Historical Context

We have no direct evidence that salmon used Greig Creek pre-European disturbance. However, it is likely that the creek, and most small systems like it, did support small runs of Coho and Chum salmon. Laughlin lake appears on the sketch map that accompanies the 1873 preemption claim for a 160 acre parcel of land that included the lake and Greig Creek. In the 1888 crown grant survey the lake was noted as a cultivated field. The lake had been drained and ditched. Such an event would have caused a tremendous amount of scouring to Greig Creek, as the massive amount of water was released flushing the system. The loss of the Lake at the creeks headwaters would effectively remove a means of regulating flows, a natural reservoir, ditching would have sped up drainage making the system flashier with lower summer flows. The lake bed was employed for agricultural purposes at least through the mid 20th Century.

Digging gravel to plant coho egg containing cassettes.

Checking egg cassettes in early summer for hatching success.

Demonstrating to school group how Gee trap works.

Surveying fry during the spring.

Releasing Coho smolts into Creek, June 2007.

Burrying Coho egg cassettes in the Gravels of Greig Creek

During the late 19th early 20th Century the land around the lower reaches of the creek was developed including beign almost completely cleared right over the stream as the surrounding land was opened up for agriculture and farm use. Much of the streams woody structure and habitat complexity would have been lost at this time. Logging throughout the Greig Creek watershed took place in the mid 1940's, when the mouth of the creek was used as the hauling route for logs out into Retreat Cove. This had a tremendous impact on the lower creek and the shallow eel grass beds in the cove. Currently there is a concentration of residential development in and around the lower reaches of Greig Creek. These historical disturbances and the subsequent maintenance of reduced habitat complexity are likely the reasons there does not exist a natural run of salmon in the creek.

Recent Reintroduction Efforts

During the mid 1990's as part of a Salmon education program the local elementary school raised Coho salmon in an aquarium at the school and released them to Greig Creek on Galiano Island. In 1999 to step up the efforts to try to bring salmon back to Greig Creek 1000 Coho eggs were placed into the stream. Each year following, a similar number of eggs were added to the stream in various reaches. During 2006-2007 Fry were monitored fall through spring for growth. During spring 2007, smolt migration out to sea was intensively monitored by Conservancy staff and a team of local volunteers. Partnering with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, we trapped exiting smolts using a weir and in-stream holding box. Of the 800 eggs buried in the creek 50 smolts were trapped leaving its waters.

Future Opportunities

We hope to continue with our salmon introductions to the creek.
When supply allows we are hoping to place Chum fry into the stream, with the assumption that Chum provide a bounty of nutrients to a small system that helps improve habitat conditions for Coho. Restoration efforts along the riparian banks of Greig Creek will continue as well as in the headwaters of Laughlin Lake. Further in- stream restoration with the addition of Large Woody Debris will continue to help expand and improve valuable pool and riffle habitat in this small system.

Installing weir and box trap to allow us to count migrating smolts.