Lack of ra 3 - Wednesday, September 27, 1989 - North Shore News m causes salmon run to dry up on Cap River RECENT DRY weather has cut the flow of fish returns to the Capilano River hatchery. By TIMOTHY RENSHAW News Reporter The coho salmon run wp the Capilano River this year is approx- imately one-10th of what it was last year, and chinook returns are almost non-existent. And while Capilano hatchery manager Eldon Stone said the drop in coho returns is no cause for concern, a federal fisheries biologist said there is ‘‘a definite concern’? over the dearth of chinook. Coho returns to the hatchery thus far this year are approximate- ly 4,700 compared with 43,000 at the same time last year. As of Monday, only two chinook have made their way back to the hatchery. But Stone said 1988 was an ex- ceptional year for coho, ‘‘and we have got as many fish as we need to this point. We have got our egg requirement. I think if you went Residents vow to sink yacht club plan in Wi SEVERAL UPSET Eagle Harbour residents vowed Thurs- day to sink any plans the Eagle Harbour Yacht Club has to take possession of a small bay currently harboring its members’ boats. The yacht club has applied to West Vancouver District Council for a water-lot sub-lease consisting of 1.557 acres in a bid to accom- modate 15 boats that are currently being moored on buoys in Eagle Harbour. At a public hearing ‘eld last Thursday night, two yach: club of- ficials told about 60 Eax'e Har- bour residents that the clu» has no plans to either increase the size of its property or add acditional boats to the facility. In fact, Jim McJannet, ati exec- utive director of the Eagle Har- bour Yacht Club, said the municipality told the yacht club that it had to apply for a water-lot lease. “If it came right down to it,'’ he said, ‘‘we wish this (lease applica- tion) had never arisen, but we were asked, or I guess I should say re- quired (by the municipality), to apply for a water-lot lease.”’ He added that the municipality is requiring al] West Vancouver marinas to apply for water-lot leases in order to ‘‘regularize’’ buoy moorage facilities under a new municipal administrative plan. But the idea of 1aking out a lease didn’t sit well with some Eagle Harbour area residents who told McJannet and yacht club Com- modore Sven Stokke to ‘“‘get rid of the 15 boats” in order to be ‘‘good neighbors.”’ “Y don’t mind those boats,”’ said one resident, ‘‘but I don’t want you (yacht club) to own that water. That water is public proper- ty... I don’t like to swim through a privately-owned area.’’ Another ‘resident suggested that the yacht club and area residents approach West Vancouver council to try to urge them to come up with an alternative solution that would not require the yachi club to apply for a water-lot lease. “] don’t know if the municipali- ty would be receptive to that,’’ replied McJannet. “Let’s try,’’ countered another resident. After being pressed on the issue, Business . . . Classified Ads... Dr. Buth...... Food.......... Lifestyles..............33 By SURJ RATTAN Stokke said he would be willing to “put iato writing’? a promise that the yacht club would not increase the density of its property or the number of boats it currently allows to be docked and moored in Eagle Harbour. But that commitment was not enough to satisfy other area resi- dents who said they will oppose the lease application. One woman said she considers Eagle Harbour to be an unsafe place for swimming. because of the number of boats coming in and out of the area. Another said the yacht club could solve its problem if it evicted the 15 boats being moored on buoys and increased membership fees. McJannet also admitted that he has no idea how much the lease the yacht club is applying for will cost. Throughout the meeting Mc- Jannet told area residents that they should not be worried about the lease application because it will not result in any major changes at the Eagle Harbour Yacht Club. “We're not asking for anything more than we've already enjoyed. In some ways, I think there’s a fear that we plan to take over the entire bay,’’ McJannet said. Besides McJannet and Stokke, only four other Eagle Harbour Yacht Club members attended the public meeting. After compiaints were aired about yacht club members polluting a nearby beach, one yacht club member at the meeting replied: “T think this marina is an asset to this neighborhood. Most of the people I see here walk theiz dogs along the beach without pooper- scoopers... the marina’s not the polluter.’’ West Vancouver council is ex- pected to debate the lease applica- tion issue at its Oct. 2 council meeting. WEATHER Wednesday, cloudy with shewers. High near 21°C. Thursday, mostly sunny. High near 18°C. ~~"Second Class Registration Number 3885 back two years you'd find we'd be at exactly the same point we are this year (with cohe returns}.”’ By late October 1987, approxi- mately 6,500 coho had returned to the hatchery. But Salmonid Enhancement Program biologist Ted Perry said the hatchery needs at least 500 fe- male chinook to provide the eggs for the Capilano River chinook run and to stock Fisheries and Oceans fish-rearing seapens_ in Deep Cove and near Wigwam Inn in Indian Arm. The department plans to release two million salmon smolts from the two pen sites this year. Perry said that unless there is some major rainfall in the Lower Mainland area by mid-October the chinook run up the Capilano could be seriously affected. As of Monday, only .8 mm of rain had fallen in the Lower Mainland during September. Average September rainfall in the area is 67 mm. Water levels in the Capilano res- ervoir are currently about 30 feet below what is considered full. In the fall of 1987, which was one of the driest recorded in recent years, the reservoir’s level dropped to over 40 feet below capacity. Current daily water consump- tion from the Capilano reservoir is approximaiely 100 million gallons. By late November of last year 360 adult chinook had returned to the river. In 1987, only 50 adult chinook returned. Chinook are not native to the Capilano, but the river’s hatchery has attempted to establish a chinook run in the river for the past 18 years. . MEWS photo Nail Lucente Hot diggity dog! BRIAN GGOSE, manager of Buy-Low Foods, was busy grilling hot dogs for charity during the grocery store’s recent Block Party celebrations. Proceeds from the hot dog sales went to the North Shore Neigh- bourhood House. Aidermen raise land use fears From page 1 night’s council meeting as inop- portune. © “tThis motion is strictly a politi- cal one,” he said. ‘‘It is one to gain points and that saddens me.”’ Ald. Craig Clark concurred and proposed deferral until two weeks after the review process report comes back to council, which would likely be in December. Clark expressed fear that his children might not be able to af- ford housing on the North Shore in the future. . ““We are going to great lengths to make this a great community, to provide the recreation and all the benefits,’’ he said, ‘‘and I’m afraid that if we don’t provide the new income through ways of housing, our children are not going to be able to live on the North Shore and enjoy all of the benefits that we have created, except for the odd occasion to come over here and picnic.”’ Mayor Marilyn Baker acknowl- edged that the issue had generated some heat from the community, but responded angrily to accusa- tions that she categorized as “‘What’s in it for her?’’. “The comments that Alderman Crist has made with regard to other uses in that area is exactly the reason that I am committed to review of this whole process,’’ Baker said. In an interview after the meeting, Save Lynn Canyon Park Association spokesman Paul Turner said, ‘‘It seems to me that council can vote at any time to protect the park or to draw us through a long and costly process and come to the same conclusion at the end of it all.’’