Wahleach Project Water Use Plan Lower Jones Creek ... - BC Hydro

Equation 2: Peterson's formula for limits of R
R �1. 92 �1.
96 ( R �1)
3.6 Flow and Environmental Monitoring
Flows in Lower Jones Creek were monitored at an established transect near the BC Hydro
remote hydrometric station located 40 m downstream of the Laidlaw Bridge (Figure 2). Daily
flows in the creek were measured using a swoffer flow metre and top-set wading rod since data
from the hydrometric station was not available during the spring out-migration period. To
measure flows, a measuring tape was strung perpendicular to the flow at the location noted
above. Depth and velocity was measured at 0.5 m intervals which resulted in approximately 27
measurements across the channel. Depths were measured to the nearest centimeter with the
top-set wading rod and a velocity measurement was taken at the same location using. Depth of
the velocity measurement was set by the 60% scale on the top-set wading rod.
Temperature was monitored using 2 TidBit temperature loggers, one placed downstream of the
hydrometric station in Lower Jones Creek and the other in Lorenzetti Creek (Figure 2). Logger
depth was approximately 0.5 m at each location although depth varied with river stage. Loggers
were set to measure temperature at hourly intervals. Currently, there is no quality assurance
procedure to measure instrument drift with the Onset temperature loggers. Accumulated
Thermal Units (ATUs) were calculated using the cumulative total of the mean daily temperature.
The ATUs were used to track emergence timing estimates and length of incubation between
species.
Photos were taken over the course of the trap operation documenting any changes in stream
channel morphology that might occur.
4. Results
4.1 Chum Salmon Escapement
The first observation of chum salmon was on September 22, 2008 when 7 chum were
observed (Figure 3, Table 2). Numbers increased throughout the first week in October until the
peak count on October 6, 2008 when a total of 132 chum were observed. Two chum were
observed in Lower Jones Creek on November 18, 2008 and none were observed on
subsequent surveys. Carcass recovery was completed during each of the field surveys.
Excluding Lorenzetta, a total of 66 carcasses were recovered. The peak carcass count of 20
occurred on October 6, 2008. Lorenzetta Creek was not fully accessible to chum until October
1, 2008. The peak count in Lorenzetta was 14 adults on October 8, 2008.
Lower Jones Creek Fish Productivity Monitoring 2008-2009 10