23 replies to this topic

[Bingo]

One of the most beautiful waterways of Victoria.

 

Both the Selkirk and Gorge waters have a rich heritage as part of a working harbour, and as an early recreational swimming and boating destination.

At one point the Gorge became so polluted with sewage and garbage you could no longer swim in it.

Thankfully much of that pollution has been removed. We do however need to be vigilant that the area stays that way.

If we can keep this thread focussed on topics such as rowing, paddling, swimming, fishing, cycling and walking paths and parks, we can help to promote this unique Victoria asset.

 

https://www.crd.bc.c...way/gorge-today

 

Young rowers out on the water this morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Bingo, 04 November 2016 - 07:38 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

Can we blast the reversing falls though?  And dig a narrow trench to Esquimalt Harbour?  Then it'd be world class.

 

[Sparky]

^ At the risk of being a party pooper, the falls do not reverse anymore. A number of years ago the guy that owned the marina just west of there gave the rock a bit of a blast and that reduced it's size and affected the characteristics.

 

Now at certain times during "some" ebb tides there is the appearance of what might appear to be a bit of a "falls" and the flood tides just have a strong current component.

[VicHockeyFan]

So how many hours per day can we traverse it in a canoe, I mean personal non-motorized watercraft?

[Bingo]

Now at certain times during "some" ebb tides there is the appearance of what might appear to be a bit of a "falls" and the flood tides just have a strong current component.

 

Canoeing with the proper attire in the olden days.

 

 

 http://www.maureendu...-park.html#null

[Sparky]

So how many hours per day can we traverse it in a canoe, I mean personal non-motorized watercraft?

 

The middle period of an ebb tide is the challenge say 4-5 hours for it to bother a canoe. If there are two occupants they could portage it across the bridge.

[VicHockeyFan]

If there are two occupants they could portage it across the bridge.

 

I've actually done that before.  Good times.

[Bingo]

FISH OF THE WATERWAY Estuaries like the Gorge Waterway and Portage Inlet have been called “nurseries of the sea” for their important role providing sheltered habitat, food and spawning areas for a variety of fish species.

 

HISTORY OF HERRING The herring population of the waterway is genetically distinct, and herring numbers have decreased considerably over the past few decades. Historically, crowds of anglers used to line Craigflower Bridge during the annual spring herring migration to spawning grounds in Portage Inlet. People still jig for herring during March and April, but scientists say that significant spawning has not occurred in the inlet since the late 1980s. The reasons for this are not clear.

 

SAFE HAVEN FOR SALMON AND TROUT Two streams that flow into Portage Inlet — Craigflower Creek and Colquitz River — support spawning populations of coho and chum salmon, as well as cutthroat trout. Most of the salmon in Craigflower Creek were wiped out in the 1970s due to in-stream barriers caused by road construction and other development. In the 1980s, parts of the stream were restored, and juvenile coho were transplanted from nearby Goldstream River. Recently, restocking has ceased, and the returning populations seem to be stable.

https://www.crd.bc.c...ay.pdf?sfvrsn=2

 

Herring fishing at the new Craigflower Bridge

 

 

 

 

Edited by Bingo, 04 November 2016 - 08:19 PM.

[Sparky]

I have always wondered if those people on the bridge pack fishing licenses.

[Bingo]

Incoming tide at the Gorge Park Bridge

 

 

 

[Bingo]

 

Japanese Gardens

 

Esquimalt Gorge Park is located on the Gorge Waterway in historic Esquimalt, British Columbia.  When the park was developed more than 100 years ago, a key attraction was the establishment of North America’s first Japanese Garden. The Garden was originally designed by Isaburo Kishida in 1907. The Takata family operated a very successful Tea House in the gardens for many years until 1941 when Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry were sent to internment camps.  Sadly few elements of this great Japanese garden remain today.

The Township of Esquimalt has taken the first steps in recreating North America’s oldest Japanese Garden, the original Kishida/Takata Gardens.  The refurbishing of the ornamental stream, the construction of a traditional Japanese bridge over it is now complete and a traditional Japanese entry gate has now being installed.  These are small but very important steps in returning the spirit and soul of this important historical garden back to the community.

https://www.esquimal...malt-gorge-park

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bingo]

The Township of Esquimalt has been dealing with contaminated water in Gorge Creek for the past six months. This summer it cost the township its annual Gorge Swim Fest when the water became too polluted for swimming.

Now, fixing the problem could cost the township and its residents up to $13 million, according to a report by Esquimalt's director of engineering and public works, Jeff Miller, delivered to council in early December.

Miller said he is working to create a by-law and policy to determine how to split the repair costs between the township and property owners.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...4466468?cmp=rss

 

[VicHockeyFan]

The township ran what Miller called a smoke testing program to determine where the contamination was occurring. The test found nearly 400 potential cross-connections between the storm drains and the sewer system.

 

 

400 eh?

 

I'm pretty sure any cost-sharing is going to be very problematic and face legal challenges.

 

That $13M bill is $700 per Esquimaltian man, woman and child though.

 

Esquimalt's yearly budget is only $28M.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 28 December 2017 - 05:38 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

So it goes from 1 house maybe spilling, to 400 maybe, and from a few thousand dollars they might stick on one homeowner, to $13M they have no idea how to deal with. 

 

Who is the engineer on this thing?

 

And now Veins of Life say this thing was known in the 70's.  Meanwhile, the vast majority of the houses will have changed owners in that time, were they made aware?

 

This has the making of a serious screw-up and legal wrangling for decades. 

 

Or, they might ignore it.  After all, before this last summer's swim, all was fine, right?

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 29 December 2017 - 10:57 AM.

[Mike K.]

I think the issue was first acknowledged in the 1960's when Esquimalt realized the province absolved itself of that particular stretch of land but had not properly dealt with the sewage issue. So Esquimalt appears to have just brushed it under the carpet in light of the attitudes of that day and the fact that thousands of homes spilled sewage directly into waterways all over the region during periods of heavy rain.

 

In fact we might even see sewage from tens of thousands of homes washing up on local beaches tomorrow with the heavy rains we're getting right now.

[VicHockeyFan]

I think the issue was first acknowledged in the 1960's when Esquimalt realized the province absolved itself of that particular stretch of land but had not properly dealt with the sewage issue. So Esquimalt appears to have just brushed it under the carpet in light of the attitudes of that day and the fact that thousands of homes spilled sewage directly into waterways all over the region during periods of heavy rain.

 

In fact we might even see sewage from tens of thousands of homes washing up on local beaches tomorrow with the heavy rains we're getting right now.

 

Right, but what brought this sewage spill right in the middle of the summer?

 

And ya, we know storms spill into sanitary and vice versa all over, but mostly in the winter when nobody is in the ocean in a bathing suit.

 

Also, who's water is the Esquimalt homes fouling?  Victoria's?  The provinces?  The CRD's?  And who has the authority to tell them to fix it and on what timeline?  And to what extent?

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 29 December 2017 - 11:04 AM.

[Mike K.]

I would wager the spill had been there the whole time, but during periods of less rain the little creek it washed into and which fed into the Gorge was much lower than usual. We have had two relatively dry summers, after all.

[VicHockeyFan]

Can’t we just divert this entire thing Into the sanitary sewer at some point? Or would that be destroying a “creek” / storm drain?

[Mike K.]

I'd wager we have a similar situation playing out all over this region.

 

Aging sewer lines are leaking all over the place, getting into ground water, into soils, etc. The fact that we can visually recognize the Esquimalt situation just makes it more pronounced but the reality is our entire sewage infrastructure has been neglected.

[Nparker]

I'd wager we have a similar situation playing out all over this region...our entire sewage infrastructure has been neglected.

#bikelaneswillsaveus