About Us
Our group was formed in December of 1995 in response to a presentation by biologist Dave Clough that stressed the importance fish habitat and stream stewardship. In 1998 the Qualicum Streamkeepers became a charitable organization, and have a very dedicated group of volunteers who tirelessly maintain and enhance local rivers and streams.
Through the years the Society has overseen the stream mapping and assessment of the watercourses through Qualicum Beach. Based on the assessments the group undertook many restoration projects including removing major barriers to fish passage on Beach, Grandon, and Whiskey Creeks.
Beach Creek
In 2000, a failing culvert under the Old Dutch Inn was replaced with a new "daylighted baffled" culvert. Partners in this major project were the Town of Qualicum Beach and Environment Canada's Eco-Action.
Grandon Creek
 The Crescent West Culvert was a complete barrier to migrating salmon. In 2001, it was replaced by a series of "caissons" and "baffled" culverts. Partners on this project included the Town of Qualicum Beach, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the Federal Dept of Fisheries & Oceans, Fisheries Renewal BC, and others. Read about fish migration on the story board at the foot of the Grandon Creek Trail just off Crescent West Street in Qualicum Beach.
Whiskey Creek
A silted-up dam that was built on this tributary of the Little Qualicum River in the 1920s was no longer in use but was blocking fish passage. Along with the Town of Qualicum Beach and the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, this barrier was removed, opening up eight kilometers of new fish habitat. Coho salmon now spawn here. Photos below show volunteers attending a bio-engineering workshop for bank restoration that was held at the site of the Whiskey Creek Dam.
 
Other Projects
Other projects have including the anchoring of large woody debris, spawning gravel placement, riparian restoration, pool excavation in fish-bearing roadside ditches, water quality testing, hydrology and wetland studies as well as public awareness campaigns.
To better understand the location of our creeks and their place in our watersheds, follow this link to the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) and check Watersheds 2 (Little Qualicum River) and 3 (French Creek).
The Little Qualicum River Watershed Recovery Plan
To preserve the important values of the Little Qualicum River watershed, the Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers proposed that a community-based watershed management plan be created. In 2006, with funding from the Real Estate Board of British Columbia, a feasibility study was created. The document, entitled Little Qualicum River Watershed Plan; A Feasibility Study is available for download in pdf format.
To date no major watershed management project for the Little Qualicum River has been undertaken. At this time,we see this beyond the resource capacity and scope of our group, but would be willing to participate in some fashion, and see this undertaking as a top priority for wild fish ecosystem health in our region.
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