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Overview Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory of the MILLIGAN and WAPITI Watershed Groups

Overview Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory of the MILLIGAN and WAPITI Watershed Groups. Acknowledgements. Funding provided by the Science and Community Environmental Knowledge Fund (Formerly the Oil and Gas Environmental Fund) and Pioneer Resources Canada Inc.

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Overview Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory of the MILLIGAN and WAPITI Watershed Groups

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  1. Overview Fish and Fish Habitat Inventoryof theMILLIGAN and WAPITI Watershed Groups

  2. Acknowledgements • Funding provided by the Science and Community Environmental Knowledge Fund (Formerly the Oil and Gas Environmental Fund) and Pioneer Resources Canada Inc. • Administered by the Fisheries Section of Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Fort St. John

  3. Outline • Overview Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory - Objectives • Description of study areas • Sampling results and significant fisheries observations • Data gaps and recommendations for additional inventory

  4. Overview Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory • Fish sampling conducted at watershed scale (1:50,000) • Collects baseline fish distribution and fish habitat data • Identifies critical habitats (spawning, rearing, overwintering) • Less detailed than 1:20,000 Reconnaissance Fish and Fish habitat Inventory • Not intended for fish stream classification purposes

  5. Project Locations

  6. Milligan Creek Watershed Group Study Area 2 sub-basins red dots represent extent of known fish distribution prior to 2002 inventory.

  7. Milligan Creek – Habitat and Fish Distribution • 43 sites assessed, 25 in Milligan, 18 in Chinchaga • Fluvial aquatic habitats can be grouped into two morphology types namely: - riffle-pool - large channel

  8. Riffle-Pool

  9. Riffle – Pool Characteristics • Occur within well-drained, mixed-wood upland habitats • Gradient ranges from 1 to 2 % • Substrates mainly coarse granular material interspersed with fines • Exhibit some degree of confinement • Cover for fish is usually boulder, small and large woody debris, undercut banks • Turbidity is variable but generally tannic, and clearer upstream

  10. Fish Present – Uplands and Confined Valleys Given moderate habitat complexity and access to potential overwintering sites these stream reaches can be suitable for several sportfish and non-sport species including:

  11. Large Channel

  12. Large Channel Characteristics • Gradient less than 0.5% • Channels meandering and unconfined • Substrates are generally 100% fines and organic accumulation • Beaver activity extensive with large segments of stream developed into a series of dams and impoundments • Upper reaches often interrupted by muskeg seepage areas with stream channels absent or discontinuous • Instream cover provided by extensive deep pool habitat, overhanging vegetation and instream vegetation

  13. Fish Present – Large Channel Muskeg Seepage Complexes • Suitability for sportfish limited due to high water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, absence of adequate winter discharge and lack of seasonal access. Species common to these habitats include:

  14. Milligan Creek Watershed Group – Northern Portion

  15. Milligan Creek Watershed Group – Southern Portion

  16. Milligan Creek Watershed Group – Chinchaga

  17. Significant Features and Fisheries Observations Milligan Watershed • At a regional level, relatively low quality fish habitat • Arctic grayling populations localized • Northern pike widespread, but low in density • Lakes with capability to overwinter fish limited in abundance (possibly only 4) • Species diversity low • Only 1 regionally significant species collected (spoonhead sculpin) – distribution limited to lower Milligan

  18. Future Research Recommendations Milligan Watershed • A primary lake survey of the unnamed lake (WB ID 00026MILL) at the headwaters of Chinchaga tributary (WSC 228-962600) would confirm its over-wintering capability and presence of resident fish populations

  19. Wapiti River Watershed Group Sub-basins

  20. Wapiti Project Area Sub-basins

  21. Upper Wapiti Sub-basin

  22. Belcourt Creek Sub-basin

  23. Red Deer Creek Sub-basin

  24. Significant Features and Fisheries Observations Wapiti Watershed • Bull trout and mountain whitefish exist as several distinct, isolated populations within the Wapiti and Belcourt sub-basins • Arctic grayling present in low densities despite suitable and accessible summer feeding habitat in lower Wapiti River, Belcourt Creek and Red Deer Creek

  25. Future Research Recommendations Wapiti Watershed • Identification of critical spawning habitat incomplete • Additional aerial search for spawning bull trout and redds in mid-September is required

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