About 20 dead Cutthroat Trout and juvenile salmon were discovered in Larwood Creek at the end of January in Campbell River triggering a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) investigation into the cause.
After a local volunteer with Greenways Land Trust notified DFO, fishery officers collected samples, which were sent to the BC Aquatic Sciences Centre in Campbell River. Currently, the cause of death for the fish has not been determined, said Leri Davies, a media relations advisor with DFO, in an email.
DFO fishery officer Geoff Thorburn explained that each time there is significant rainfall, substances like spilled household chemicals and oil, can wash into salmon-bearing creeks.
"Anybody who introduces anything to the environment, those products end up in fish-bearing waters," Thorburn said. "People need to be cognizant about what they are doing and where they are doing it. They need to ensure substances that are poisonous to fish can't wash into our waterways."
Chemicals or cleaning product purchased at a local hardware store could be deadly to fish, he continued. This includes soaps designed for washing cars and even some human-friendly soaps, like body wash. It's important to check the labels on bottles, and products with poison or corrosive labelling should be kept from washing into the street where it can end up in the urban watershed.
"We live in a great place, but unfortunately, with all the little creeks that we have, it's death by 1,000 cuts to the salmon if they encounter these substances."
Keely Dodds, stewardship coordinator with Greenways Land Trust, had a similar message. The fish die-off at the creek highlights the importance of keeping pollutants – such as oils, household chemicals, and yard waste – out of urban waterways.
"Even during the quieter months, our creeks support vulnerable salmonid eggs, Cutthroat Trout, and sensitive aquatic life," Dodds said. "Protecting water quality is a shared responsibility. Please think before you pour!"
Dodds said community volunteers also collected water samples to test for the toxin, 6PPD-quinone, which were sent to Vancouver Island University’s Applied Environmental Research Laboratory for analysis. This chemical, released from vehicle tires as they degrade, was recently discovered to be lethal to Coho salmon and has been detected in high concentrations in the Campbell River watershed.
The location in the creek where the fish were found, where the storm drain runs into the creek at Erickson Road, has been a concern and the site of fish kills in the spring of 2023 and 2024, Dodds added.
READ MORE: Toxin deadly to coho salmon detected in Campbell River watershed
As part of DFO’s work to end illegal activity, it asks the public for information on any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations. Anyone with information can call the toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336, or email the details to DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
