Fish Entrainment - an issue affecting Alberta fish popuations

As the fishing season forges ahead and the forces of nature continue to change the waters that fish call home, our fisheries are facing many challenges. Provincially issues range from proposed coal mines, to forestry harvests in the headwaters, to invasive species, to an increasing demand for a decreasing water supply. One issue that hits the headlines annually during the annual "Fish Rescue" is fish entrainment in the irrigation canals. 

Fish entrainment is when fish unintentionally enter the canal and are then stuck when the canal water levels recede in fall. This issue is particularly worrisome on the Bow River which (as local and international anglers know) is a remarkable trout fishery that's home to naturalized populations of rainbow and brown trout as well as native species like rocky mountain whitefish, bull trout, and northern pike.  

Irrigation is required throughout our arid province to provide water for crops and people. This water is transferred across the province through a series of irrigation canals that are fed water from our riverways. The Bow "feeds" the needs of more than one provincial irrigation district. 

The guidelines for water withdrawal say that these canals should have some form of a "fish exclusion" device in place to keep fish in the rivers they call home. The reality is exclusion devices are a rarity and thousands of native and naturalized trout end up in the canals every year.

In fact estimates suggest that up to eight percent of the Bow River fish population ends up in the canals annually. This is not OK! 

We are thankful for the efforts of volunteers and Trout Unlimited (now Coldwater Conservation Council) for their annual "Fish Rescue" but would really like to see fish exclusion technology in use throughout Alberta's irrigation districts. 

The Trout Trust, an Alberta-based organization, is focused on this issue. They've summed up Trout Unlimited's efforts to return fish to the Bow river during fish rescues that have happened annually since 2000. During the 24 years of fish rescues a staggering 445,303 fish have been rescued from the canals..... Unfortunately rescue efforts aren't 100% successful. 

Author and angler, Jim McLennan, wrote an informative article about the entrainment issue that is featured on the Alberta Wilderness Association's website.  

If fish entrainment is an issue of interest to you OR you want more information about this and other issues that impact Alberta fisheries we encourage you to get involved with organizations like The Trout Trust, The Bow River Trout Foundation, Friends of Fish Creek, CPAWS, Save Our Slopes, and others. 

Stay informed. Write letters to your provincial and federal representatives. Talk to your friends (or strangers) about issues that matter to you. Speak out to protect the waters you hold dear. Outdoor users are the greatest advocates for the outdoors. 

Happy fishing.