Lakelse Sockeye Recovery Program

Transcription

1 Lakelse Sockeye Recovery Program The Ninth Annual BC Interior Stewardship Workshop May 7 th and 8 th, 2013 DFO North Coast Resource Restoration Unit

2 Presentation Overview History/background Stock and habitat status what lead to recovery plan Sockeye Recovery Plan Research factors limiting sockeye production Enhancement fry outplant project Habitat Restoration (highlight 2 projects) Stock Assessment Partners/stakeholders Presentation Review

3 Lakelse Watershed

4 History Lakelse was a DFO sockeye research watershed in 1940 s through 1960 s good documentation of historical stock status & habitat productivity Significant habitat disturbance due to human development and unstable geology in the 1960 s through 2000 s Logging, linear development, large sediment movement, unstable reaches

5 Spawning Escapement ESCAPEMENT Problem? (identified in ~2003) 45,000 SUBAREA TOTAL: LAKELSE SOCKEYE 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 Very low escapements in recent years (< 1000) 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 YEAR Very low juvenile densities relative to rearing capacity (<5%) Year 92% escapement decline over last 3 generations (12 years) (slide courtesy of Steve Cox-Rogers, 2005)

6 Initiated Lakelse Sockeye Recovery Plan in 2003 DFO-driven, multi-stakeholder process to document historical and current knowledge of stock and habitat status Identify and address data gaps Determine factors limiting Lakelse sockeye production Develop an action plan to address limiting factors with specific prioritised projects

7 Recovery Plan Findings Substantial background information available Currently low-modest fishery exploitation due to early migration of stock (late June) Healthy but underutilized lake rearing environment for fry Significantly impacted spawning habitat in main spawning tributaries Poor incubation survival in some streams

8 Prioritized Approach Protect existing habitat and stocks Enhance population through smallscale, short term hatchery production Restore impacted spawning habitat Assess stocks and restoration effectiveness

9 Habitat Protection Some industry participation and $ in recovery planning process (MOF, BCTS) Very active stewardship group (Lakelse Watershed Society) Education/awareness generated by media, info kiosks, brochures and public meetings Lakeshore mapping, photo-documentation and education Lake Management Plan, active enforcement Liquid waste management plan underway

10 Stock Enhancement ~300,000 hatchery-produced fry released annually in Williams Creek since 2006 Due to disease transfer concerns with sockeye in a conventional hatchery setting, eggs are flown to Bella Coola where sockeye are reared in isolation Initial hatchery returns appeared to be poor, but preliminary data for 2012 estimate the hatchery component to be in the 20% range

11 Lakelse Fry Outplant

12 Habitat Restoration Adult access improvement Beaver management Mainstem spawning habitat creation on smaller tributaries Off-channel spawning habitat creation on Williams Creek (main spawning tributary with unstable reaches)

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14 Williams Creek Formerly productive spawning habitat adjacent to upper spawning channel Gravel scoured by higher water events and bedload movement

15 Upper Williams Spawning Channel Start of excavation Undercut bank Excavation continues Lock block sill & weir for enumeration

16 Upper Williams Spawning Channel Installing intake valve and manhole Installing intake pipe and infiltrator Intake excavation Intake completed

17 Upper Williams Spawning Channel Intake valve open Opening the channel Channel complete First adult (coho) in channel

18 Scully Creek Small groundwaterfed spawning tributary Impacted by diverted surface-water flows, beaver activity and significant bear predation

19 Scully Creek Habitat Restoration Beaver dam before removal Beaver dam after hand removal Beaver dam after excavator removal Start of undercut bank creation

20 Scully Creek Habitat Restoration 60 cedar logs donated by City of Terrace Undercut bank excavation cont d Lock blocks in place Logs placed on lock blocks

21 Scully Creek Habitat Restoration Filter cloth overlay on logs Logs covered with soil and planted Completed undercut bank First sockeye using cover habitat

22 Stock Assessment and Project Effectiveness Monitoring Adult returns DFO Stock Assessment Smolt assessment DFO & external partners Fry surveys - Hydroacoustic studies by Skeena Fisheries Commission Egg incubation studies DFO & consultant

23 Adult escapement estimates for Williams and Sockeye Creeks (2012 numbers preliminary) Williams Sockeye

24 Thank-you to our many partners and stakeholders Lakelse Watershed Society Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (formerly MOF and MOE) Kitselas Fisheries BC Timber Sales Kitimat-Stikine Regional District City of Terrace Skeena Fisheries Commission Pacific Salmon Commission Northern Fund

25 Presentation Review Lakelse sockeye history/background Overview of Sockeye Recovery Program Fry Outplant Project Habitat Restoration Stock Assessment & Effectiveness Monitoring Questions?