Exploring the headwater area of Morrison Creek in the Comox Valley

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Jan pointing out our route at the trailhead map

   On Saturday, July 7 we joined leaders Jim Palmer and Janet Gemmell and 2 others on a guided walk through the headwater area Morrison Creek.  Jan and Jim are streamkeepers and they are leading weekly walks around Morrison Creek headwaters every Saturday morning through to the end of August to raise awareness of the need to preserve this area. The Comox Valley Land Trust (CVLT) has an agreement to purchase 22.5 hectares of land along upper Morrison Creek as a Nature Preserve. This area contains prime Coho and Pink salmon habitat and supports numerous species some of which, like the Morrison Creek Lamprey, are on the Endangered Species List. 

 

The trail follows a wide partially grassed over road

    Jim and Jan do a fine job of interpreting the area and we learned some interesting facts about this stream system. Apparently this is a rare groundwater fed stream system so the water flow stays consistent and cold through the summer which is important for fish like salmon. It may also be why this area supports a unique species of lamprey which they told us is found nowhere else! Amazing!  The trail we followed was an old logging road and the grades are not steep since it was part of an old railway logging operation many decades ago. At one point we came across a scenic overlook of Morrison Creek with tall trees making a majestic setting and this is where a memorial for B G Linton, who once logged this area, is marked by a small plaque. Overall we walked about 4 km but the distance varies with the group that shows up each Saturday. Depending on the day we would recommend rubber boots if it has rained overnight since the tall grass soaked our shoes.

 

Heather reading the plaque for BG Linton

      We fully recommend this walk for anyone interested in learning about a fascinating stream system in our midst and you can do the guided walk every Saturday morning starting at 9:00 am until the end of August by meeting at Lake Trail School in the front parking lot. From there we carpooled to the trail entrance since parking there is very limited. This is a beautiful place that needs to be preserved! Details of the CVLT proposal, and an on-line donation button are available at: https://www.cvlandtrust.ca/morrison-headwaters/  Jan can be reached at jansgem@gmail.com   for details of the walk. 

Morrison Creek is ideal salmon spawning habitat