1 / 23

Habitat of Middle Vernon Creek

Habitat of Middle Vernon Creek. Prepared for: Oceola Fish and Game Club Prepared by: Lorne Davies, P.Geo. and Dwight Shanner, R.P.Bio. Geostream Environmental Consulting and Columbia Environmental Consultants Ltd. Background.

tanek
Download Presentation

Habitat of Middle Vernon Creek

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Habitat of Middle Vernon Creek Prepared for: Oceola Fish and Game Club Prepared by: Lorne Davies, P.Geo. and Dwight Shanner, R.P.Bio. Geostream Environmental Consulting and Columbia Environmental Consultants Ltd.

  2. Background • Oceola Fish and Game Club stream restoration project - funded by Habitat Conservation Trust Fund. • Main objective – protection and restoration of stream channel for Wood Lake kokanee population.

  3. Presentation Outline: • Habitat Linkages • Watershed • Channel Morphology • Hydrology • Fish • Habitat Restoration • Partnerships • Future Plans

  4. Middle Vernon Creek Watershed

  5. Watershed Characteristics • 150 km2 drainage area. • Three main sections to watershed: • Upper - plateau with chain of lakes. • Middle - steeply incised valley from plateau to valley floor. • Lower - wide valley bottom floodplain.

  6. Channel Morphology • Meanders – exaggerated due to downstream channel constrictions. • Stream channel widening. • Fine textured banks are highly erodible. • High potential for channel avulsions (formation of new stream channels).

  7. Hydrology – Peak Flows • Bankfull discharge June 2002. • Erosion along outside bend of creek. • Water flowing through field in lower photo.

  8. Hydrology – Low Flows • No water was flowing in the creek in July 2002.

  9. Biology - Fish Species Present • Game species • kokanee, rainbow trout, and mountain whitefish, have been documented since 1970s. • Non-Game species • prickly sculpin, peamouth chub, largescale sucker, redside shiner, northern pike minnow. • Exotic species • common carp, yellow perch.

  10. Kokanee Spawners • Oceola club began incubating kokanee eggs in 1990. • Average Kokanee run 7314 spawners. • Highest density of spawning is within Count Area C, 200 -8500 spawners.

  11. SHIM – Data

  12. Habitat - Natural • Examples of natural sections of stream. • 47% of the creek was classified as natural

  13. Habitat – Partially Impacted • Gabion wall on left, undisturbed stream bank on right. • 30% of the creek classified as modified

  14. Habitat - channelized • Both stream banks modified • 23% of the creek classified as modified

  15. Fish Species Captured (low flow) Natural Section has 7 species and high biomass Channelized has 3 species with high biomass

  16. SHIM – Morphology • Pool - 1/2 to 3/4 of stream for Natural stable Riffle/Pool streams (Slaney/ Zaldokas 1997)

  17. SHIM – Large Woody Debris

  18. Habitat - Restoration • Back channel complexing with logs and rootwads. • Streambank stabilization with logs, rootwads, riprap and willow staking.

  19. Habitat – Restoration Holt Property • Pre-construction condition in 2001. • Post-construction in May 2003.

  20. Habitat – Restoration Holt Property • On-going fencing and planting program along creek initiated. • Landowner has fenced off an area 80 m long and 30 m wide.

  21. Partnerships – Private landowners

  22. Future Plans • Focus 2003/04 – stream flow monitoring program; surface water/groundwater interaction – aquifer recharge; education and awareness – water conservation. • Linking of technical studies to community-lead education and awareness program.

  23. The End • Thank you to the Oceola Fish and Game Club for all of their leadership, hard work and support for this project.

More Related