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Sturgeon Creek's riverside rumble

Naturalized park source of 'de-bait'

By: Julie Carl

Posted: 07/3/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

COLE BREILAND / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Michelle Lawrence and Thomas Wilson take a stroll on the winding path near Sturgeon Creek Monday.

WELL, now, take down your fishin' pole and meet me at the fishin' hole,

We may not get a bite all day, but don't you rush away.

What a great place to rest your bones and mighty fine for skippin' stones,

You'll feel fresh as a lemonade, a-settin' in the shade.

-- Lyrics to The Andy Griffith Show theme by Everett Sloane, Earle Hagen and Herbert Spencer

Ever since Sherriff Andy and little Opey wandered down that dirt road to the fishing hole near Mayberry RFD, fishing holes have held a special spot in our hearts.

In Winnipeg, there's no rural travel required. Right in the middle of suburbia is a fishing hole on Sturgeon Creek, just south of Ness Avenue.

"There's lots of species of fish there," said Tania Gottschalk, president of the Assiniboine Watershed Network, an amalgam of the Sturgeon Creek Association, Friends of Bruce Park and Friends of Omand's Creek.

There's lots more activity here than fishing. Joggers, dog walkers, cyclists -- it seems the whole neighbourhood enjoys the park along Sturgeon Creek.

A diverse array of fish, birds and plants is like a display of a creek's good health. That's thanks to the efforts of the watershed network's volunteers. Although they're taking a bit of a hiatus this year, for the last 15 or so years, Gottschalk said, the volunteers have applied for grants and worked with city crews to convert the creek's riparian zone to a naturalized state. They've done the same sort of work at Truro and Omand's creeks.

Riparian zones are where water and land meet. When the grass is mowed right to the edge of the water, it leaves the creek vulnerable to pollutants. When the riparian zone is in a more natural state, it provides a buffer.

Fish kills over the years in Sturgeon Creek, particularly a large one in 2000, alarmed volunteers who recognized the need for change. Litter cleanups and tree plantings led to working with the city to have Sturgeon Creek's riparian zone returned to nature. The volunteers applied for grants from the federal and provincial governments and Manitoba Hydro and were able to hire a co-ordinator for a time.

But they learned not everyone is happy about having naturalized areas in public parks.

"I went into this with a wide-eyed optimism. I thought everyone would want this," Gottschalk admits.

"For some people, it was a sign the place was going to hell in a handbasket... It depends on what you think a park is, what a mowed lawn means to you. It's flower beds versus trees and natural areas."

Gottschalk would like to see the city develop a policy of creating more and larger natural areas in parks as other large cities have done, but she's aware there would be opposition.

Rod Penner, a City of Winnipeg naturalist, knows that, too.

"It can be a fairly emotional subject for people," Penner explained.

He said when the city begins projects such as the naturalization of Sturgeon Creek, it's usually in response to requests from a community group. And while the city doesn't have a specific policy on naturalizing riparian zones, it does have a strategy of caring for natural areas in parks and joining with community partners where there's interest.

"We try to strike the best balance we can," Penner said.

Meanwhile, it's hot and sunny, and the fishing hole beckons.

What a fine day to take a stroll and wander by the fishin' hole,

I can't think of a better way to pass the time o' day.

Dropping In is a 'random act of journalism' that starts with a thumbtack on a city map and ends with a story from the street

julie.carl@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 3, 2012 B2

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