Fish Creek Provincial Park - Rainbow Redd Survey on the Bow River

Join us as we work together with Freshwater Conservation Canada to raft the Bow River in Fish Creek Provincial Park, and document rainbow trout spawning! Trout are gravel nest spawners, with females excavating a nest, called a redd, where they deposit eggs. These are fertilized by one or more male, then covered by gravel. By counting and mapping the number and distribution of redds, we can answer questions about trout populations and spawning habitat in Fish Creek Provincial Park. Trout are indicator species for healthy streams, as they require cool, clean and connected watersheds to survive.

On the morning of the event, we will all meet at the Graves Boat Launch, then split into two groups: one starting at Graves and ending at the Fish Creek boat launch, and the other starting at the Fish Creek boat launch and ending at Policeman's Flats. We will then have a maximum of 12 people on each raft to help paddle, and a few volunteers helping with data entry. If some volunteers are able to help shuttle people from the end point back up to the start point, it would be much appreciated!!

What to bring:

-Sunglasses (preferably polarized!), and a sun hat

-Plenty of drinking water, a bagged lunch, and any snacks you might need for the day

-Waders, if you have them! Otherwise wear comfortable clothing and footwear/rain boots that can get a little bit wet

-Sunscreen, bugspray

-Fully charged phone for pictures and data entry! Download ArcGIS Field Maps to help document the data!

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