EN28(1) Biodiversity and Species-at-Risk Make Text Larger Make Text Smaller Print This Page

Inventory of reservoirs and transmission line Right-of-Way areas where provincial and federally listed species or red or blue-listed species are present, our potential impacts, and completed or potential stewardship and restorative initiatives.

Potential Impacts Addressed Abbreviations
Habitat Loss/ Fragmentation HL
Species at Risk SR
Biodiversity Loss BD
Nutrient Loss/Gain NL/G
Fish Entrainment 2 FE
Supersaturation S
Cultural Loss CL

Receptor Species Stewardship 3 and Restorative Initiative 4 Name Activity Undertaken or
Results Achieved
Potential Impacts Addressed
Columbia
Red-listed terrestrial plants: Wheatgrass/ Junegrass; Ponderosa Pine; Trembling Aspen; Douglas fir; Snowberry-balsamroot; Western Snowberry; Idaho fescue   No new programs for F05  
N. Leopard Frog ( ENd) Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Project Released approximately 5,000 tadpoles and 5,000 frogs into the CVWMA and East Kootenays. Continued to monitor the population. Mortality of released frogs identified from chytrid fungus. HL, SR, BD
Badger ( red, ENd) E. Kootenay Badger Conservation Continued a recovery action plan to conserve this local population, which included radio-tagging and monitoring resident badgers and translocating badgers from Montana to augment the local population. HL, SR, BD
Wolverine species ( blue) Female Wolverine Reproduction and Survival Report Final report completed with habitat preservation and management recommendations for wolverine. HL, BD
Cavity-nesting ducks Non-Game Species Habitat Enhancement Monitor and maintain duck nestboxes. HL, BD
Western painted turtle ( blue) Control vegetation and monitor use of alternate man-made nest sites. HL, BD
Various wetland wildlife species Identify and implement wetland enhancement opportunities. HL
Mountain caribou ( red, THr) Mountain Caribou Recovery A transplant of up to 20 adult caribou from northern BC as part of species recovery plan was planned, but did not take place. HL, SR, BD
Great Blue Heron ( blue) Breeding Inventory & Habitat Assessment Heron inventory completed and report written; habitat characteristics described at breeding colonies and important feeding sites to reduce human threats and improve conservation efforts. HL, BD
Short-eared Owl ( blue); American Bittern ( blue) Breeding Inventory & Habitat Assessment Report completed. Areas with remaining available habitat inventoried to identify additional breeding sites; regional distributions defined; conservation recommendations for key sites prepared. HL, BD
White Sturgeon ( red); Kokanee; Umatilla dace ( red); Columbia Mottled Sculpin
( blue, SC)
Bull trout ( blue);
Cutthroat trout ( red)
rainbow trout
Arrow Lakes Reservoir Fertilization & Monitoring Continuation of nitrogen/phosphorus fertilization has led to documented increase in zooplankton populations supporting fish species, which have also increased as a result. HL, SR, BD, NL/G
White Sturgeon ( red, SC) Upper Columbia Sturgeon Culture at Kootenay Sturgeon
Hatchery
Hatchery program continued to augment low survivability of juveniles; 12,245 on hand April 2005 ready for release in early May. A total of 20,469 juveniles were tagged and released in the last 2 yrs and are being monitored. HL, SR, BD
Kokanee and Gerrard rainbow trout Kootenay Lake Fertilization & Adaptive Management Continuation of Kootenay Lake fertilization to boost zooplankton population supporting Kokanee and Gerrard rainbow trout populations; monitoring of populations demonstrate continued increases in all target populations. Fertilizer addition optimized. HL, BD, NL/G
Bull trout ( blue) Revelstoke Reservoir Bull Trout Radio Telemetry Project completed in 2004, report being prepared on telemetry and tracking of 39 tagged bull trout to increase knowledge of life history and identify key spawning, rearing and staging areas to protect and enhance their habitats. HL, BD
Jordan River Side Channel Rehabilitation Flow stabilization project. HL, BD
Cutthroat trout sub-species ( blue) Lizard Creek Tributary Habitat Restoration Developed stewardship agreements with local landowners to help stabilize stream banks and prevent erosion as well as other habitat restoration measures HL, BD
Cutthroat Trout ( blue) Upper Bull River Population assessment conducted. HL, BD
Dione Copper Butterfly ( red)   No new programs for F05  
Dinosaur Reservoir

Fish species; Aquatic plants

 

Planting of vegetation in the foreshore /drawdown zone to improve fish habitat.

HL, BD

Lake trout; Bull Trout ( blue); Rainbow Trout

Dinosaur Reservoir Fish population assessments Population study to determine success of previous restoration projects (i.e. woody debris and stocking). BD
Peace River/Williston Reservoir area
Fisher ( red); Other wildlife species Fisher Habitat Use Project Report preparation on ecology and population dynamics; contribution to development of improved management strategies. HL
Cottonwood tree trial (Fisher habitat) enhancement. HL
Ungulates North Peace Arm prescribed burns to enhance ungulate winter range Controlled burns to provide winter habitat for deer, elk (2004: preparation for broadcast burn in 2005: construction of fireguard). Study of ecology and population dynamics; contribution to development of improved management strategies. HL, SR, BD
Grizzly bear ( blue) McLeod Lake Grizzly Bear Behaviour Prepare report on effects on grizzly bears movement and behaviour of closing McLeod Lake landfill. HL
Mountain Goat Nabesche Goats and Licks Monitor Nabesche Goat population – influence on population of availability of mineral licks. BD
Ospika Goat Project Continue study to evaluate logging impacts on use of mineral licks by Mountain Goat in the Ospika range. HL, BD
Stone Sheep 20 Mile Point Stone Sheep Population Mortality Survey Final report prepared on sheep/tick study. BD
Migratory Bird species Mugaha Marsh migratory bird studies Funding of Mackenzie bird banding and monitoring and monitoring of migratory returns. BD
Arctic Grayling ( red) Parsnip Arctic Grayling Indexing Population monitoring to inform on Arctic Grayling fish population in Williston area. Population monitoring. HL, SR, BD
Kokanee Classroom Kokanee Demonstration Project Project involves fish rearing from eggs to fingerlings, and release. Education and public outreach. HL, BD
Offspring of released Hatchery Kokanee Kokanee Escapement Survey Project involves tracking returns from offspring of fish stocked from 1990 – 1998. BD
Pygmy whitefish Pygmy Whitefish Evolution and Distribution Joint PW and UBC genetics study to contribute to conservation and management strategies. BD
Bull trout ( blue) Bull Trout indexing Population monitoring. BD
Hatchery rainbow and brook trout Small Lake Stocking Assessments Small Lake fish stocking population evaluations. BD
Reservoirs in Intermountain Zone
Species at Risk and other Bird species. Other wildlife species. Fish species and habitats. Canadian Intermountain Joint Venture (CIJV) In November 2003, BC Hydro officially joined the CIJV, a partnership of B.C.-based resource industries, conservation organizations, academia and government agencies. The CIJV was formed to address the challenges of sustaining healthy populations of birds and other wildlife while ensuring the viability of other uses of the landscape. It is designed to increase the effectiveness of existing and new initiatives through effective coordination, building on existing regional partnerships and fostering greater cooperation. HL, SR, BD
Bridge River Coastal area
Fish species South Alouette River Rearing Habitat South Alouette off-channel enhancement. HL
Coquitlam Salmon Restoration Investigation of feasibility of restoring salmon to Coquitlam Reservoir. HL, BD
Alouette Reservoir Fish Passage Feasibility Assessment Feasibility study. HL, BD
Coho salmon Alouette River Coho Enhancement and Awareness No information available. HL, BD
Spawning Habitat Elsie Lake Reservoir Dam Creation of spawning habitat on Elsie tributaries. HL, BD
Bridge River Fish Habitat Restoration Project Feasibility Project Feasibility study of habitat restoration project. HL
Elk #3 side channel modifications Improvements in fish habitat. HL, S
Campbell River Spawning Gravel Restoration Restoration of spawning gravel in Campbell River, Vancouver Island. HL
Cheakamus River Side-channel Restoration Habitat restoration project. HL, S
Squamish River Estuary Tidal Channels and Marsh Restoration Habitat restoration project. HL
Or Creek Stream Bank Stabilization Project to reduce erosion, water turbidity, and habitat restoration. HL
Lower Seton Spawning Channel Complexing Improvements made to spawning channel to increase fish productivity. HL
Gates Creek Fish Habitat Restoration Riparian restoration project. HL
Wildlife species Restoration Prescriptions of Wildlife Habitats Using information collected in 2002-03, wildlife habitat enhancement (including planting of riparian areas) was undertaken in the Ash River watershed. HL
Roosevelt elk ( blue) Strathcona Park Restoration On-going since 2001, surveys have been completed and treatment techniques developed. Eight (8) hectares of winter range in three separate areas were restored in 2004-05 for wintering elk. HL
Harlequin Duck (SC) Variation in Harlequin Duck Distribution and Productivity Project will provide the scientific background necessary to understand how variation in habitat (including that related to hydro development) affects harlequin ducks, and prescribe mitigation or restoration activities that would improve harlequin duck productivity. HL, BD
Ungulate species Ungulate Overwintering Range Habitat Improvement Project, which will enhance approximately 595 ha of ungulate winter range in the Carpenter Reservoir area using controlled burns, was postponed because of the high fire hazard in the fall of 2004. HL
Northern Spotted Owl (ENd, blue) Owl Inventory Program Project will undertake inventories of Northern Spotted Owl and their habitat to assist in conservation initiatives. SR, HL, BD
Red Legged frog (blue) Breeding Habitat Survey Project will help to determine if restoration efforts are necessary and feasible in the Jordan River Watershed. SR, HL, BD
Grizzly bear ( blue) Grizzly Popuplation Evaluation Using DNA analysis, this project will estimate grizzly populations and density and evaluate the influence of habitat conditions and human activity on grizzly gene flow at the landscape level. SR, HL, BD
Grizzly bear ( blue) Grizzly Habitat Protection Project will help develop forestry practices that will sustain grizzly bear populations. SR, HL, BD
Transmission Right-of-Ways
    Programs administered by BCTC.  

Notes:

  1. Compliance with the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) is required and there are provincially listed species that are protected under the B.C. Wildlife Act and the Forest and Range Practices Act (Identified Wildlife). This means BC Hydro must comply with these federal and provincial pieces of legislation by avoiding, mitigating and compensating for impacts to listed species and being involved in recovery strategies and action plans as appropriate. Red and Blue Listings is an inventory process used by the B.C. Conservation Data Centre. It does not have any regulatory force. In the interest of reducing its regulatory risk BC Hydro has been proactive in seeking to identify and reduce its impacts on listed species and undertaking a number of stewardship initiatives
  2. Federally listed species under SARA are either Endangered (ENd), Threatened (THr) or of Special Concern (SC). We are currently tallying which of these species and populations occur in lands owned or managed by BC Hydro while proceeding with programs to enhance, restore or maintain known endangered or threatened species and their habitats. This listing does not include stewardship initiatives undertaken solely as part of Water Use Planning and other programs.
  3. Stewardship means preventative, restorative, enhancement or maintenance initiatives over the long-term time scale required to protect and maintain, restore, or enhance populations and their habitats.
  4. These programs are largely undertaken with partners as part of our Compensation Programs and were funded in full or in part by BC Hydro.
  5. Mortality may result from fish passage through hydraulic turbines or over spillways during their downstream migration.
  6. Supersaturation occurs when water falls turbulently from reservoir elevation to discharge elevation, usually via spillways. Air is forced into solution increasing the concentration of nitrogen and oxygen, as measured by Total Gas Pressure, which can interfere with normal gill function of aquatic species.

Last Modified: Jun 29, 2005

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