VANCOUVER -- Salmon have returned to spawn in East Vancouver.

It is the second straight year fish have come to lay eggs in Still Creek, according to Vancouver resident Carmen Rosen, who said that while their unlikely spawning grounds near Rupert Street and Grandview Highway are less than pristine, their return suggests it’s no fluke they’ve returned.

“They are spawning in a ditch behind Canadian Tire,” said Rosen, who described the area Tuesday. “The SkyTrain is going by overhead and people are going to and fro to the local Walmart … it’s so amazing.”

The surprising tale of how the salmon returned is a testament to hard work and cooperation.

Rosen explained that Still Creek was once diverted by pipes underneath parking lots in the area where the salmon are now spawning, but after a concerted effort by the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby, regulatory agencies, local residents and watershed protection groups, the creek has gradually been day lighted.

“We spent 50 years screwing up the environment and now it’s occurred to us that maybe that wasn’t a good idea, so people have spent the last 20 years trying to bring it back,” she said.

The groups are now trying to restore the natural flow of Still Creek, reduce soil erosion and downstream sedimentation, and protect the streamside and aquatic habitats. They are also working to tree the watershed, improve water quality, and get people back in contact with the urban creek.

As just one recent example of efforts to improve the stream, the City of Vancouver announced in September plans to remove concrete barriers and a culvert that had rechannelled the waterway in Renfrew Ravine Park and Renfrew Community Park.

But Rosen said there was a lot of work yet to be done throughout the watershed. Still Creek is regularly tested and she said it sometimes shows high coliform counts, sports unnatural hues, and is covered in foam.

Then there is the smell: sometimes it reeks of sewage or motor oil.

On good days, portions of the creek are starting to resemble how it might have looked when salmon were regular visitors to its waters.

Still Creek started to look so good, said Rosen, that a few years ago residents and local students paired with the department of fisheries to release salmon fry into its waters. It could be these very fry that have returned to spawn.

“There’s still a lot of work to do and a lot of education to happen, but we’re obviously doing something right because the salmon are trying,” said Rosen. “I would say they’ve given us a conditional vote of confidence.”

People interested in helping clear the way for a return of salmon and other wildlife to the creek should contact Evergreen B.C. (604-689-0766, www.evergreen.ca) to find out about the next monthly cleanup or native planting session.

mattrobinson@postmedia.com

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