Low snowpack could be ‘disastrous’ for salmon, scientist says

[GLG]

Hey GLG and OBD, do you guys fish at all?

Thanks for asking, yes I do. In the chuck mostly and I try to keep it local. The exception is in the fall, a few trips up to Browns Bay for chum season and derby. Like most locals when you learn the area there is no need to travel far and wide to enjoy the fishing.

 

[OldBlackDog]

This discussion is about B.C. and the effect on salmon.

Thanks OBD.... sometimes it pays to read the rest of the story......
http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=333B8E6A-1

 

[Wiseguy]

This discussion is about B.C. and the effect on salmon.

How about you OBD, where do you fish?

 

[OldBlackDog]

Mostly in in the ocean, but have fished in rivers and lakes as well.
Fished from the Queen charlottes to Mexico, west coast to Florida.

How about you OBD, where do you fish?

 

[GLG]

[h=1]Snowpack drought has salmon dying in overheated rivers[/h]<time datetime="2015-07-25 17:42:37">Originally published July 25, 2015 at 5:42 pm</time> <time datetime="2015-07-27 12:18:09">Updated July 27, 2015 at 12:18 pm

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...rought-has-salmon-dying-in-overheated-rivers/

Migrating salmon on the Columbia River face tough odds for survival as the lack of snowmelt water and searing summer heat have sent water temperatures soaring.

HOME VALLEY, Skamania County — In a quiet, green pool off the Lower Columbia River, upstream from the Bonneville Dam, dozens of sickly sockeye salmon spend their final days.
They shouldn’t be here. Instead, the fish should have forged deep into the drainages of North Central Washington, the Okanagan region of British Columbia or Redfish Lake in central Idaho.

But their journey has been short-circuited by a startling surge in water temperatures that has turned the Columbia into a kill zone where salmon immune systems are weakened and fish die of infections.
At Bonneville Dam last week, water temperatures were more than 72 degrees, nearly 5 degrees higher than the 10-year average for this time period.

So, rather than pushing forward, these sockeye made a last-ditch effort to escape the warm water. They veered off the Columbia to swim into a short inlet that leads to the mouth of the Little White Salmon River, which is fed by glacier melt and provides cool water.
Some still are chrome silver, though suffering from a bacterial disease. Others have backs covered with a mottled white fungus. All are expected to die here — hundreds of miles short of their spawning grounds.
“The water temperatures in the Lower Columbia are physiologically unsustainable for salmon,” said Mary Peters, a microbiologist who works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “It’s crazy.”
The plight of these sockeye is stark evidence of how far freshwater conditions have deteriorated for Northwest salmon in a year when a shrunken snowpack provided scant meltwater and searing summer weather stoked up temperatures in creeks and rivers.
Salmon also face challenges in the ocean where they spend most of their lives. There, unusually warm coastal waters have diminished the food supply that nurture young fish as they first emerge from freshwater, and that could mean weaker runs in the near future.
“My guess is that this is going to be one of the poorest years for salmon (ocean) survival” said Bill Peterson, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries scientist based in Newport, Ore. “Things do not look good.”


These poor ocean conditions are a sharp reversal from much of the past decade when cooler waters supported nutritious forage that helped boost salmon runs. Last year, more than 2.3 million salmon and steelhead, both wild and hatchery-bred, returned to the Columbia River basin, setting a modern-day record. So far this year, there have also been strong runs.

Longer-term climate change, driven by emissions from fossil fuels, also raises concerns for the fate of salmon as they return to freshwater to spawn. Snowpacks are forecast to decline, putting rivers more at risk of lower flows like those this summer, and higher temperatures.
“It’s just like boiling water in a kettle. When you have less water in there, it gets hotter, faster,” said Ritchie Graves, a NOAA Fisheries supervisory biologist.
[h=2]Migration blocked[/h]This year, spring chinook arrived in freshwater well before intense heat pushed river temperatures past 70 degrees. Now, many of the wild fish are holding in cool deep pools in higher elevation drainages and will spawn later in the year when water temperatures are hoped to have eased.

But the big summer runs of sockeye are in serious trouble on the Columbia.
Of the more than 500,000 that passed Bonneville Dam on the Lower Columbia River, most are struggling as they try to make their way past a network of dams that create slack pools with large volumes of water exposed to the sun.

“These reservoirs create a huge surface area for solar heating. And it’s an effect of the construction and operation of the hydro system that we haven’t successfully mitigated,” said Michele DeHart, manager of the Portland-based Fish Passage Center that monitors salmon passage over the dams.

Even in a more typical year, sockeye may face some summer temperature problems in the Columbia.
This year, a couple of hundred thousand of these sockeye may already have perished in the river’s warm waters, according to Jeff Korth, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife regional fish manager.
Dead salmon have been spotted around the fish ladders at Bonneville Dam. Diseased fish with red marks that are signs of a bacterial infection have been found in tribal dip nets.
“Some of them actually have red splotches all over, and we threw them back because we didn’t want to keep them,” said Jessie Yallup, a Yakama Nation fisherman who works a dip net downstream of Bonneville Dam.
Most of the Columbia River sockeye are bound for Canada. But they must first pass through the Okanogan River, where water temperatures have exceeded 76 degrees in recent weeks and created a strong thermal barrier blocking salmon migration.

 

[GLG]

cont.....

Currently, an estimated 170,000 sockeye mill around the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia. Earlier this month, when the Okanogan temperatures dipped just a few degrees, some sockeye tried to make it upstream. But water temperatures rose again, trapping them in lethal waters.
“We probably lost 13,000 or 14,000 fish. None of them survived,” said Korth, the Washington state biologist.
There also is concern about the fate of Idaho’s sockeye, one of 13 Columbia Basin runs listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. They face a challenging upriver migration past the Columbia and Snake River dams, and have been rescued from near extinction at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.
Last year, more than 1,400 sockeye made the 900-mile journey to Redfish Lake in Idaho. This year, though, is shaping up as a significant setback in the restoration effort. So far, less than 400 of these sockeye have made it past Lower Granite, the last dam on the Snake River, prompting the state of Idaho to declare a sockeye emergency.
During a tense teleconference on July 22, Idaho biologist Russ Kiefer pushed his counterparts in other Northwest states to support a new tactic: increasing flows through turbines in an attempt to draw more cooler water and coax more sockeye past the Little Goose Dam on the Snake River.
Other state biologists pressed for more information about the potential benefits. Kiefer erupted in frustration.


“All I hear is, you want more analysis,” Kiefer said. “We’re at the time that the more we delay, the more sockeye die.”
[h=2]Hatcheries struggling[/h]Elsewhere in the Northwest, biologists are monitoring a multitude of drainages where low flows and warm water pose risks to fish.
The Dungeness River near Sequim is usually flush with cool water from snowmelt off the Olympic Mountains as chinook and pink salmon return from saltwater. But this year, most winter precipitation fell as rain not snow, so water-flow levels have tapered off drastically.
“Some of the riffles are only ankle deep,” said Chris Byrnes, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist. “The chinook, they are going to be sticking out of the water about half way when they come up through the shallow spots.”
Some hatcheries also are struggling due to warm water.
In memos summarizing drought impacts, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that nine hatcheries have lost more than 1.5 million young coho and steelhead. One of the hardest hit was the North Toutle River hatchery in southwest Washington; it lost 103,000 coho — about 78 percent of its production of that species. That prompted the transfer of surviving fish to another hatchery.


“We’re trying to make sure fish are treated for the diseases, and be nimble and come up with alternative supplies of water,” said Guy Norman, southwest Washington regional director for the department.
[h=2]Praying for rain[/h]There is plenty of uncertainty about how the rest of the summer will play out.
If the weather eases and the mountains get some showers, some river systems such as the Okanogan could cool substantially. That could help salvage at least a fraction of the river’s sockeye run.
“A little bit of rain goes a long way when the water is so low,” said Korf, the state biologist who tracks sockeye. “If we can get those temperatures down to around 70, those fish will shoot up there fast.”
The Columbia reacts more slowly to swings in weather. Typically, the water keeps warming to a peak in August. If that pattern holds true, coho and chinook that have yet to enter the river will have problems.
Warming rivers could become a more persistent problem in the decades ahead.


Scientists modeling the impacts of climate change forecast that maximum weekly water temperatures — on both sides of the Cascades — could climb from 2 degrees to more than 5 degrees by midcentury. Such changes could increase the challenges of the decades-long effort to restore salmon runs already hammered by other human activities.
Salmon returning in the spring or late summer are likely to fare better than others such as the sockeye that come back during the peak summer heat. Over time, perhaps the sockeye will evolve, with fish that return early in the summer having greater success at reproducing and passing on their genes.
Meanwhile, those fish that fail at spawning, like the sockeye circling around the mouth of Little White Salmon, will fade away without passing on their genes.
The first of this year’s sockeye arrived at the confluence several weeks ago, and some already are dead.
This past week, the creek was littered with dozens of carcasses scavenged by sea gulls and a great blue heron.


Hal Bernton: 206-464-2581 or hbernton@seattletimes.com

 

[terrin]

This Article was published July 25th. Hopefully the weekend rains helped the situation a little.

 

[GLG]

This Article was published July 25th. Hopefully the weekend rains helped the situation a little.

There is a link in the article that confirms what you said.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=12447200

Don't know if it helped much but it's better then nothing. I think they are looking for 70 degree water.

 

[GLG]

[h=1]Sockeye face 'catastrophic' collapse in South Okanagan[/h]
[h=3]Latest projection shows as low as 18,000 sockeye expected to return to region[/h]
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...strophic-collapse-in-south-okanagan-1.3171768

A potentially catastrophic collapse of the sockeye salmon run is unfolding on the Columbia River system this year.
Scientists once predicted that about 100,000 sockeye would return to spawning grounds in the rivers and streams in British Columbia's South Okanagan region.
In fact, it was supposed to be one of the largest sockeye runs in recent history, said Okanagan Nation Alliance fish biologist Richard Bussanich.
[h=2]Drought conditions stress sockeye[/h]But Bussanich said the latest projection falls short of earlier expectations. Instead, it's now thought that a range of 18,000 to 47,000 will return to the spawning grounds this year. He said higher water temperatures and low water levels are stressing the migrating salmon.
"Fish are showing signs of physical stress," Bussanich said. "So there are open wounds and fungi and other things. The conditions are harsher than normal."
He said more than half of the sockeye on the Columbia have died.
"This is shaping up to be catastrophic for this year. And hopefully we don't have repeat years because then we will be into major conservation concerns."
Authorities have cancelled recreational and commercial sockeye fisheries on Osoyoos Lake.
In normal seasons, the sockeye fishery contributes up to $400,000 to the local economy.

 

[OldBlackDog]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...sful-with-decade-long-effort/article20714952/

 

[OldBlackDog]

Seattle Times
<time class="line published dt-published" datetime="2015-07-30 20:56:43" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline; color: rgb(126, 131, 139); font-family: ff-dagny-web-pro, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Originally published July 30, 2015 at 8:56 pm</time> <time class="line update updated dt-updated" datetime="2015-07-31 13:18:55" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; display: inline; color: rgb(126, 131, 139); font-family: ff-dagny-web-pro, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Updated July 31, 2015 at 1:18 pm</time>


‘The Blob’ may warm Puget Sound’s waters, hurt marine life

Scientists say they are concerned about the continued ecological effects of the unusually warm and dry conditions in the Puget Sound region this summer.
Seattle scientists predicted this summer would be hot and dry, with warming waters and low river levels. It’s worse than they thought, however, with record-breaking heat, a meager snowpack and a severe drought. And the effects are now evident in the Puget Sound.
“I wasn’t expecting the conditions to be this extreme,” said University of Washington climate scientist Nick Bond. “I thought it would be dry and warm, but I wasn’t expecting this.”
Scientists from county, state and federal agencies said Thursday they are concerned about the ecological outlook in the Puget Sound from the unusual conditions, which are forecast to persist as a strong El Niño develops. They’re working to understand the impact of warming water that already has contributed to early shellfish closures, an increase in toxic algae and more reports of fish kills.
The region has suffered from a “one-two punch” of a meager snowpack combined with the drought, Bond said. A massive area of warm water off the West Coast, coined “The Blob,” may be to blame. The pool of water is up to 7 degrees hotter than usual and has remained from Alaska to Mexico since 2013.
“The blob is still rearing its ugly head,” Bond said.
Buoys in the South Puget Sound, main basin and Hood Canal show temperatures are warmer in both deep and surface waters, with some areas up to 4 degrees above normal, according to UW oceanographer Jan Newton. Oxygen concentrations in the Hood Canal are low and could continue to decline through September, when upwelling stops and the blob moves into the Sound. Both the temperatures and lack of oxygen could be stressful for organisms.
“In very severe conditions, we’re concerned about fish kills,” Newton said. “We’re going to be continuing to monitor this.”
Sea Change

Ocean acidification threatens to scramble marine life on a scale almost too big to fathom. Read and watch the Seattle Times special report "Sea Change: The Pacific's Perilous Turn." Read more.
Marine life has also taken a hit. A shellfish harvest was shut down in early April, two months before the average time for biotoxin closure, said Jerry Borchert of the Washington State Department of Health’s shellfish-safety program. Areas of the Hood Canal that have never been closed have had to shut down because of the toxins, likely a result of elevated water temperatures, according to Borchert.
Deaths of fish such as salmon have led to concerns about the long-term impact on the food web, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries scientist Correigh Greene.
While the sunny weather and warm water may be welcomed by humans — NOAA oceanographer Simone Alin pointed out she went for a swim in the Hood Canal this summer and for the first time didn’t feel numb when she got out — most organisms can’t adapt to survive the rising temperatures.
If the season is a window into a new normal, “we are looking at a very different environment than we would like to have,” Greene said.
At the same time the blob and unusually warm temperatures are causing widespread ecological disruptions, a strong El Niño — a disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system — is developing that could potentially aggravate and prolong the problems.
Temperatures in the eastern, equatorial Pacific, where El Niños are born, haven’t been this warm this time of year since the record-breaking El Niño of 1997-98.
‘“It looks like it’s going to be a big one,” said Michael McPhaden, of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle. And big El Niños affect weather patterns all around the globe.
The impact is probably already felt here in this summer’s high temperatures, Bond said. But in the Pacific Northwest, the biggest change usually comes in the form of warmer winters with less snow.
During this El Niño, the fact that offshore waters are already warm could intensify the effect.
“The blob itself is adding to the warmth we’re liable to get from the El Niño, so it increases our confidence that this winter won’t be a cold one,” Bond said.
The El Niño pattern is expected to persist until next spring, McPhaden said.

 

[shuswap]

Not this season as temperatures have approached 26 degrees in the Columbia and Sockeye numbers past the dams are dropping. Sockeye mortality is being observed enroute. Too bad as a lot of effort has gone into restoration efforts here.

 

[OldBlackDog]

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0790-Salmon - Fraser River Sockeye and Pink Update - Areas 11 to 29 - July 31, 2015

The Fraser River Panel met Friday, July 31st, to receive an update on the
migration of the Fraser sockeye and pink runs to date and review the status of
migration conditions within the Fraser River watershed.

The migration of sockeye into the Fraser River has continued to increase in
recent days with the majority being Early Summer and Summer run stocks.
Migration of Early Stuart sockeye through marine and the lower Fraser is
nearing completion. Test fishery catches of sockeye in both marine assessment
areas as well as the lower Fraser River has increased in recent days.
Observations at Hells Gate indicate that there continues to be a steady
movement of sockeye at this time.

Recent DNA samples taken in the marine seine test fisheries show sockeye stock
compositions with an abundance of Early Summers of 20%, combined with a Summer
run composition of 80%. During the Panel call today, the run size for Early
Stuart remained at 30,000 (50% probability forecast) with a peak run timing of
July 7th in Area 20. It is anticipated that the run size and timing for Early
Stuarts will be adjusted upward in the near future to account for the tail end
of the migration. The number of Early Stuart sockeye estimated to have passed
Mission as of July 30th is 31,700 fish.

In-season assessment of all run timing groups generally occurs shortly after
identification of their peak migration through marine areas. The declining
proportion of Early Summer stocks in marine and in-river test fishery samples
and in particular the low level of Early South Thompson stocks suggests either
a later run timing scenario, a return that is lower than forecast, or both. At
this time it is not possible to distinguish between later timing or lower
returns. Run-size estimates of the different components of the Early Summer
returns should be available in early to mid-August after their expected peak
migration through marine areas. The number of Early Summer-run sockeye
estimated to have passed Mission through July 30th is 118,800 fish of which
less than 10,000 are estimated to be Early Thompson populations.

On July 30th, the Fraser River water discharge at Hope was 2,922 cms, which is
approximately 34% below average for this date. The temperature of the Fraser
River at Qualark Creek on July 30th was 19°C, which is 1.0°C above average for
this date. The river discharge level is forecast to drop to 2,582 cms by August
5th while water temperatures are forecast to increase to 21.5°C for the same
date. It should be noted that there is considerable uncertainty in the
temperature forecasts as weather predictions are highly uncertain. After
reviewing environmental and stock assessment information, there were no further
changes to the management adjustment factors for any of the run timing groups
today. Management adjustments are additional fish that are removed from
identified harvest levels and allowed to escape upstream in an attempt to
assist in achievement of identified escapement objectives for the different run
timing groups.

At this time it is too early to assess the return of Fraser pink salmon. Recent
test fishery catches in the marine approach areas have shown large abundances
of pink salmon. The first stock ID samples from the Area 20 test fisheries
indicate a Fraser composition of 23 percent. Run size and timing updates for
Fraser pinks will likely begin in mid to late August.

The extended Early Stuart and Early Summer Run sockeye window closure has ended
in marine areas and portions of the lower Fraser River below the Port Mann
Bridge. This closure continues in the remainder of the Fraser River with dates
for sockeye directed fisheries in areas above the Port Mann Bridge being
announced in future fishery notices.

First Nations food, social and ceremonial sockeye fisheries that are currently
being planned will be monitored closely to ensure that impacts on Early Summer
sockeye are kept at a minimum as available total allowable catch is limited.

Fishers are requested to check for the opening times and any restrictions in
their local area. There are no planned commercial or recreational fisheries on
sockeye at this time.

The first upstream escapement report was released by DFO earlier this week.
Observations of Early Stuart sockeye in the spawning areas indicate that
sockeye are present in a number of spawning areas and in good condition. Water
levels and temperatures are normal for this time of year. In addition, the
counting fence at Sweltzer Creek (Cultus) has been in place since July 20th
with

 

[OldBlackDog]

On July 30th, the Fraser River water discharge at Hope was 2,922 cms, which is
approximately 34% below average for this date. The temperature of the Fraser
River at Qualark Creek on July 30th was 19°C, which is 1.0°C above average for
this date. The river discharge level is forecast to drop to 2,582 cms by August
5th while water temperatures are forecast to increase to 21.5°C for the same
date. It should be noted that there is considerable uncertainty in the
temperature forecasts as weather predictions are highly uncertain.

 

[Aces]

They are probably going to close down Tourism in Tofino in about 2 weeks as we have almost run out of water

 

[OldBlackDog]

No wells drilled?

They are probably going to close down Tourism in Tofino in about 2 weeks as we have almost run out of water

 

[GLG]

No wells drilled?

If it's like most place on Vancouver Island it has the wrong geology for wells. Under the topsoil you find a rock called basalt (http://geology.com/rocks/basalt.shtml) and that's an igneous rock. You need sedimentary rock like here in the CV before you can get a community well to work. Tofino does have plans to fix their problems
and it looks like they have got some money to do so. http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=992809 I suspect they will plan for the future with wetter winters and dryer summers.


added some more details.
http://www.avtimes.net/tofino-reser...-1-2m-earthquake-resistant-facility-1.1986560

 

[OldBlackDog]

[h=1]Tofino's Labour Day business dries up[/h]From 2006.
Some of Tofino's resorts will keep operating despite a request from the district that all commercial businesses shut down to conserve water, Tofino Chamber of Commerce president Larry Nicolay said Wednesday.
The Vancouver Island resort town's water supply has all but dried up after two months with virtually no rain, and only residential use of the district water supply is still allowed.
"Some people will be able to stay open because they have alternative sources of water," Nicolay said. "Some resorts have well water and they're hooking it up right now."
Several resorts were arranging to truck in enough water from nearby Ucluelet so they can stay open, although guest rooms will not have normal water supplies, he said.
"So we're not going to be completely shut down, but it's definitely going to be greatly reduced."
Some of the bigger resorts were trying to contact guests with reservations to ask them to make other arrangements. But Nicolay said he understood guests already staying at the resorts were not being asked to leave.
Also Wednesday, the B.C. government offered to help relocate the hundreds of tourists who were planning to spend the long weekend in the Tofino area.
The Provincial Emergency Plan offered to set up an emergency command centre and send water trucks and firefighters to the stricken area, community services ministry spokeswoman Sarah Harrison said.
"They're waiting for the community to request this for them to set up an emergency operations centre," Harrison said.
"They currently have a hydrologist on site helping the community plan their short and long-term needs. They are also offering tanker trucks."
Health officials on Vancouver Island were about to implement a contingency plan to ensure the local hospital can remain operating.
There was also an offer from the Beaver Creek Improvement District, in the Alberni Valley area, to supply drinking water to Tofino free of charge if Tofino can provide the trucks.
Nicolay said the district has the power to declare a state of local emergency and order businesses to close. "But so far, I think everyone's been very cooperative."
Nicolay and Tofino Mayor John Fraser said the water shortage is a result of past district councils not acting fast enough to tap into new supplies.
When asked if previous councils delayed too long, Fraser -- who is serving his first term as mayor -- replied: "The answer is yes."
He added: "We were getting lucky [in previous years]. We were getting a nice rain in July and a nice rain in August, and so they got away without doing anything."
Nicolay said residents may have been living in a state of denial.
"There have been warnings from district engineers and others," he said. "Everyone has known for many years now that it was going to hit the wall. But of course everyone is still shocked when it actually happens."
Nicolay said the district and the residents of Tofino have to bear some blame for not pushing water conservation hard enough earlier this summer.

Full story.http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=4289c5ba-9930-4fdc-9e9b-e9a5be4c1b12

 

[OldBlackDog]

There is still hope.

Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Salmon


Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0816-Recreational - Salmon: Chinook - Region 3 - Retention of Chinook Salmon in Clearwater and North Thompson Rivers

This notice updates notice FN0729 for management actions for the Clearwater and
North Thompson Rivers only. Environmental conditions on the Clearwater and
North Thompson Rivers have improved reducing concerns of lethal migration
conditions for salmon in these two systems. The management actions described
below are consistent with zone 2 management as outlined in the 2015/2016
Integrated Management Plan for South Coast Salmon.

Clearwater River

 

[OldBlackDog]

[h=1]Salmon on Vancouver Island threatened by heat wave[/h]

Rivers in British Columbia are running a fever. That's why fishing guide Kenzie Cuthbert carries a thermometer in his pocket.
Cuthbert pulls out the thermometer hanging off a long red string and drops it into the shallow waters of the Cowichan RIver. After a few minutes he pulls it out and exclaims, "Twenty-four! That's bad, that's getting close to lethal to fish."
Cuthbert lives on an idyllic acreage alongside the river on Vancouver Island. He believes it's one of the best fishing rivers in the entire world. He's backed up by clients who fly in from Japan, Europe and the United States on a regular basis in pursuit of salmon and trout.

Tim Kulchyski, the Cowichan First Nation's biologist, right, describes the problems of Vancouver Island's Cowichan River to Greg Rasmussen of CBC News. (Chris Corday/CBC)

Cuthbert says he's growing more worried by the day, and has never seen worse water conditions in the 27 years he's been guiding on southern Vancouver Island. It's all due to a record drought that's busting temperature records and leaving stream levels at record lows.
"Mother Nature is going to decide how our September goes," he told CBC News. "I try not to think about it so I can sleep."
[h=2]A billion-dollar business[/h]Professional fish guiding is big business in B.C., and Cuthbert says if the rivers remain low and fishing is curtailed in the fall, it will spell real financial trouble for him and others in the industry.
"Everybody on southern Vancouver Island right now is looking at a hit, and that's a ton of people and it's not just us."
Freshwater sport fishing in B.C. contributes nearly $1 billion a year to the economy, according to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. The commercial salmon fishery is worth hundreds of millions of dollars on top of that, the provincial government says.

Fishing guide Kenzie Cuthbert at his home along the Cowichan River on Vancouver Island. (Chris Corday/CBC)

'When we close rivers our community suffers.' <cite style="max-width: 100%; -webkit-margin-start: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">- Cowichan Chief William Seymour</cite>​

[h=2][/h]The Cowichan Tribes First Nation also has big concerns. Some of Chief William Seymour's earliest memories are of taking part in the food fishery on the river using nets and spears.
He says the annual fishery still "sustains families and puts food on the table, so when we close rivers our community suffers."
Despite those concerns, he says the First Nation chose to close the fishery to protect vital salmon stocks. He's hoping rain returns in time for the major runs later in the summer and into the fall.

Cowichan Chief William Seymour on the banks of the Cowichan River on Vancouver Island. (Chris Corday/CBC)

Tim Kulchyski, the Cowichan First Nation's biologist, walks in the lower part of the river and picks up a handful of bright green algae growing on the water. The rocks on the river bed below are covered with green slime. He says that's an indicator of high temperatures and low oxygen levels.
[h=2]Warm water, low oxygen spell trouble[/h]He says the largest species of salmon are particularly vulnerable.
"Chinook salmon are like racehorses. They need that oxygen, so they're a lot more sensitive to oxygen levels and temperature. They're a big giant slab of muscle."
In addition to chinook, pink and coho salmon, the river is also home to much-sought-after steelhead and brown trout.
There are other demands on the river. A Catalyst Paper mill siphons off a large amount of water. Nearby municipalities also draw on the river and dump in treated effluent that needs to be diluted.

Algae on the Cowichan River indicate high water temperatures and low oxygen levels, both of which threaten fish. (Chris Corday/CBC)

Across the U.S. border, Washington and Oregon are facing an even worse situation. Hundreds of thousands of salmon have died before reaching their spawning grounds. Giant sturgeon have been found dead in the rivers, and scientists suspect warmer than usual waters are to blame.
On Vancouver Island the Cowichan River is better off than other nearby systems. That's because water flows are controlled by a weir at its headwaters, 32-km-long Lake Cowichan.
However, the drought is so bad that the river's flows have been reduced to the bare minimum and there are fears there won't be enough lake water to maintain even that flow if the drought persists.
The weir holds back water in the lake, releasing it when it's needed in the river during dry spells.
Raising the weir would capture more winter rain, raising the level of the lake. That extra storage would allow more water release in dry months. Right now lots of excess winter water just flows over the weir and down the river in the wet months when it's not needed.
But for decades some lakefront property owners have resisted raising the weir, saying higher lake levels would have a negative impact on their properties. It would also cost millions of dollars to build.
Fish advocates say this drought shows there's an urgent need is to protect the fishery, and they're pushing hard to have the weir raised to keep cool, clean water flowing for both fish and humans downstream.