Little River Enhancement Society (LRES) began operation in the early 1980’s as an informal group of volunteers concerned about the degradation of the Little River watershed in the Comox Valley and loss of fish habitat. These concerns were evidenced by a severe decline in the number of fish (primarily coho, chum and pink salmon and cutthroat trout) spawning in the river system.
LRES was incorporated as a not-for-profit society on January 22, 1991, and is a registered charity with Canada Revenue Agency.
Our operations are undertaken by a group of approximately 25 volunteers from all walks of life, united by a common interest in preserving and enhancing our traditional fisheries – Pacific salmon and native cutthroat trout.
LRES undertakes a two prong approach to fish conservation – river and streambed restoration and operation of small scale hatchery year round.
River and streambed restoration enables the native stock to reproduce without human intervention. We have been very successful in this regard and our fish surveys show a healthy population of coho fry/smolts and cutthroat living in the Little River and tributary streams.
Hatchery operations focus on raising coho and chum salmon. All coho brood stock is taken from fish returning to the Little River, with the eggs stripped, fertilized and incubated at our hatchery. As chum returns have been variable over the past years, our chum stock is obtained either from Little River or from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Puntledge River hatchery.
LRES promotes awareness of our fish resource through the Stream to Sea school program and community involvement.