My experience with native willow and tree planting all started as a part of both my training and appied science in fish habitat enhancement. So basically put, my interest in planting has been directed totally towards creating natural trout habitat!
The use of planted native stock is of huge importance when your objective is to create a natural look in any fish habitat enhancement project. Furthermore, the use of plants to create trout habitat itself is the most cost-effective approach to any fish habitat project that involves a riparian zone that needs fixing or a total face job.
The photo to the right shows how growing willows can work as cover habitats in key areas, which do provide cover and a hiding place for trout. In recent years, along with the recovery of the Bighill Creek on its lower end, there have also been more fish-eating birds visit the stream. This makes the available habitat in the water very important to trout and their survival. Trout need submerged structure that is ideal for escaping a hungry bird, and submerged branches and exposed roots can do the job.
The protection from daylight is especially important to the dim light loving brown trout, and brook trout. Both of these trout have darker body color to blend in with any available habitat or shade, so they need just that and willows and trees that we plant are helping a lot. This is where the planting along the water’s edge is vital to the fish habitat enhance-ment of the stream. In the title:” Bow Valley Riparian Recovery and Enhancement Program”, the enhancement part actually means habitat enhancement. So, as you can see, we are getting the total package of both environmental benefits, improved water quality and fish and wildlife habitats.
The best word to describe this would be; Helping improve the health of our trout streams! This is all happening on a grass roots level, with some help from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, local government and community, and of course the local business that also believes in the objectives laid down in the original proposal. It is a win-win scenario for the trout streams and the natural world, and ultimately the problems of climate change.
