Char Escape into Hidden Lake
In 1994 the ES class was conducting an analysis of Hidden Lake in Porter Creek. On the third day, following the bathometric mapping of the lake we visited with the intention of studying the water chemistry of the lake. But, the lake had completely drained. We drilled about 20 holes along a 7 m transect above the area of the lake we knew to be the deepest. The ice was bridged above the bottom of the lake at that location. When we looked under the ice, the bottom was covered with fish. We pick up 124 rainbow trout, 10 Arctic Char and one sculpin. The discovery of the Arctic Char alerted the class to a potential problem.
In 1994 the ES class was conducting an analysis of Hidden Lake in Porter Creek. On the third day, following the bathometric mapping of the lake we visited with the intention of studying the water chemistry of the lake. But, the lake had completely drained. We drilled about 20 holes along a 7 m transect above the area of the lake we knew to be the deepest. The ice was bridged above the bottom of the lake at that location. When we looked under the ice, the bottom was covered with fish. We pick up 124 rainbow trout, 10 Arctic Char and one sculpin. The discovery of the Arctic Char alerted the class to a potential problem.
Icy Waters Ltd (IWL) is an Acrtic Char farm located at the head waters of Porter Creek. The char farm uses the spring water to keep their brood stock since it is free from many of the problems associated with surface water. The farm sold char eggs.
DFO originally licensed the Char farm on Porter Creek because it was a closed system, starting in springs and ending in a lake that exfiltrates. If escapes did occur, they would not get into the larger Yukon waterways. Char are regarded as an exotic species in these waters. Following a number of years of operation, IWL applied to use near by Fish Creek water to raise fish for consumption. Finding the char in Hidden Lake suggested escapes from the char farm. Since that time Char are now found along the upper reaches of McIntyre Creek and Fish Creek. Concerns about escaped exotic species seems to be largely overlooked by regulators. |