It's that time of year again when kokanee salmon return to Coldstream Creek, continuing the cycle of life.
After spending their lives in lakes, these fish make their way back to the creek to spawn, playing an essential role in the ecosystem. After they spawn their bodies help feed animals like eagles and bears, while also enriching the water with nutrients.
To keep this cycle going in urban areas sometimes it takes more than just mother nature.
Programs like the Farmland Riparian Interface Stewardship Program (FRISP) are crucial in maintaining healthy creek habitats.
FRISP works with local landowners to fence off sensitive riparian areas from cattle, plant native vegetation, and stabilize creek banks.
These actions reduce erosion, prevent contamination, and provide a clean, safe environment for kokanee to spawn.
Education also plays a big part. By teaching landowners and the community about the importance of riparian areas, those zones along the creek where land and water meet, FRISP encourages sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and local agriculture.
By protecting these areas and ensuring clean water, these efforts help maintain the health of kokanee runs and preserve this natural cycle for future generations.
As the kokanee return this year, it’s a reminder of how human actions, combined with nature’s rhythms, can work together to protect these fish and the ecosystems they support.
Fishy in Coldstream
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