Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program

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Highest Egg Count on Record at Hill Creek Spawning Channel

In partnership with the Ministry of Environment (MOE), Department of Fisheries and Oceans, First Nations and the Public, BC Hydro has established the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) to offset the impacts of BC Hydro owned and operated dams on fish and wildlife. Since 1995, the Columbia Basin region of the FWCP has invested more than $55 million in fish and wildlife projects.

This year, the program set a new record for the number of kokanee eggs deposited into the Hill Creek Spawning Channel. Each year, the MOE hopes to have at least 12 million eggs deposited at the Spawning Channel, and this year, the total number of eggs deposited in the gravel was approximately 30 million. This is the highest ever number of eggs recorded since the channel was constructed in 1980. The second highest egg count was in 2000 at 22 million.

"We are extremely pleased about these numbers," says Jeff Burrows, chair of the FWCP Fish Technical Committee. "Clearly the channel is working well and these numbers underscore the importance of Hill Creek Spawning Channel to the Arrow Lakes ecosystem."

Brian Barney, who looks after the day-to-day operations at Hill Creek Spawning Channel, is also extremely satisfied about the returns. "We work with some excellent local contractors and, together, have ensured that the spawning gravel is in top condition these last few years. Of course, with such a high egg count, the fall and winter work has just begun. We need to work hard to make sure that a substantial proportion of eggs survive, and good numbers of healthy fry swim out next year."

Depending on the year, the Hill Creek Spawning Channel may account for 80% or more of upper basin fry production and around 60% of total Arrow production. In late winter the eggs hatch, turning into alevin – a small fish-like body with a yolk sac attached to its underside. They feed off the sac for about six weeks before emerging from the gravel as fry in the spring, after which they head downstream towards the reservoir.

"These kind of successes are exactly what our staff and partners work so hard for," says Andrew MacDonald, Manager of the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. "You can make a direct line from the planning and construction to the maintenance and results. It's a great project."

The 3.2 kilometre Hill Creek Spawning Channel was built with BC Hydro funding to compensate for the loss of spawning habitat due to the construction of Revelstoke Dam. It is located 56 kilometres north of Nakusp, near Galena Bay, and jointly managed by FWCP and MOE.