Wapiti River Watershed Study A Fisheries Management Enhancement Project Alberta Conservation Association

Transcription

1 A Fisheries Management Enhancement Project Alberta Conservation Association By Paul J. Hvenegaard Northwest Boreal Region Peace River, Alberta March, 2001

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was funded by Alberta s anglers through the Fisheries Management Enhancement Program of the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) and Alliance Pipeline Ltd. Messrs. Trevor Thera (ACA, Regional Programs Manager), Travis Ripley and David Walty (Alberta Environment) aided in the development of the project and critical review of this manuscript. The following individuals and their affiliation are recognised for many in-kind and logistical support items and services: Alberta Conservation Association staff members, Messrs., A. Wildeman, L. Osokin, J. Hallet Alliance Pipeline, Mr. Paul Anderson Alberta Environment: -Natural Resources Service, Fish & Wildlife Management Division, Mr. D. Schroeder - Land and Forest Service, Regional Resource Mapping Unit, Ms. R. Sprado Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mr. Earl Jessop i

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... i TABLE OF CONTENTS... ii LIST OF TABLES... iii LIST OF FIGURES... iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... v 1.0 INTRODUCTION... 1 A. Wapiti River... 2 B. Redwillow River... 2 C. Beaverlodge River STUDY AREA METHODS Fish Trap Electrofishing Radio Telemetry Habitat Description Data Management RESULTS Redwillow River Fish Trap Arctic Grayling Radio Telemetry Redwillow River Arctic Grayling Spawning Movements Wapiti River Bull Trout Spawning Movements Bull Trout and Arctic Grayling Overwintering Electrofishing Surveys Tributary Sampling Wapiti River Sampling DISCUSSION Wapiti River Redwillow River Beaverlodge River LITERATURE CITED APPENDICES Appendix A: Redwillow Trap Daily Catch Records Appendix B: Redwillow River Fish Trap Fish Measurement Data Appendix C: Radio Transmittered Fish Data ii

4 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Fish species captured in the Redwillow River trap, Table 2. Mean length at age (mm) of Arctic grayling captured at the Redwillow Trap, (Data in parentheses denotes sample size) Table 3. Catch and effort summary for electrofishing surveys in the Redwillow and Beaverlodge watersheds Table 4. Catch 1 and effort summary for electrofishing surveys in the mainstem Wapiti River Table 5. Mean length at age (mm) of Arctic grayling and mountain whitefish captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys. (Data in parentheses denotes sample size) Table 6. Habitat data on inventory sites in the Beaverlodge and Redwillow River watersheds May and June iii

5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Area Figure 2. Historical Wapiti River Discharge Records ( ) and for the 2000 Study Year. Source: Environment Canada (2000)... 4 Figure 3. Location of fish trap in the Redwillow River, Figure 4. Species composition of fish captured at the Redwillow River fish trap during spring, Figure 5. Daily Arctic grayling catch and mean daily water temperature at the Redwillow River fish trap, spring Figure 6. Length frequency distribution of Arctic grayling captured at the Redwillow fish trap, spring Figure 7. Arctic grayling spawning locations in the Redwillow River, spring Figure 8. Bull trout spawning locations in the Narraway River, fall Figure 9. Bull trout overwintering locations in the mainstem Wapiti River, winter Figure 10. Arctic grayling overwintering locations in the mainstem Wapiti River winter Figure 11. Inventory sites conducted during May and June 2000 in the Redwillow and Beaverlodge River watersheds Figure 12. Electrofishing sample reaches on the mainstem Wapiti River Figure 13. Length frequency distribution of mountain whitefish captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Figure 14. Length weight relationship of mountain whitefish captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Figure 15. Length frequency distribution of Arctic grayling captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Figure 16. Length weight relationship of Arctic grayling captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Figure 17. Length frequency distribution of bull trout captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Figure 18. Land ownership within the Redwillow River riparian area Figure 19. Historical and current discharge data for the Beaverlodge River iv

6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During , data on fish and fish habitat were collected on the Wapiti, Beaverlodge and Redwillow river to satisfy specific informational needs for each river. In the Wapiti River, radio transmittered bull trout selected areas in the upper Narraway River for spawning and overwintered in the general vicinity of the Narraway River mouth plus the effluent areas of the lower Wapiti River. Radio transmittered Arctic grayling overwintered in the mouth areas of 3 prominent creeks. Electrofishing surveys indicated that mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling and bull trout were the most abundant sportfish. Highest abundance of sportfish occurred in the upper reach of the Wapiti River. In the spring of 2000, more than 200 Arctic grayling were enumerated with a fish trap and fence constructed in the Redwillow River. A select sample was implanted with radio transmitters to facilitate movement monitoring. The upstream migration commenced in late April, peaked in early May and was complete by mid May. Spawning occurred in the upper reaches of the Redwillow River downstream of an impassable set of falls. By the end of May, most Arctic grayling had retreated to the Wapiti River. Numerous beaver dams in the Beaverlodge River prevented any migration of Arctic grayling. No Arctic grayling were captured throughout the Beaverlodge and Redwillow sub-basins and sportfish were extremely rare. All inventory sites in the Beaverlodge sub-basin were rated as having low potential for spawning and medium to low potential for rearing and overwintering respectively. The Redwillow River sub-basin was characterised by high quality habitat. Priority protection areas and suggestions for future inventory needs are provided. v

7 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Wapiti River Watershed has received considerable inventory effort however projects have been directed at specific issues and sub-basins (Lucko 1984 and 1993, Schroeder 1992, Schwanke et al and Swanson 1993) and are limited in scope. The Northern River Ecosystem Initiative (NREI) and Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) have collected information on the river but the objectives have been in relation to effluent effects. No studies have been conducted to examine the watershed in its entirety. A basin wide understanding of the fisheries resource in the Wapiti watershed is imperative to ensure the successful application of the Fish Conservation Strategy for Alberta (Alberta Environment 1998). The strategy to achieve this understanding was to initiate a basin wide inventory of fish species presence, distribution, abundance and movement patterns and relate these data to habitat information to develop fish conservation strategies. The Beaverlodge River once supported a large Arctic grayling spawning run (Carl et al. 1993) which has been severely reduced Lucko (1995). Potential reasons for this reduced spawning run are cited as low flow conditions in recent years, extensive beaver activity and sewage effluent discharge from the town of Beaverlodge and Hythe (Lucko 1995). Sewage effluent from these towns has been remedied with agreements to ensure effluent discharge is confined to high flow events to reduce the impact of biological oxygen demand in the Beaverlodge River. Recently, concerns regarding downstream fish passage and riparian land use activities have been expressed by regional fisheries managers. The Redwillow River is utilised by Arctic grayling for spawning and juvenile rearing (Lucko 1995). The precise location of spawning and rearing areas remain unknown. Conservation and protection of these fish production areas is critical for the maintenance of the Wapiti River Arctic grayling stocks (Alberta Environment 1998). In addition, the existence of an Arctic grayling stock resident to the Redwillow River remains undetermined. A detailed ecosystem study was conducted in the Wapiti and Smoky rivers in (Swanson 1993). The study area was confined to the lower portions of the river i.e., near Highway 40-bridge crossing, downstream and focussed on potential effect of effluents on the aquatic community. Sources of these effluents include Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. pulp fibre processing waste and the City of Grande Prairie sewage treatment discharge. Data collections upstream of these effluents were simply for control purposes. 1

8 Sub-basins of the Wapiti River watershed (within the Weyerhaeuser Canada Forest Management Agreement Area) have received a general level of inventory effort via the Cooperative Fisheries Inventory Program (Hvenegaard 1998). Only 11 fish collections have been recorded in the Provincial Fisheries Management Information System (FMIS) upstream of Highway 40-bridge crossing and 75% (n=8) of these occurred prior to During , funded by the Fisheries Management Enhancement Program of the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) and Alliance Pipeline, a multi-year project was initiated to address specific informational needs. These were specific to the mainstem Wapiti River in addition to the Redwillow and Beaverlodge rivers. A data summary of the results of year one ( ) is presented in this report. Objectives specific to year one were to: A. Wapiti River 1. Determine the critical overwintering and spawning areas for bull trout and Arctic grayling within the watershed. 2. Define seasonal distributions and movement patterns of bull trout and Arctic grayling throughout the system. 3. Describe the longitudinal species assemblage for the system. B. Redwillow River 1. Determine magnitude of Arctic grayling spawning run into the Redwillow River. 2. Determine critical spawning areas and movement patterns (timing) of Arctic grayling in the system. 3. Describe current riparian land-use within the Redwillow River and relate these data to movement patterns with focus on enhancement opportunities. C. Beaverlodge River 1. Assess downstream fish passage over the Town of Beaverlodge water supply weir. 2. Assess suspected historic spawning and overwintering areas for grayling presence. 2

9 2.0 STUDY AREA The Wapiti River enters Alberta approximately 90 km SW of the city of Grande Prairie and flows in a northeasterly direction for 161 km to its confluence with the Smoky River due east of Grande Prairie (Figure 1). For purposes of discussion in this report, the Wapiti River and the Wapiti River Watershed refers to that portion that lies in Alberta. Beaverlodge River Beaverlodge Smoky River Redwillow River Hwy 4 0 Grande Prairie W a p i ti Ri v e r Smoky River 0 15 kilometers 30 British Columbia Na rra wa y Ri v e r Grande Prairie Study Area Edmonton Red Deer Calgary Medicine Hat Lethbridge Figure 1. Area. The majority of the watershed lies in the boreal eco-region with the uppermost portions occurring in the foothills and to a lesser extent the rocky mountain eco-region. Average, maximum and minimum flows are presented in Figure 2. 3

10 Based on data, mean daily flows in the Wapiti River averaged 88 m 3 /s, with peak flows (297 m 3 /s) occurring in June during the mountain snow-pack melt and lowest flows (12 m 3 /s) occurring in February (Chambers and Mill 1996). Figure 2. Historical Wapiti River Discharge Records ( ) and for the 2000 Study Year. Source: Environment Canada (2000) 3.0 METHODS Fish were captured with a trap and by electrofishing (boat, float and backpack). Fish trap data were used to first determine the existence of an Arctic grayling spawning run into the Redwillow River and define the timing and magnitude of the run. Electrofishing was used to describe presence and relative abundance of fish species in the Wapiti, Beaverlodge and Redwillow rivers. Radio telemetry provided data on Arctic grayling and bull trout spawning areas in the Redwillow River and Wapiti River respectively plus overwintering locations for both species. Fish habitat in the Beaverlodge and Redwillow rivers was described using methodologies outlined in Hvenegaard (1998). 3.1 Fish Trap An enumeration trap and fence was constructed in the Redwillow River approximately 500 m downstream from the mouth of the Beaverlodge River and approximately 6 km upstream from its confluence with the Wapiti River (Figure 3). 4

11 See Hvenegaard and Boag (1993) and Kristofferson et al. (1986) for a detailed description of the construction. The trap and fence were constructed of evenly spaced vertical 12.7 mm galvanised conduit pipe creating 12.7 mm gaps. The entrance to the trap was of a "V" notch design, which permitted entry to the trap throughout the water column. The trap was "fished" in a one-way fashion (only those fish travelling upstream were captured). Access to the trap was gained via All Terrain Vehicles on an existing pipeline right-of-way. Redwillow River Beaverlodge River Wapiti River 0 1 kilometres 2 trap_site Figure 3. Location of fish trap in the Redwillow River, Wap 3.2 Electrofishing Stream surveys for presence and relative abundance of fish species in select tributaries in the Wapiti River Watershed were conducted with a Smith-Root XII backpack electrofisher. Working in an upstream fashion, streams were typically fished with Hz pulsed DC to achieve amperes. The minimum length of stream sampled was 200 m. 5

12 The upper section of the Wapiti River was sampled with a customised float electrofishing system, which consisted of a Smith-Root TM pulsator mounted in a 4.3 m inflatable river raft. A horizontal plastic conduit pipe containing 1 m long cathode array was attached to each gunwale of the raft. Working in a downstream fashion, likely fish holding water was probed with a 3 m fibreglass pole fixed to a 355 mm diameter stainless steel anode ring. Immobilised fish were retrieved and placed in an aerated fish tub contained in the raft. The electrofishing system was powered by a 5.0 kwh generator and operated at 60 pulses per second (PPS) DC and achieved an output power of amperes. The lower section of the Wapiti River was sampled with a Smith-Root TM 16-H electrofishing jetboat. The systems power source was the same as the raft but the hull functioned as the cathode while 2 anode arrays mounted off the bow completed the electrical circuit. 3.3 Radio Telemetry High frequency radio transmitters, or tags, (Global Telemetry Systems TM ) were implanted surgically in adult bull trout and Arctic grayling using methods similar to those described by Bidgood (1980) and McKinley (1992). Minimum size limits were 400 and 350 mm fork length (FL) for bull trout and Arctic grayling respectively. Radio transmitters ( MHz) had a guaranteed operational life of 3.1 years for bull trout and 300 days for Arctic grayling. Relocation flights were conducted every 7-10 days during the spring (2000) to determine Arctic grayling spawning locations in the Redwillow River monthly throughout the summer and weekly during the fall to determine bull trout spawning movement patterns and locations. Flights were conducted monthly throughout the winter to examine overwintering locations for both species. Fish were located from the air using a four element Yagi directional antennae mounted on each side of the aircraft in conjunction with two Lotek TM SRX_400 programmable scanning receivers. A fixed wing aircraft (Cessna Cardinal 177) was used for the majority of the flights. A rotary wing aircraft (Bell 206 Jet Ranger) was used on 3 occasions due to safety concerns (altitude and wind) as spawning bull trout selected areas in the western portion of the study area. With both types of aircraft, the flights were conducted m above the river at approximately 150 km/h. 6

13 The point at which the signal strength was highest was deemed the location of each individual fish. Locational data were recorded with a GARMIN TM 12 XL field global position system (GPS) receiver. With use of a Geographical Information System, these data were then transformed to river kilometres expressed as the distance upstream from the mouth in the watercourse that the fish were located. 3.4 Habitat Description At fish inventory locations throughout the Redwillow and Beaverlodge river watersheds, fish habitat data were collected with methods described in Hvenegaard (1998). Measured habitat data included stream widths (wet and bankfull) and depths in addition to water temperature. At 5 transects spaced 50 m apart and perpendicular to the thalweg, the width of the wetted portion of the channel (wetted width) was measured (+/- 0.1 m). The bankfull width was defined as the width of the stream between woody vegetation on either bank. Stream depth was measured (+/ m) at 3 intervals equally spaced (left, center and right) across each transect. Estimated habitat parameters included substrate composition and bank stability. The percentage of each substrate type [fines (clay, sand and silt <2 mm), small gravel (2-16 mm), large gravel (17-64 mm), cobble ( mm), boulder (>256 mm) and bedrock] was estimated at each of the 3 intervals along each transect. Bank stability was ranked on a scale from 1 (stable), 2 (slightly unstable), 3 (moderately unstable) and 4 (highly unstable). A mark-recapture experiment was scheduled to examine downstream fish passage over the Beaverlodge River water supply weir but was terminated due to negligible stream flows. 3.5 Data Management All captured sportfish were measured to the nearest millimetre (mm) at the fork (FL). Fish that received a radio tag implant, weight was measured with an electronic digital scale to the nearest gram (g). All sportfish >250 mm FL were fixed with an individually numbered Floy TM anchor tag and "adipose clipped" to identify them as fish previously captured. All data collected were recorded on standardised field forms and later copied onto electronic spreadsheet (Microsoft EXCEL). All locational data were corrected spatially to reflect location on watercourse. Fish and fish habitat data were then uploaded in to the Fisheries Management Information System (FMIS) under project # All data analyses were performed with Microsoft EXCEL. Spatial data were analysed and presented with Microsoft MapInfo. 7

14 4.0 RESULTS 4.1 Redwillow River Fish Trap A fish trap and fence was used to assess the presence, magnitude and timing on an Arctic grayling spawning run into the Redwillow River. In addition, it functioned as a capture method to obtain biological data on fish species (with emphasis on Arctic grayling), and to select individuals suitable for radio tag implants. The trap was installed on 20 April 2000 approximately 6 km upstream of the mouth and 500 m downstream of the mouth of the Beaverlodge River (Figure 3); Its operation was terminated 15 May In total, 595 fish representing 9 species (6 sport and 3 non-sport) were captured at the trap (Appendix A, Table 1). Arctic grayling were the most abundant representing 36.5% of the catch (Figure 4). Sucker species comprised all of the non-sport catch. Table 1. Fish species captured in the Redwillow River trap, Species Taxa Acronym 1 Sportfish Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus ARGR Bull trout Salvelinus confluentus BLTR Burbot Lota lota BURB Mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni MNWH Northern pike Esox lucius NRPK Walleye Stizostedion vitreum vitreum WALL Non-sportfish Largescale sucker Catostomus macrocheilus LRSC Longnose sucker C. catostomus LNSC White sucker C. commersoni WHSC 1 from McKay et al MNWH 10.9% NRPK 3.5% WALL 0.5% WHSC 4.5% ARGR 36.5% ARGR BLTR BURB LRSC 9.6% LNSC 28.6% BURB 0.2% BLTR 5.7% LNSC LRSC MNWH NRPK WALL WHSC Figure 4. Species composition of fish captured at the Redwillow River fish trap during spring,

15 4.1.1 Arctic Grayling In total, 217 Arctic grayling were captured in the trap. They began to ascend the Redwillow River on 26 April; The run peaked by 4 May and diminished by mid-may (Figure 5). The timing of the run coincided with rising water temperatures and the peaked maximum movement occurred when the water reached 10 0 C (Figure 5). Interestingly, the larger individuals, i.e., the average size of the daily catch occurred during the onset of the movement n Arctic grayling ARGR catch Mean Temp Temperature ( 0 C) 0 2-Apr 7-Apr 12-Apr 17-Apr 22-Apr 27-Apr 2-May 7-May 12-May 17-May Date Figure 5. Daily Arctic grayling catch and mean daily water temperature at the Redwillow River fish trap, spring May 27-May 1-Jun 6-Jun 11-Jun 16-Jun 21-Jun 26-Jun 0 Size of Arctic grayling ranged from 267 to 406 mm FL, mean 330, SD 29 (sexes combined) (Figure 6) (Appendix B). The majority (67.7%, n=147) were in the 300 to 350 mm FL range (Figure 6). When a FL to Total Length conversion was applied (Sterling and Hunt 1989), 61.1% (n=132) met or exceeded the 35 cm size limit imposed on anglers (Alberta Environment 2000). Eighty one percent of the catch (n=174) provided sex determination data. The sex ratio was exactly 1:1. Male Arctic grayling (Mean 337 mm FL) were significantly larger than females (Mean 320 mm FL) (t=1.97, p<0.05). 9

16 30 n Arctic grayling Arctic grayling (n=217) Fork Length Interval (mid-point) [mm] Figure 6. Length frequency distribution of Arctic grayling captured at the Redwillow fish trap, spring Mean lengths at age data are presented in Table 2. Female Arctic grayling (n=87) ranged from 4 to 10 years while males (n=87) ranged from 3 to 9 years (Table 2). Male Arctic grayling exhibited a higher growth rate than females. Table 2. Mean length at age (mm) of Arctic grayling captured at the Redwillow Trap, (Data in parentheses denotes sample size) Age Sex Males (87) 298 (3) 300 (10) 328 (39) 358 (28) 374 (4) 378 (3) Females (87) 281 (4) 298 (17) 317 (46) 348 (15) 359 (3) 406 (1) Combined 1 (214) 287 (8) 299 (34) 323 (100) 354 (52) 368 (14) 387 (5) 406 (1) 1 Includes individuals of undetermined sex 4.2 Radio Telemetry Arctic grayling and Bull trout were implanted with high frequency transmitters to determine spawning locations. The focus of Arctic grayling spawning site determination was restricted to the Redwillow River while bull trout was more generalised due to the spatial deployment of the tags; the random deployment was throughout the Wapiti River mainstem Redwillow River Arctic Grayling Spawning Movements In total, 15 mature adult Arctic grayling were implanted with radio tags as they passed through the Redwillow River trap. Three females and 12 10

17 males were implanted. Implants occurred on 2 May (n=11), 4 May (n=3) and 12 May (n=1) (Appendix C). All were released upstream of the fence to continue their upstream movement. This sample was subsequently reduced to 14 due to a transmitter failure. Of these 14, 3 made minimal upstream movements and retreated to the Wapiti River. Six relocation flights were conducted during May-June throughout the Redwillow River to identify spawning locations of Arctic grayling. Two general spawning areas were identified. Both were in the upper reaches of the river (Figure 7). The primary site was located between km 54 and 62 while the other was located below the falls between km 70 and 74. Arctic grayling reached their spawning areas by mid-may (Figure 7, Appendix C). Spawning was complete by the last week of May. Seven of the 11 (64%) that made spawning movements retreated to the Wapiti River by the end of May. Two of the remaining 4 also made extensive downstream movements at the same time but remained in the Redwillow River. The remaining 2 maintained presence at or near, the spawning location. These may have perished due to the rigors of the migration or the radio tag implant Wapiti River Bull Trout Spawning Movements In total, 13 bull trout were implanted with radio tags (Appendix B). Four bull trout were implanted during early May as they passed through the Redwillow River fish trap. The remaining 9 were captured and implanted during Wapiti River electrofishing surveys on 9 and 10 August (n=7) and 12 October (n=2). These 2 individuals were in the post-spawn phase of their life history cycle (Hvenegaard and Fairless 1998). Therefore, the sample to determine bull trout spawning movements and location was 11. Three relocation flights were conducted during the fall to determine bull trout spawning movements. Five individuals made obvious spawning movements. Coincidentally, all (n=4) bull trout implanted at the Redwillow River trap were part of this sample. All five fish moved to the upper reaches of the Narraway River (Figure 8) during this period. Spawning probably occurred near the BC-AB border as this maximum upstream movement coincided with spawning timing described for other local bull trout populations (Hvenegaard and Fairless 1998, Baxter 1996). 11

18 Redwillow River x Legend May_ May_17 x kilometers May_24 May_30 June_27 June_7 redwillow_falls trap_site General_Spawning_Location Figure 7. Arctic grayling spawning locations in the Redwillow River spring Wapiti River 12

19 _149_857 _149_735 _149_677 _149_637 _149_160 Narraw ay_falls British Columbia 08/21/ /21/ /06/2000 Narraw ay River 09/06/ /29/ /06/ /06/ /29/ /29/ /29/ /29/ /06/2000 Figure 8. Bull trout spawning locations in the Narraway River, fall Bull Trout and Arctic Grayling Overwintering Of the 13 bull trout implanted with radio transmitters (Section 4.2.2), 12 provided data on overwintering locations. Two preferred locations for overwintering were identified. The more predominant site was near the Narraway River mouth (Figure 9) where 58.3% (n=7) of the sample remained for the winter months (January through March). One of these individuals (# ) remained in the Narraway River. The other site was located downstream of Highway 40 near 2 water treatment effluents (Figure 9) (Fraikin 2000). Three individuals remained in this area for the winter period. The upper site was characterised by abundant groundwater intrusion sites (springs) along the banks and open water sections. The lower site was characterised by open water year round; This is an effect of the warm water discharges from the water treatment processes. Two bull trout overwintered upstream of Highway 40. One of these two individuals was relocated in the effluent area on 14 November

20 Wapiti River BLTR_Jan_16 Smoky River Narraway River kilometres BLTR_Mar_7 BLTR_Feb_27 BLTR_Feb_13 Weyerhaeuser Mill Outfall Sew age Treatment Plant Outfall Figure 9. Bull trout overwintering locations in the mainstem Wapiti River, winter

21 Arctic Grayling overwintering data were provided from a sample of 13 individuals. Generally, overwintering occurred in the mouth areas of the Narraway River (n=3), Redwillow River (n=5) and Nose Creek (n=3) (Figure 10). Two individuals (# and # ) overwintered in sections between the Narraway River and Nose Creek and Nose Creek the Redwillow River respectively (Figure 10). Redwillow River Wapiti River ARGR_Nov_ ARGR_Jan_16 ARGR_Feb_13 Narraway River ARGR_Feb_27 ARGR_Mar_7 Figure 10. Arctic grayling overwintering locations in the mainstem Wapiti River winter Electrofishing Surveys Tributary Sampling Stream inventories were conducted during May and June to describe fish species presence, relative abundance and fish habitat. In total, 6 and 11 inventories were conducted in the Redwillow and Beaverlodge River watersheds respectively (Figure 11). 15

22 Electrofishing effort expended totalled 7957 m (2599 s) and m (4569 s) in the Redwillow and Beaverlodge river watersheds respectively (Table 3). Inventory_Site 29,442 29,453 29,436 29,435 29,449 29,437 Hume Cr Steeprock 29,440 Beaverlodge River 29,438 29,451 29,450 29,441 Barr Cr Cr Creek 29,433 Graham Windsor Redwillow River 29,443 29,432 29,434 29,444 29,446 29,429 29,430 29,431 29, kilometres Wapiti River Figure 11. Inventory sites conducted during May and June 2000 in the Redwillow and Beaverlodge River watersheds. 16

23 Nine fish species were represented. No Arctic grayling were captured in either watershed. Burbot and northern pike were the only sportfish represented but were only incidental (one of each species); both of these occurred in the Redwillow River watershed. In the Redwillow River watershed, lake chub (Couesius plumbeus) and longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) were the predominant species comprising 51.5% (n=100) and 35.7% (n=95) of the total catch respectively (Table 3). Lake chub also dominated (77.1%, n=37) the total catch in the Beaverlodge River watershed. Fish were captured in the majority (4 of 6) of the sites in the Redwillow River watershed. Conversely, 72.3% (n=8) of the sites sampled in the Beaverlodge River watershed were void of fish. Table 3. Catch and effort summary for electrofishing surveys in the Redwillow and Beaverlodge watersheds. Species 1 Sub-basin Project Location Id Time Fished (s) Distance Fished (m) Activity Date NRPK BURB BRST LKCH LNDC LNSC SLSC TRPR WHSC Total Redwillow May Redwillow May Redwillow May Redwillow Jun Redwillow Jun Redwillow Jun Sub-basin Total Beaverlodge May Beaverlodge May Beaverlodge May Beaverlodge May Beaverlodge Jun Beaverlodge Jun Beaverlodge Jun Beaverlodge Jun Beaverlodge Jun Beaverlodge Jun Beaverlodge Jun Sub-basin Total Grand Total From McKay et al Wapiti River Sampling In total, 1448 fish, representing 11 species, were captured during Wapiti River mainstem electrofishing surveys (Table 4). Collectively, the 3 delineated reaches (Figure 12) received s and m of electrofishing effort (Table 4). The upper reach catch was dominated (90.0%, n=897) by sportfish. This sportfish catch was comprised mainly of mountain whitefish (67.3%, n=604), Arctic grayling (27.0%, n=242) and bull trout (5.1%, n=46). Longnose suckers accounted for 91.0% (n=91) of the non-sportfish catch. 17

24 The middle reach catch was comprised relatively evenly between sportfish (55.7%, n=122) and non-sportfish (44.3%, n=97). Mountain whitefish (59.8%, n=73) and Arctic grayling (30.3%, n=37) continued to dominate the sportfish catch. Longnose (n=61) and largescale suckers (n=36) accounted for all (100.0%) of the non-sportfish catch (n=97). Beaverlodge River British Columbia Redwillow River Wapiti River Smoky River upper_reach middle_reach Narraway Riv er Figure 12. Electrofishing sample reaches on the mainstem Wapiti River low er_reach Table 4. Catch 1 and effort summary for electrofishing surveys in the mainstem Wapiti River. Reach Reach Length (km) Time Fished (s) Effort Sportfish Species 2 Non-sportfish Species 2 Distance Fished ARGR BLTR BURB MNWH NRPK WALL LNDC LNSC LRSC SLSC WHSC (m) Upper Middle Lower Total Includes Individuals Observed and Speciated 2 From McKay et al

25 The lower reach catch continued to be evenly distributed between sportfish (42.7%, n=99) and non-sportfish (57.3%, n=133). Mountain whitefish accounted for 89.9% (n=99) of the sportfish catch. Longnose suckers dominated (63.9%, n=85) the non-sportfish catch. Largescale and white suckers comprised the remainder (36.6%) of the non-sportfish catch. Non lethal life history data including length, weight and age were collected from the most abundant sportfish species (mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling and bull trout). Length frequency and growth data for mountain whitefish and Arctic grayling are summarised and presented in Table 5 and Figures 13 through 16. Mountain whitefish age ranged from 2 to 13 years while Arctic grayling ranged from 2 to 8 years (Table 5). Mountain whitefish length ranged from 51 to 505 mm FL (mean 225 9, n=435). Arctic grayling length ranged from 116 to 391 mm FL (mean 284 8, n=202). Application of FL to TL conversion (Sterling and Hunt 1989) indicates that 34.2% (n=69) of the Arctic grayling sample met or exceeded the legal size limit of 350 mm FL (Alberta Environment 2000). Table 5. Mean length at age (mm) of Arctic grayling and mountain whitefish captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys. (Data in parentheses denotes sample size) Species Mountain Whitefish (146) (18) (17) (17) (25) (19) (15) (15) (8) (8) (3) (1) Arctic Grayling (106) (2) (13) (15) (16) (32) (22) (6) Age 19

26 Figure 13. Length frequency distribution of mountain whitefish captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Figure 14. Length weight relationship of mountain whitefish captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys

27 Figure 15. Length frequency distribution of Arctic grayling captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys 2000 Figure 16. Length weight relationship of Arctic grayling captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Bull trout ranged from 148 to 637 mm FL (mean , n=51) (Figure 17). Thirty-one percent (n=16) of the sample would be considered as adults (Hvenegaard and Fairless 1998). 21

28 8 7 bull trout (n=51) n bull trout Fork Length Interval (mid-point) [mm] Figure 17. Length frequency distribution of bull trout captured during mainstem Wapiti River electrofishing surveys Habitat Surveys In total, 6 and 15 fish habitat inventories were conducted in the Redwillow and Beaverlodge river watersheds respectively (Figure 11). Only a single site (FMIS Location ID #29431) in the Redwillow watershed was rated as low potential for providing suitable spawning habitat (Table 6). The high component of fine substrate at this site is indicative of this poor habitat rating. This same site also afforded minimal potential for overwintering. The remaining 5 sites were rated as medium to high for spawning, rearing and overwintering. Substrate composition in sites sampled in the Beaverlodge watershed were dominated by fine materials (66.7%, n=10) (Table 6). All sites were rated as having low spawning potential. Potential for rearing and overwintering in all sites rated as low to medium with the exception of a single site rated as high potential for overwintering; this site was located within a beaver dam complex. Aerial reconnaissance of the Beaverlodge River revealed in excess of 50 beaver dams present between the weir on the mouth preventing access to reaches of the river where spawning historically occurred. Riparian landuse assessment (¼ section level of resolution) on a ½ mile buffer around the Redwillow River watercourse revealed that 37.4, 13.7 and 48.9% of this riparian landbase was titled as crown, mixed (crown and freehold) and freehold respectively (Figure 18). The majority of crown land is leased out to local livestock operators as grazing leases. 22

29 Table 6. Habitat data on inventory sites in the Beaverlodge and Redwillow River watersheds May and June Stream Width (m) Rooted Wetted Substrate Composition (%) Bank Stability Habitat Rating Mean Sub-basin Waterbody Name Location ID Survey Date Depth (m) Water Temp ( 0 C) Beaverlodge Beaverlodge River May L M M Beaverlodge Windsor Creek May L M L Beaverlodge Beavertail Creek May L M L Beaverlodge Hume Creek May L L L Beaverlodge Windsor Creek May L M L Beaverlodge Graham Creek May L M L Beaverlodge Steeprock Creek May L M L Beaverlodge Steeprock Creek Jun L L L Beaverlodge Steeprock Creek Jun L L L Beaverlodge Beaverlodge River Jun L M M Beaverlodge Unnamed Jun NA L L L Beaverlodge Beavertail Creek Jun L L L Beaverlodge Beaverlodge River Jun L M H Beaverlodge Beaverlodge River Jun L M M Beaverlodge Beaverlodge River Jun L L L Redwillow Lattice Creek May H H L Redwillow Diamond Dick Creek May L M L Redwillow Redwillow River May NA M H H Redwillow Redwillow River Jun M H H Redwillow Redwillow River Jun M H M Redwillow Redwillow River Jun M H H 1 Left Upstream Bank (the left bank when facing upstream) 2 Right Upstream Bank (the right bank when facing upstream) fines small gravel large gravel cobble boulder bedrock LUB1 RUB2 Spawning Rearing Overwintering 23

30 Redwillow River RW_Mixed RW_Freehold RW_Crow n Active_Grazing general_spaw ning_location 0 5 kilometres 10 Wapiti River Figure 18. Land ownership within the Redwillow River riparian area. 24

31 5.0 DISCUSSION 5.1 Wapiti River The upper reach of the Wapiti River contains the highest abundance of sportfish throughout its length. It also provides overwintering habitat for bull trout and to some extent, Arctic grayling. The upper Narraway River (tributary to the upper reach of the Wapiti River) appears to be critical for spawning bull trout. Fish movements in the upper Wapiti River are obviously not confined to that portion within Alberta. Further movement monitoring studies are required to determine the degree of movement between Provinces. Arctic grayling spawning locations in the Wapiti River watershed were not determined (with the exception of the Redwillow River). The sample for radio transmittered Arctic grayling must be increased and more randomly deployed throughout the spatial plane of the Wapiti River mainstem. A mechanism to monitor movement into British Columbia must be considered. The general spawning location of bull trout was located in the upper reaches of the Narraway River. This area (s) must be ground-truthed and inventoried for young-of-the-year bull trout presence to confirm these data. In addition, the habitat of these spawning locations should be characterised. As with Arctic grayling, the sample size of radio transmittered bull trout should be increased and movement into British Columbia must be considered. 5.2 Redwillow River The Redwillow River Arctic grayling stock persists. The run commenced during late April and concluded near the end of May. Spawning occurs in the upper reaches of the river during mid May. Protection of this stock is imperative to maintain itself but also provide a source for natural recolonisation of the Beaverlodge River system. To ensure this protection, confirmation of these spawning areas is required. This confirmation should consist of sampling during mid to late May to facilitate the capture of both adult and young-of-the-year Arctic grayling. In conjunction with this ground truthing exercise, an examination of habitat must be conducted to characterise preferred Arctic grayling habitat. These data will aid in determining specific habitats or anthropogenic landuse disturbances limiting fish production. This will permit the physical enhancement or remediation of degraded habitat. 25

32 5.3 Beaverlodge River In the spring of 2000, upstream fish passage was prevented due to numerous impassable beaver dams downstream of the Town of Beaverlodge water supply weir. The persistence of these dams was due in part to low discharges in the spring (Figure 18). The absence of an upstream spring migration prevented the examination of downstream fish passage of the weir. Given the mean discharge for May 2000 was m 3 /s (Environment Canada 2000), successful navigation downstream over the weir was however doubtful. In recent years, the once plentiful Arctic grayling run has diminished to the point where none have been reported in the last 3 years (Travis Ripley pers. comm.). Further investigations into the cause of this are warranted. The examination of downstream fish passage of the weir must be conducted to either eliminate the weir, as a potential cause for this perceived stock extirpation or, provide evidence of its negative impact and demand remediation. Historical stream flow data are available, as are historical censuses of Arctic grayling spawning runs. A data set should be assembled to analyse relationships between run magnitude and temporal discharge patterns. Also, the role of discharge at the weir to permit post spawn adult Arctic grayling to successfully emigrate downstream in late spring and juvenile Arctic grayling during late summer at age 2 must be examined. Figure 19. Historical and current discharge data for the Beaverlodge River. 26

33 6.0 LITERATURE CITED Alberta Environment, A Fish conservation Strategy for Alberta. Pub. No. I/698, ISBN: Alberta Environment, Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations Baxter, J.S Chowade River bull trout studies 1995: habitat and population assessment. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia. 30 pp. + APP. Bidgood, B Field surgical procedure for implantation of radio tags in fish. Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division. Fisheries Research Report No. 20. Edmonton, Alberta. 9 pp. Carl, L., D. Walty and D.M. Rimmer Demography of spawning grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the Beaverlodge River, Alberta. Hydrobiologia. 243/244: Belgium. Chambers, P.A. and T. Mill Northern River Basin Study Synthesis Report No. 5, Dissolved oxygen conditions and fish requirements in the Peace, Athabasca and Slave Rivers: assessment of present conditions and future trends. Northern River Basin Study, Edmonton, Alberta. Environment Canada Hydat CD-ROM Ver Surface Water Data Environment Canada. Water Resources Branch, Ottawa. Fraikin, C.G.J., D.A. Steel, C. Briggs and Z.E. Kovats Environmental Effects Monitoring Cycle 2. Report prepared for Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd., Grande Prairie, AB, by Golder Associates Ltd., Calgary, AB. Hvenegaard, P.J. and D. Fairless Biology and Status of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Kakwa River Drainage, Alberta. Alberta Conservation Association, Peace River, AB. 26 pp. + App. Hvenegaard, P.J Cooperative fisheries inventory program. Final Report. Tech. Rep. Prep. for the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Forest Products Ltd., Weyerhaeuser Can. Ltd., Daishowa Marubeni International, Manning Diversified Forest Products Ltd. and Ainsworth Lumber Co. by Alberta Conservation Association, Peace River, AB. 22 pp. + App 27

34 Hvenegaard, P.J. and T.D. Boag A spawning survey of rainbow trout in Jumpingpound Creek. Prep. for Trout Unlimited Canada by D.A. Westworth and Associates. 19 pp. + App Kristofferson, W.C., D.K. McGowan, and W.J. Ward Fish weirs for the commercial harvest of searun Arctic charr. Can. Ind. Rep. Aquat. Sci pp. Lucko, B Assessment of the Beaverlodge and Redwillow Rivers Spawning Run Spring, Peace River, Alberta: Alberta Environmental Protection, Natural Resources Service. Mackay, W.C., G.R. Ash, and H.J. Norris Fish ageing methods for Alberta. Prep. by R.L.&L. Environmental Services Ltd. in assoc. with Alberta Fish and Wild. Div. and Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton. 113 pp. McKinley, R.S., G. Power, and H.E. Kowalyk Transmitter attachment/implant labrortory manual. Ontario Hydro Research and University of Waterloo, Biology Department. Schroeder, Don A summary of Fish Captured at the Beaverlodge River Weir during the Spring of Schwanke, Thomas; Clermont, Tim, and Schroeder, D. G Assessment of Beaverlodge Fishway During the 1983 Spring Spawning Migrations. Sterling, G. L. and C. Hunt Preliminary survey of Arctic grayling movements, age and growth in the Little Smoky River, Alberta, Alberta Forestry, Lands and Wildlife, Fish and Wildlife Division. 299 pp. Swanson, S. M Wapiti/Smoky River Ecosystem Study. Sentar Consultants Ltd. 28

35 7.0 APPENDICES Appendix A: Redwillow Trap Daily Catch Records Activity Date ARGR BLTR BURB LNSC LRSC MNWH NRPK WALL WHSC SUM 21-Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr Apr May May May May May May May May May May May May May May May SUM

36 Appendix B: Redwillow River Fish Trap Fish Measurement Data No. Date AEP Code Fork Length Weight Sex Age 1 21-Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 NRPK Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 NRPK Apr-00 BLTR Apr-00 ARGR 400 U Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 ARGR 393 U Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 ARGR 361 U Apr-00 ARGR 385 M Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 LNSC Apr-00 BLTR Apr-00 ARGR 363 M Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 LNSC Apr-00 NRPK Apr-00 ARGR 308 U Apr-00 MNWH Apr-00 LNSC Apr-00 WHSC Apr-00 WHSC Apr-00 ARGR 367 U Apr-00 ARGR 338 U Apr-00 ARGR 337 U Apr-00 ARGR 347 U Apr-00 ARGR 383 U Apr-00 LNSC Apr-00 WHSC Apr-00 LNSC Apr-00 ARGR 366 U Apr-00 ARGR 316 U Apr-00 ARGR 338 U Apr-00 LNSC Apr-00 LNSC Apr-00 ARGR 315 U Apr-00 ARGR 313 U Apr-00 MNWH May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC May-00 ARGR 358 U May-00 ARGR 349 U May-00 ARGR 399 U May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC

37 61 1-May-00 ARGR 321 U May-00 BLTR May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC May-00 ARGR 350 U May-00 ARGR 332 U May-00 ARGR 353 U May-00 ARGR 337 M May-00 ARGR 379 M May-00 LNSC May-00 LNSC May-00 ARGR 368 U May-00 MNWH May-00 LNSC May-00 ARGR 366 U May-00 ARGR 374 U May-00 ARGR 325 U May-00 BLTR May-00 MNWH May-00 ARGR 312 F May-00 ARGR 320 M May-00 ARGR 314 F May-00 ARGR 310 F May-00 ARGR 281 F May-00 ARGR 365 M May-00 ARGR 318 F May-00 ARGR 321 M May-00 ARGR M May-00 ARGR M May-00 ARGR M May-00 ARGR 356 F May-00 ARGR 342 F May-00 ARGR 317 F May-00 ARGR M May-00 ARGR 355 F May-00 ARGR 337 M May-00 ARGR M May-00 ARGR 342 F May-00 ARGR 311 F May-00 ARGR 323 F May-00 ARGR 316 U May-00 MNWH May-00 ARGR 352 M May-00 ARGR 365 F May-00 BLTR May-00 ARGR 362 M May-00 ARGR 332 M May-00 ARGR 324 U May-00 ARGR 317 M May-00 BLTR May-00 NRPK 462 M May-00 BLTR May-00 NRPK May-00 ARGR 324 F May-00 MNWH May-00 ARGR 340 U May-00 ARGR 298 F May-00 ARGR 326 M May-00 ARGR 349 F May-00 ARGR 304 M May-00 ARGR 295 U May-00 BLTR