On my bike ride to do groceries on a late September day, I heard splashing coming from The Pretty River and realized the Chinook Salmon were spawning and wandered down to spend the next hour watching incredible feats of determination as the salmon leapt over one shale step after another on their way north to spawn in the gravel beds and large deep pools found in the river and its tributaries.
The Pretty River, which runs right past our house, is the second largest river in the Blue Mountain Watershed and drains an area of 7,700 hectares. It provides a high-quality cold water fish habitat and sustains a rich variety of aquatic life.
In September and October, adult Chinook Salmon in Georgian Bay find the mouth of the Pretty River and migrate upstream to lay their eggs. These eggs hatch in March and the juvenile salmon spend three to nine months in the river, before following the same path as their parents did back out to Georgian Bay. The adult salmon then typically return to their birth place to spawn after spending 3 years feeding in Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.
What a beautiful thing to witness right up close and a reminder of how incredible our world is if we get out into it daily.
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