poster courtesy of Damaris Brisco, learn more

May 2021, nursery for long-toed salamanders

For the past year, we have worked with the City of Nanaimo to restore the riparian area in reach 2 (read more here).   Between the crushed gravel path and the creek there is a shallow pool with some water flowing through it.  With help from Elke Wind, herpetologist and wetland specialist, we investigated this area for potential wetland enhancement.  The City of Nanaimo generously supplied an excavator and operator (Ryan) to dig test pits so we could examine the underground soil structure and better understand how water moves through this area. 

​Ryan excavated 5 test pits so we could see if the water flowing through the wetland area is surface water or groundwater.  We determined that it is surface water, possibly flowing from the north (ie. Shores Drive access to Neck Point).   

The pits filled up with water, so after filling the holes back up they were very soft (like quicksand).  Ryan placed boulders and logs over top, and we flagged where the pits were.  We did not expect the sandy substrate underneath the shale rock on the surface!  After filling in the test pits, Ryan scraped away a few inches of shale and soil in one large area to create an ephemeral pool that will dry up in August, preventing invasive bullfrogs from hanging around.

As far as wetland enhancement - Elke suggested we could eventually put in a pond liner with wetland plants around the periphery.  But for now we've decided to watch the existing surface water and plan to enhance what's there. 

The wetland area after our investigations.

Our annual invasive removal in Morningside Park looked a little different this year.  With schools closed and everyone practicing physical distancing, we relied on a small group of friends and family to tackle invasives in Morningside Park.  Thistle, Daphne, and Ivy out-compete native plants like Oregon grape, ocean spray, and tiny fir and Cedar for sunlight and nutrients.  By removing as many invasives as possible, we hope to encourage the diverse native plants to thrive. 

Illegal dumping of yard waste continues to be a problem in Morningside Park.  Year after year we discover leaves, grass clipping, and even Christmas trees dumped over people's fences into the sensitive riparian area.  Years ago someone broke up an old patio and threw the concrete chunks and fence post footings "away".  "Out of sight, out of mind" behaviour degrades the slope stability, causes erosion, smothers native plants that are stabilizing the bank and providing shade, and can crush/impede wildlife. Through talking to residents who back onto the creek, we know that most neighbors understand the importance of properly disposing of yard waste.  However, a part of restoration still includes removing materials that have been illegally dumped.  We're hoping our continued work and outreach eradicates this problem!

On October 25 Walley Creek Streamkeepers met with Rob Lawrance and Margaret Pimlott from the City of Nanaimo, along with Dave Clough, RPBio, to create a plan for improving the biodiversity in a part of the riparian area in Morningside Park.  City arborists then helped thin an unhealthy stand of fir and alder that had self-seeded in an area full of rock fill.  This created space for volunteers to plant a variety of native plants to increase the biodiversity of this area, and improve the water-retention qualities of a wetland area adjacent to the creek. 

 35 volunteers came out November 8, 2019 to help us improve the biodiversity in Morningside Park (Reach 2 of Walley Creek). They created polygons out of logs, moved 15 yards of topsoil and 7 yards of mulch, then planted 260 native plants and trees including snowberry, Indian Plum (Oemlaria), swordfern, Oregon grape, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar and pine.  The day was a great success! 

High school volunteers from Dover Bay and Nanaimo & District Secondary schools brought energy and enthusiasm to the planting day. Rob Lawrance and Deb Beck from the City of Nanaimo volunteered their time, as well as many volunteers from the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust, Departure Creek Streamkeepers, and Snunuemuxw First Nation.  We are so grateful to all the volunteers that came out and gave time, energy and expertise to this project!

Each week since June we've been carefully watering the Oregon grape, ferns, Nootka rose, Snowberry, and Salmonberry that were planted in the riparian area back in March.  We are careful not to let any treated "tap" water enter the creek, but volunteers soak the mulch and soil enough that the plants have a chance to get established this spring/summer.  We have also spent many hours pulling invasive thistles along the gravel path.  This area was disturbed in 2015 when the RDN upgraded the wastewater outfall at Morningside Drive.  The City then replanted both sides of the path and installed an irrigation system to support Maple trees, Salal, Oregon grape and ferns until they were established.  The irrigation system is no longer being used, and the native plants are being choked out by opportunistic weeds.    While we focus on the riparian area and salmon habitat, we recognize the importance of this park land as a corridor and habitat for many other animals.  This is one of many tasks we take on in this "adopted" park.

If you have visited Neck Point Park in Nanaimo you have passed over Walley Creek where it flows into Hammond Bay.  This section of the creek, upstream of Morningside Drive, flows between private properties and a piece of City of Nanaimo park land.  The park is enjoyed by students from École Hammond Bay Elementary School and children from the surrounding neighbourhood.  It has a small wetland with potential habitat for salamanders, frogs, and all sorts of mammals and birds.  Illegal dumping of yard waste and garbage over the years has done serious damage to a steep slope on the north side, eroding the bank and degrading the riparian zone.  It is the location of one of our RDN CWMN water quality monitoring sites, and an area where we have worked hard removing garbage and invasive species in the past two years, with help from Grade 7 École Hammond Bay students.  

Our group was formed when each of us independently contacted the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust wondering if any work was being done to steward Walley Creek in North Nanaimo.  One of our members lives right where Walley Creek reaches the ocean in Hammond Bay; for decades she has watched and tended the stream, concerned by garbage washing downstream and the lack of care for the riparian integrity.  The Executive Director of NALT, Gail Adrienne put us in contact, and we started by asking our local Fisheries and Oceans Community Advisor to help us.  Biologist Dave Clough spent time with us walking the upper watershed, near Springfield Place, and the lowest part of Walley Creek, where it empties into Hammond Bay near Morningside Drive.

We came up with a long list of priorities for further research and restoration activities, including:

• create a Master Plan that documents ecological and recreational values that can stand up to future development proposals
• research the City of Nanaimo plans for park land acquisition in the watershed
• develop a better understanding of how the City of Nanaimo uses Riparian Areas Regulation to manage urban streams
• establish priorities for restoration activities
• survey and map the upper watershed area; would a rain garden improve year round flow and improve water quality?