Cheakamus Project Water Use Plan Monitoring ... - BC Hydro

Cheakamus Project Water Use Plan
Monitoring Programs Annual Report: 2011
2) Is access to recreational angling locations during January 1 to March 31
improved under the 5.0 m 3 •s -1 minimum flow release from Daisy Dam relative to
that which would occur with a 3.0 m 3 •s -1 minimum flow release?
4.10.2 Overview
With consideration of arguments from all participants, the Water Comptroller selected
an operating regime similar to the one that was favoured by some members of the
Consultative Committee (CC). To benefit recreational angling access, the flow
regime selected by the Water Comptroller included a minimum flow from Daisy Dam
of 5.0 m 3 •s -1 from January 1 to March 31, rather than the 3.0 m 3 •s -1 minimum release
during this period that was favoured by the Fisheries Technical Committee and some
CC members. Recreational angling access refers to the availability of fishable
locations under a given minimum flow release from Daisy Dam. The benefits to
recreational angling access were uncertain, and the Water Comptroller ordered that
these benefits be monitored. This program will monitor these benefits.
The monitoring approach is to:
1) Characterize angling that occurs during January 1 to March 31.
2) Identify important river sections for recreational angling during January 1 to
March 31.
The monitoring approach focuses on collecting and summarizing data on angler use
of this river section during January 1 to March 31. Inferences on the potential
benefits to angling access will be based on this general information on angler use.
Monitoring Indicator: (a) Rate of angler use during January 1 to March 31.
This monitoring program involves project coordination, identifying angling use and
reporting components.
4.10.3 Status
This program was initiated in the spring of 2009 and completed over a three-month
period. The program report has been completed.
4.10.4 Interpretation of Results
The results of this review and onsite work show that very low levels of angler effort
occur in any given year along the upper Cheakamus River between January and
March. No anglers were encountered during the onsite roving survey and expert
opinion indicated that very few angler trips into the area occur each year, most of
which are opportunistic rather than directed trips. Further, results of the onsite angler
habitat survey identified only four pools comprising 3% of the study area as potential
angling locations during this period. An assessment of these locations indicates that
this potential would be unchanged with lower flow than is currently implemented as
would angling potential for the study area as a whole.
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