20 March 2013

Meeting Notes

Friends of Tod Creek Watershed meet the first Wednesday of every second month.
You are welcome to join us.

Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.

To view notes from previous meetings, use the “Meeting Notes” Archive links on the right panel.

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FRIENDS OF TOD CREEK WATERSHED

AGENDA

20 MARCH, 2013

Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.

Regrets: Rick and Donna Todd, Lin Callow, Sherron MacPherson, Janet Williams

Present: Bernie Bowker, Woody Thomson, Pat Carfra, Frances Hunter, Winona Pugh, Audrey Barnes, Joanne Delage, Mary Haig-Brown

  1. Adoption of Agenda
  2. Adoption of Meeting notes of 2 January, 2013 as posted
  3. Treasurer’s Report: Joanne Delage – As of 1st March, 2013 our bank balance was $3,312.89.  Outstanding invoice is $52.64 for two small mattocks.  The TD FEF funds will be used for the Killarney Lake Fan Project.
  4. Announcements:
  1. Dist of Saanich Public Participation Survey – Sherron sent in our response.
  2. DFO Salmon Enhancement Program – Lin sent in our application.  This ensures that we are eligible to apply for funding over the next 3 years when a project arises.
  3. PolisProject Water Survey – Mary completed questionnaire to do with decisions around regulation of water.
  4. Peninsula Streams Society memberships are due now.  See their web site if you have not renewed or joined.  They help us a great deal and membership numbers help them in reporting to grantors.  PSS is holding a dinner and silent auction at Seahorses Café in Brentwood on 11th April.  Tickets are going fast for this fun event.
  5. Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary Native Plant Sale April 20th and 21st from 9:00 – 3:00. 841 Ralph Street.  This is a great place to get native plants for your garden and wild places. Plant lists are available. Pre-orders over $300 are available, prepaid, by calling 250.727.0653.
  6. Saanich Environmental Awards nominations are being accepted until April 19th. See Saanich web site for details.  There are 7 categories and all nominations are most welcome.
  7. Restoration Walks in Victoria is a publication by Val Schaffer of UVic Restoration of Natural Systems.  It may be viewed at http://www.urbanecology.ca/documents/Books/RestorationWalks.pdf
  8. Bio-engineering Workshop with Dave Polster – Mary attended this and learned lots about how to stabilize a disturbed site, e.g. an eroding stream bank using live staking.  The text book will be available in our library.  Check our web site for other titles.
  9. Web site: Check this as Lori and Winona are posting new stuff including Meeting Notes and a timeline with pictures of our work in Whitehead Park.
  10. Development on Meadowbrook Road may involve in stream work.  This is a concern as it involves cutthroat spawning area.  We are monitoring it.

 

  1. Projects:
  1. B.C Lake Stewardship course – Winona reports we are on their list for a course at Prospect Lake.  They offer two courses per year, one in the interior and one on the coast.  We will announce when we are chosen.
  2. Whitehead Park – started on last third of east side with black berry removal in progress.  Students from St Michaels will come in May to help us.  We are eagerly watching our plantings of last spring and fall starting to bud up.  Stop by and check it out.  Lori is keeping track of the volunteer hours we put in.  We use this data as leverage in grant applications.
  3. Killarney Creek Fan – we will use TD money to remove Yellow Flag Iris and other invasives from this site as they can reinvade Whitehead Park if not removed.   Note: fan refers to the area where a stream enters a fresh water body.  An estuary is where a stream enters a saltwater body.  Work will be done in the Fisheries Window.
  4. Water quality monitoring (DO) – continues at several sites along Tod Creek in order to determine suitability for Coho.  Next date will be Saturday, 23rd March at 11:00 starting at Prospect Lake and Lohr Road.  Come out and join us if you like.
  5. PL weir – If we can bring more water into the system then the weir controllers will let enough water downstream to permit coho smolts to migrate.  Meadowbrook Reservoir could be the source of this flow and is being tracked for flow volume.  Restoration of riparian vegetation below the weir is needed.
  6. Maltby Lake – Woody reports that he and TLC Pres Alistair Craighead and Board member Fran Pugh met with Bruce Hacking of Saanich Planning to try to resolve the issue of limited access to this pristine lake.  There may be a need for letters of support for the idea of preserving the purity of the water by limiting the number of access points when the property is subdivided.  35% of the land will go to TLC.  In the meantime TLC holds a 35% share of the entire property meaning they are responsible for that amount of property tax and maintenance of buildings and property.

 

  1. Heritage Society Report – Winona reports they are working on a Heritage tour of the Observatory on Saturday 25th May at 2:00.  More details to follow.  Congratulations are due to the Heritage Society as they have received Honourable Mention from the Hallmark Heritage Society for their book, Prospect Lake Reflections.  See the attached letter.  Saanich Pioneers Heritage Society has asked for help with their school tours.
  2. Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 1st at 7:30

Location: Haig-Brown/Bowker house, 237 Meadowbrook Road.

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