The Walley Creek Streamkeepers, in partnership with the City of Nanaimo, Snuneymuxw First Nation, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), are undertaking a restoration project this summer to make the creek healthier for the fish and other animals that live there.  Walley Creek has resident cutthroat trout, and has the possibility to support Coho salmon.  

In-stream work can only happen during the window of August 15 to September 15.  This is to prevent damage to sensitive fish habitat.  In-stream work requires a permit from the Provincial Government, and is done with the greatest amount of care possible, with the goal to leave the fish habitat better.  Outside of this time, nothing should ever enter or block the water – not humans, animals, or tree parts.  If branches and other “small woody debris” incidentally enter the water (through storms or getting flushed downstream) volunteers must remove blockages, with permission from DFO, the City and the Province. This work is supervised by Dave Clough, R.P.Bio.
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2021 planned in-stream work:

• Remove sediment (road sand) from the creek with a vacuum truck.
• Remove branches and small woody debris.
• Place boulders in the creek that will slow the flow of water during large rain (flushing) events.
• Add gravel to improve salmon spawning habitat.

2021 planned riparian Work:

• Remove invasive plant species - over the long term, blackberries don’t provide enough shade to keep the water cool enough to support aquatic life, especially fish.
• Remove illegal yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, and tree parts).
• Plant trees that will stabilize the bank and provide shade.
• Plant shrubs to improve biodiversity, provide food for adult insects that are part of the food web for aquatic animals, and provide food (berries) and shelter for birds.
• Add large woody debris (logs and stumps) to improve habitat for salamanders and frogs.

While Walley Creek is open to the surface along its whole length, it is fed by storm drain inputs from the developed areas of the watershed, as well as groundwater seepage.  To see a map of the storm drains in the Walley Creek Watershed, visit the interactive Nanaimo map - http://maps.nanaimo.ca/nanaimomap/.
 
Click on Themes and choose Utilities.  On the left side, check the box that says Storm.  (The photo below is an example.) You can also turn on the air photos, and select different attributes that you want to see as you zoom in.  

Since 2019 our group has been dismayed see the creek go dry in the lower reaches (Shores Drive to the ocean) during the summer.  We are desperately trying to sleuth out why this is happening, since we know it's fatal for the fish and invertebrates that depend on the creek being wet.    In August and September 2019 and 2021, creek water has been present only in isolated pools in Reaches 1 and 2, if at all.

There is one pipe just south of Shores Drive that we found during our (2016/2017) stream assessment that isn't on the City utilities map.  Water used to trickle out of it that we assumed was groundwater because it was so cold (<12 degrees C).   In fall 2018 we walked that area to plan for some restoration work and noticed it's not providing water to the creek anymore.  We're wondering if that has something to do with why the creek is dry.

In August 2021 we decided to walk the creek again from Morningside Park north, mapping storm drain inputs.