The Little Creeks and Rough Fescue Appreciation Society (LCARF) will be holding a fundraiser July 19 at the Old Morrison House in Rocky View County (50215 Township Road 280).
The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and will feature a variety of speakers, including Norine Ambrose, the executive director of cows and fish at the Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society, Trevor Wallace from the Horse Industry Branch and Kathleen MacKay, a certified equine massage therapist.
LCARF is a registered non-profit society that was established in 2011 and, according to its website, is interested in understanding and managing the health and function of Horse Creek.
Sarah Leete, president of LCARF, said that the purpose of the fundraiser is to try and raise enough to fund electro-fishing in the lower reaches of the Horse Creek.
Leete said they would want to start in September of this year and added that it would cost them around $2,100.
Electro-fishing is a common method used for research and something LCARF has used before.
The society raised funds to accomplish water monitoring at Horse Creek and to complete a fisheries assessment two years ago.
“We did do a fisheries assessment in 2012 with encouraging results - brook, brown and rainbow trout were caught via electro-fishing and then released,” said Leete.
She said it is important to do another round of electro-fishing in order to “establish if there is still a trout population in Horse Creek as before” and determine “how far up they travel from the mouth of the creek upstream.”
Leete pointed out that Horse Creek has and is challenged with various human-caused activities that increase sediment and water flow.
Donations can be made at the event and there will be a nature walk for attendees in the afternoon.
For more information email [email protected].
