Dehcho Watershed Ecosystem Advisory Committee Meeting March 2013

1. Dehcho Watershed Ecosystem Advisory Committee Meeting March 2013 Dehcho AAROM Program George Low AAROM Coordinator/Biologist Mike Low AAROM Technical Advisor Dehcho First Nations

2. Agenda DWEAC meeting Day 1 Day One • Opening Prayer & Introductions • Meeting summary; 2012 • DFO input, Deanna Leonard • Community project review • Member Input • Frankie Bonnetrouge and Kerak Chicot fileting fish at Tathlina Lake

3. Agenda DWEAC meeting; DAY 2 • program Results 2012-13; Mike • What’s New? • DFO Fish Habitat; Prov. Ck. • AFS; community fish monitoring & safe sustainable fish stocks • Ecosystems and fisheries; Contaminant Research; U of Waterloo • Water Quality and contaminants; monitoring effects on local fisheries • “Country Food” workshop KTFN • HC; Climate Change Adaptation;

4. Agenda DWEAC meeting; DAY 2 • Training; • Youth Program • Equipment • Partnering • Logo and branding • Meetings and workshops • Salmon program • Video • Closing prayer

5. The Advisory Committee The Committee’s mandate is to “…protect and preserve the rights of all Aboriginal peoples to healthy waters, fish stocks and aquatic environments in the Dehcho.”

6. AAROM Program Review • Update; Deanna Leonard; DFO Fisheries Mgmt.

7. Projects and Activities 2012-13 • We have good core funding for the AAROM program for • Staffing; seasonal and permanent • Meetings, admin, training, youth camps, projects, equipment. • AAROM program has an experienced Technical Advisor. Mike Low works with the community monitors to ensure quality data is collected. • Capacity building; ongoing – but most community programs are working well.

8. Projects: 2012-13 • Katlodeeche FN • Great Slave Lake Stock & Lake Assessment Project • Vessels and field workers • GSL/Buffalo River Inconnu Stock Identification • Inconnu from Yates River for DFO DNA study • Strategic Plan • FN’s in the Great Slave Lake

9. West Point First Nation • DFO; Great Slave Lake Stock Assessment Project • Provide field worker For project • Barry Buckley Jr.

10. Kakisa – Ka’a’gee Tu • Kakisa River, Sports Fishery Survey; AAROM study • Tathlina Lake Fish Stock assessment • Provide Fish size and age data to DFO Science • Provide fish flesh samples for food web analysis • Tathlina Lake/Cameron Hills Monitoring Program • Collaboration with; Ka’a’gee Tu, (environmental Coordinator) AANDC, universities • Assist; Sir Wilfrid Laurier researchers; fish energetics • Assist; CABiN stream assessment on Cameron River; fish habitat • Country Food Survey

11. Fort Providence FPRMB Deh Gah Gotie • Sports fishery monitoring • Survey of anglers in the Mackenzie River • Regulation changes!!!! • Water quality monitoring • Sonde • Temperature Monitoring • On Nav Buoys; GSL outflow, Beaver Lake

12. Sambaa K’e • Boat Patrol Fishery Monitoring • Water Quality sondes • Thermocline monitoring • Temperature Profile • Lake Trout thermal habitat • Carrie & Stern; • Trout samples • Sediment Core – Trout L. • Climate Change Adaptation • “Country Food Survey” fish

13. Liidlii Kue First Nation • Boat patrol monitoring • River usage • Traditional sites; GPS photos • Water Quality SONDES • Water quality; hand held • Winter fishing; • Mustard Lake • Little Doctor Lake • Country Food Survey

14. Nahanni Butte First Nation • Boat patrol monitoring • River usage (limited data produced) • Water quality monitoring • Involvement with Prairie Creek monitoring • 2012-13 • Metal Suite in Fish • SONDE in South Nahanni

15. Jean Marie River FN • Boat Patrol Monitoring • River usage • Water Quality data • Lue Tue Sulai; PAS study; • Year two; McGill and Deep lakes • BEAT Fish Habitat Study • Fish stocks and mercury levels • Water quality testing • DFO Burbot(Loche) study • Health Canada; “Country Food Survey - Fish

16. Pehdzeh Ki First Nation • Garage for boat and equipment storage completed • Patrol outboard repaired • Winter fishing; March? • Ready to go!

17. Fort Simpson and Fort Providence Métis • Danny Peterson – member • Richard Lafferty – member • training • Youth and elder programs • Conferences/workshops etc. • Ecology camps

18. Progress to Date; • Community based projects in most communities • Fisheries Research: KFN, WPFN, SKFN, JMR, KTFN • Fisheries Monitoring: KTFN, FPRMB, JMR, SKFN, NBDB, LKFN • Need to re-establish summer monitoring projects in Wrigley • We are strengthening our monitoring program for Fish Habitat, Water Quality and Contaminants with new partnerships • Need quality data from the monitors

19. Partnering & Collaborative Mgmt. • Extremely important to our AAROM program • $$$; DFO, AANDC; CIMP & NCP, HC, ENR , MACA • Not only for $$$ but to bring expertise into the Dehcho As does Environment Canada, Aurora College, Taiga labs, GNWT Health, BEAT Environmental Inc. • Community Involvement

20. Partnering with AFS; • AFS Projects (DFN AAROM Administered) 248 K • Sambaa K’e fishery monitoring • FPRMB – fishery monitoring • KFN & WPFN – Fish stock assessment studies on Great Slave Lake • Ka’a’gee Tu – Tathlina Lake stock assessment • Liidli Kue monitoring program • O&M Equipment Funding

21. What’s New for 2013-14? • Habitat Rehabilitation • Partnerships; DFO Habitat, Deh Gah Gotie FN, Dehcho AAROM; GNWT Transportation • Location; ProvidenceCk. • Counting weir • Sampling and tagging • Removal of one beaver dam • Spawning bed improvement – gravel

22. What’s New for 2013-14? • “A Return to Country Food” workshop • Year 2; Ka’a’gee Tu – late August • Follow-up to the successful JMR workshop last summer. • Leadership, resource managers, monitors

23. What’s New for 2013-14? • Technical support for Water Quality and Contaminants Monitoring • ENR, Water Resources partnership • Deploy and maintain Sondes and other equipment • NRTP student internship • Monitor training • Deh Gah Gotie, Liidllii Kue, Sambaa K’e, Ka’a’gee Tu • Need to strengthen program especially in NB and Wrigley

24. What’s New for 2013-14? • Partnering with the University of Waterloo • Heidi Swanson; experienced Arctic researcher • Works closely with the communities • Year 1; JMR and Sambaa K’e • Year 2; Liidlii Kue and Ka’a’gee Tu • Year3: JMR & Ka’a’gee Tu • Smog in China

25. Progress to Date, Training • Med III and SVOPC course • In Nahanni Butte 2009 • In Fort Simpson 2010 • 2012 ? • CABiN course Kakisa 2010 • Env. Monitoring Cert. • Sambaa K’e – 2010 • 8 students certified • Nahanni Butte? 2012 • Community monitors received on the job training from Mike

26. Youth Program • Youth and Elders • Curriculum development – Bruce Townsend • Sandy Ck Youth Ecology Camp • Ekali Lake – Mini Science and culture camp • Mackenzie River culture camp • McGill Lake youth session • Tathlina Lake youth involvement • Trip to EC Lab in Sask.

27. Equipment; • 2009 – Equipped Lunds delivered to JMR, NBDB and PKFN • 2009/10 Commitments; • GSL Extra funding • KFN – Buffalo River Cabin ( 11 K) • KFN – Skandic Skidoo, Sleighs (15 K) • KFN – Buffalo River boat (9 K) • FPRMB – Two Cabins (35 K) • Scientific Equipment (6K) • Winter fishing and sampling equipment (12K)

28. Equipment; Purchased Project equipment policy Boat safety; Insurance Care and storage Use and equipment decal • LKFN - 18 foot Lund, trailer, equip.(20 K) • DFN – 3 Skandic Skidoos & sleighs (Available for project use) 13K • Garage for Wrigley 17 K • Shed for JMR 6K • Cameras, YSI instruments, DO meters • Microscope

29. Equipment • SONDES for South Nahanni R., Liard River, Kakisa L. @16K each • Temperature recorders 6 K • additional Skidoo -project use • Nets & fishing gear • Snorkel Gear – BEAT • Freezer • Outboard motor repair or replacement

30. AAROM Logo AAROM

31. Meetings and Workshops • George and Mike attended the Dehcho Annual General assembly; Installed an information booth for the AAROM program • Keepers of the Waters Conference; AAROM supported reps from Bands • “A return to Country Foods” workshop; Six Bands; leaders and resource mgnt, monitors • Sambaa K’e workshop; Mike and George – AAROM AFS monitoring results and future planning • NCP Results Workshop; Didn’t happen • CIMP Results Forum; YK; George & Mike; Chief Chicot, Melaine, Shawn; Ruby Jumbo • DFO GSLAC – Yellowknife; Peter Sabourin

32. Salmon Program • Mackenzie River Chum salmon run • Non Indigenous salmons • Further down river • Pink, Chinook, Coho, Sockeye • DFO looking for samples • Whole salmon - $50 gift card • Salmon head - $25 gift card (c/w info when and where caught)

33. Closing Prayer Mahsi Thank You. Have a safe trip home!