Nanaimo River Hatchery will be checking the health of this year’s Chinook run in the wake of a planned water release last week.
The City of Nanaimo and Nanaimo Forest Products released water from Fourth Lake and Jump Creek reservoirs into the Nanaimo River last week to help encourage salmon to move upstream. It was the first time in two years water levels were increased due to this season’s dry weather.
Brian Banks, manager of the Nanaimo River Hatchery, said it helps all salmon species and especially Chinook get up river to spawning areas and away from predators .
“We saw quite a few in the lower river [and] we will be doing a swim on Monday to see how they’ve dispersed after the water release but it’s looking like a good year,” he said.