GMSMON-17 WILLISTON RESERVOIR TRIBUTARY - BC Hydro

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Executive Summary May 22, 2012 Report No. 1114920016-R-Rev0-2000 ii GMSMON-17 WILLISTON RESERVOIR TRIBUTARY HABITAT REVIEW The primary focus of the study is on the success of tributary enhancement in improving fish access and habitat; however, wildlife (including amphibians and birds) and habitat (vegetation) will also be monitored (a summary of objectives, management questions and hypotheses is found below in Table 1ES). Sites that BC Hydro selected for this monitoring program include two trial tributaries: Ole Creek - a woody debris blockage site (northern trial site), and Six Mile Creek - a perched mouth site (southern trial site). There are also paired control sites to both Ole and Six Mile which are, respectively, Factor Ross Creek (northern control) and Lamonti Creek (southern control). Baseline data were collected over three field sessions: 9 to 18 May, 6 to 8 June, and 8 to 18 August, 2011. Data collection involved fish spawning surveys, fish habitat assessment, fish population surveys, amphibian surveys, songbird surveys, and vegetation surveys along each tributary. Overall data collection went well during the spring and summer surveys in May and August; however, water levels during the June session were quite high and sampling was not possible at the northern study sites. Stream walks were conducted for each study creek to enumerate the number of spawners and redds. The locations of suitable spawning substrates observed during the surveys were recorded using a GPS. Fish spawning or evidence of fish spawning was not observed. Observations were made near the mouths of the study creeks to document any potential barriers to fish movement (i.e., debris jams or perched mouths). Backpack electrofishing was used to sample juvenile and small-bodied fish in the study creeks during the summer site visit (9 to 18 August, 2011). A multiple-pass removal-depletion survey with stratified sampling by habitat type was used to estimate the abundance of target and other species. Arctic Grayling were not caught or observed in any of the creeks. Fish species caught were Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni), Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus), Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and Prickly Sculpin (Cottus asper). Amphibian field surveys were completed according to RIC standards (RIC 1998a and 1998b), using methods appropriate for the habitat type. Area-based surveys of small ponds and wetlands were completed while at each tributary, and time effort for each search was documented. Between all of the sites, the following four species were noted: Long-Toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) (egg mass only), Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvatica), Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas), and Columbia Spotted Frog (Rana luteiventris). The survey methods for passerine bird species were adapted from the RIC Inventory Methods for Forest and Grassland Songbirds (1999) for variable radius point counts. A cumulative total of 70 bird species were detected during the field program including 37 species at Six Mile Creek, 21 at Lamonti Creek, 29 at Factor Ross Creek, and 12 at Ole Creek. Weather conditions were anomalous during spring and summer of 2011, with a late cool spring and subsequently late cool summer. Data analysis was quite limited for this first year of sampling, and changes will be made to the field sampling program (upon approval from BC Hydro) that are discussed in the Recommendations Section 5.0. Primary recommendations include: the installation in subsequent years of satellite enabled real-time water temperature data loggers, modification of the fish sampling program, discontinuation of bird surveys, suspension of the vegetation program until enhancement options are finalized, continuation of the amphibian surveys, and a recommendation for the addition of invertebrate sampling.
May 22, 2012 Report No. 1114920016-R-Rev0-2000 iii GMSMON-17 WILLISTON RESERVOIR TRIBUTARY HABITAT REVIEW Table 1 ES: GMSMON-17 Status of Objectives, Management Questions and Hypotheses after Year 1 Objective Management Questions Address management questions by collecting data necessary to test null hypotheses. Does fish abundance and diversity in tributaries increase as a result of enhancement? Is the area and quality of fish habitat created by the tributary enhancement maintained over time? Does riparian vegetation along tributaries increase in abundance and diversity as a result of enhancement? Does amphibian abundance and diversity in tributaries change as a result of enhancement? Does tributary enhancement change the area and quality of amphibian breeding habitat over time? If so, is the area and quality maintained over time? Does abundance and diversity of songbirds (passerines) around tributaries change as a result of enhancement? Management Null Hypotheses Fish abundance and diversity in tributaries does not increase as a result of tributary enhancement. Total rearing area for fish does not increase following enhancement to tributaries. Riparian vegetation abundance and diversity in and near tributaries does not change following enhancement to tributaries. Amphibian abundance and diversity in and near tributaries does not change following tributary enhancement. Total amphibian breeding area does not change following enhancement. Songbird abundance and diversity near tributaries does not change following tributary enhancement. Year 1 (2011) Status Based on the limited baseline data available, hypothesis cannot be rejected at this time. More data required to be collected. Based on the limited baseline data available, hypothesis cannot be rejected at this time. More data required to be collected. Vegetation transects were established and data were collected; however, BC Hydro has agreed that the vegetation program will be suspended until the year of the enhancement works. Based on only baseline data collected, hypothesis cannot be rejected at this time. More data required to be collected. Because only baseline data has been collected to date, hypothesis cannot be rejected at this time. More data required to be collected. Recommend cancellation of bird sampling program. Should the proposed enhancement design call for removal of vegetated berms/delta's and the like, there could have been effects to vegetation and terrestrial habitat worth assessing in MON17. The WUP Committee would not have known what works would be needed to improve the tributary access enhancement, hence the inclusion of the songbird habitat portions of the monitor. Now that BCH has an implementation design showing that songbird habitat areas are not likely to require change, on a measureable scale, the recommendation is to state that H6 has been answered and does not require further study.
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Permit No.: PG11-70349 Last Updated
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PERMIT HOLDER Golder Associates Ltd
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Common Name Purple Finch Red-Breast
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APPENDIX F Fish Site Cards May 22,
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APPENDIX H Vegetation Survey Forms
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Golder Associates Ltd. 220 - 1755 S
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GMSMON-17 WILLISTON RESERVOIR TRIBUTARY - BC Hydro

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