Overview Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory of the

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. • Administered by the Fisheries Section of Ministry of Water, Land Air Protection, Fort St. John

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

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

Project Locations

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

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

Riffle-Pool

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

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: Sportfish Arctic grayling northern pike burbot Non-sport Species spoonhead sculpin slimy sculpin longnose sucker white sucker longnose dace

Large Channel

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

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: Sportfish northern pike Non-sport Species brook stickleback finescale dace lake chub white sucker

Milligan Creek Watershed Group – Northern Portion

Milligan Creek Watershed Group – Southern Portion

Milligan Creek Watershed Group – Chinchaga

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

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

Wapiti River Watershed Group Sub-basins

Wapiti Project Area Sub-basins

Upper Wapiti Sub-basin

Belcourt Creek Sub-basin

Red Deer Creek Sub-basin

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

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