Metro Vancouver is making it easier for fish to make their way to Burnaby Lake.
The regional government is replacing a local fish ladder with a more gradual, natural-looking structure to help fish navigate the waterway.
The current fish ladder is part of the Cariboo dam spanning Brunette River on the east end of Burnaby Lake. The ladder is a series of water-filled steps that fish can use to leap over the dam. The new version will have 12 "step pools" formed with rocks and boulders, making it easier for fish travelling both upstream and downstream.
Elmer Rudolph, president of the Sapperton Fish and Game Club, said Metro Vancouver's plan will help juvenile salmon.
"They're going to replace the fishway that has four jumps in it with a long graduated incline that goes back about 75 feet down the river from the dam," Rudolph said. "In those little steps, there will be little clusters of rocks and what not. It will be like a long riffle in a stream."
The easier passage won't necessarily mean more salmon in Burnaby Lake.
"If it does, we won't see it for years. (But) the juveniles will be able to seek out better habitat on their own," Rudolph added.
Construction on the new fishway starts July 25, and it should be ready by early October. Crews will generally be working 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, and the gated road leading from Cariboo Road alongside Brunette River will be closed during construction. www.twitter.com/JenniferMoreau
