich Inlet.
Other Fisheries Resources
Lingcod stocks have been declining in Saanich Inlet since the 1980s, a pattern seen throughout the Strait of Georgia. The rockfish catch has been fairly consistent over the past decade. In 1994, however, this catch increased from 2,000 to over 8,000 fish, perhaps due to the displaced fishing pressure resulting from a decline in salmon stocks. There is a commercial prawn fishery that begins in early September and lasts for four to six weeks. The season ends when the number of adult female prawns caught per trap reaches a specified limit. Saanich Inlet is open year-round for recreational prawn fishing by trap only. The harvesting of clams and oysters has been important in the past to First Nations communities and others. Except for three small sites, Saanich Inlet is now closed for the collection of shellfish due to fecal contamination. There remains a small commercial clam fishery that treats the clams at a depuration facility in Sooke. These and other fisheries resources are assessed in detail in the Water Use Inventory & Water Quality Assessment.
Fecal Coliform Contamination
Fecal coliform bacteria are present in the nearshore waters of the inlet and in the creeks and stormwater outlets which flow into Saanich Inlet. Sources of fecal material include stormwater discharges, faulty septic systems, farmland runoff, seabirds, an d marine mammals.
Although fecal coliforms themselves are not harmful to marine life, they indicate the presence of organisms which are potentially harmful to human health. Shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels can concentrate pathogens in their tissues. These disease-causing organisms may be ingested by people who eat contaminated shellfish. All but three of the shellfish beds in Saanich Inlet have been closed because they exceed safe limits for shellfish consumption set by Environment Canada.
Human exposure to disease-causing organisms can also result from activities which involve direct or primary water contact, such as swimming and diving. Limits for fecal coliforms are also set for beaches and waters that are used for recreational activities. Monitoring by regional health authorities has shown that fecal coliforms at popular beaches are safely within these limits. However, the potential for contamination of the nearshore waters is greatest during wet weather. There is evidence that during the winter some areas of Saanich Inlet could exceed the fecal coliform limits for primary contact activities, such as SCUBA diving.
Fecal contamination in Saanich Inlet is examined in detail in the Water Use Inventory & Water Quality Assessment. In addition, the Synthesis Workshop Summary highlights the activities of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program.
Final Synthesis Report Update
The Saanich Inlet Study Project Team and the Advisory & Technical Committees are in high gear working to complete the first draft of the synthesis report. This report will distill the findings of the research studies noted above, and all reports competed to date. The draft report will be reviewed by the Committees in a "roll-up-your-sleeves" workshop. Workshop discussions will assist the Project Team finalize the report. Release of the final Synthesis Report is expected in December 1995.
Reports Published To Date
Reports In Progress
The Next Newsletter
The final issue of the Saanich Inlet Study Newsletter will provide you with:
For More Information
To reach the Project Team and the Advisory & Technical Committees, or to receive copies of Saanich Inlet Study reports, please contact the Saanich Inlet Study Project Coordinator.
Acknowledgments
The support provided by the Institute of Ocean Sciences (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), in implementing oceanographic studies and supporting the Synthesis Workshop and other activities; and by members of the Saanich Inlet Study Advisory & Technical Committees in volunteering considerable amounts of time and energy is most gratefully acknowledged.
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Last updated: August 8, 2001