Coldwater Creek

The beaver dam is gone, it looks like it may have been broken up by a large amount of water. It looks like an explosion of sticks. The other side of the culvert is very high and flowing over the rock once again.
The sand island is not visible and is under the water. The walk down to the creek is slippery because of frozen snow-covered green grasses and other vegetation. The water is high.

This dam is unreal and incredibly dangerous. At this point we need to ensure that no one is getting too close to the dam, the rocks we usually stand on are eroded from water running through them, it is very uneven footing. Do not go near the dam and be careful as the water has flooded above riparian walls.

The beaver dam in the culvert is incredible in size. The water is now approximately 2 feet above the culvert passage but is not flowing, instead a small trickle of water is passing on the sides of the culverts where water is able to pass. The beaver has been busy. A trail cam would be a good asset to watch what is happening at these sites when night comes. The water is high and there is nowhere to sample without being in vegetation. Be careful of footing and do not go near the beaver dam in the culvert. This is a major hazard and is a dangerous area to approach.

Dam is bigger. After the rain at the beginning of last monitoring day, the beaver has been active and reformed the dam. There is water flowing on the other side of the culvert but the water level is higher than it has ever been, due to the beaver dam in the culvert. Be careful of uneven ground. The creek is flooded so there is excess water and less room to work in. The vegetation is now closer to waters edge. The beaver has been very busy at this culvert once again.

Squirrel chirping non stop.
A few minnows.
Materials left from culvert installation include wooden stakes and filter cloth
Path now cleared through vegetation for safer footing down to water
Uneven rocks from culvert installation at lower part of slope and by water
Low beaver dam in culvert.

The beaver dam in front of the culvert has stippoed flow completely from moving forward. There is a sewage smell from the decomposition that is occuring at the culvert. The oily sheen is from bacteria film. The water level is high because of the dam. Use the path that has been cut down and watch your step walking on the uneven ground.

The rocks were slippery from the morning dew. The vegetation is thick , but we cut it back and cut and pulling some weeds to make the rocks and ground apparent.
Odour - Rotting.

High vegetation blocks the view of the footing
Rocky shore
Material left from culvert installation
Slippery Creek Bottom, clay.

"There was a beautiful heron that was approx 50 feet upstream from the site, it flew away- scared me as it was so big. Unidentifiable.
The dammed area in the culvert has been taken over by a beaver - look at photos. it has changed the flow and level of the water at the sample site- see pictures of dam overflow and water level at the culvert. .44m looked at past photos for comparison.
There was brown algae- diatoms present- no sign of any long threaded algae in the deep part of the pool must have washed away or died."
be careful if you walk down the boulder hill or the overgrown vegetation both paths have a variety of safety concerns- footing is unstable or unlevel

The wetted bankful, hydro and flow can be skewed because there is a dam that has acquired in front of the culvert, which has slowed the flow, created a pool and slowed the speed of flow. See photos. Pileated Woodpecker and yellow rump Warbler on site. The other side of the culvert acquiring more sand and the rocks are blocking passage as the water is lower than the rip rap. The site is overgrown with vegetation. Since they cut it back along the gas lines, the original path is covered. If you approach and descend down the rock wall be careful of rock landslides. The rocks are slippery, the bank is soft- recommend wearing boots-