Estimated Steelhead Smolt Capacity & Returning Adults (assuming 13% marine survival:

• 400 smolts/ 52 adults Ptolemy 2002 SHA analysis, only 2km is useful parr habitat

Existing Habitat:
Watershed area (km2):	47.7		Comments
Mean Annual Discharge (m3/s):	2.8		GVRD park. Urbanization along 34% of length - 900 septic systems. August/September demand is 21% of natural summer 7-day mean flow. Sedimentation concerns from active and abandoned gravel pits. Additional water quality concerns including ammonia, heavy metals, low PH all exceed guidelines. Biomass 140g/unit
Summer Base Flow (% MAD)	8.5%
Accessible length (km):	5.5
Productivity:	Moderate

SPECIAL HABITAT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

• Implement recommendations from the Kanaka Creek Recovery Plan (Sensitive Stream Designation)
• Urbanization and water quality impacts need to be addressed
• Gravel pit impacts need to be addressed.

HABITAT RESTORATION TO DATE

• Off-channel work sponsored by DFO at Kanaka facility

STEELHEAD OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

• Recover stocks sufficiently to allow for angling opportunities on other species and steelhead in stronger years.
• Investigate feasibility of introducing another stock for angling opportunities if native stock can no longer be viable.
• Consider angling regulation changes to better protect steelhead spawners.

IDENTIFIED RECOVERY OPTIONS

• Stocking from another system and convert to hatchery status
• Create additional habitat capability for natural production (very limited)

NOTES: Very large historical catches may have been passing stocks in the tidal influence zone. GVRD sponsored community hatchery on system, heavy angler use for other species impacts on regulatory options for steelhead.

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Estimated Steelhead Smolt Capacity & Returning Adults (assuming 13% marine survival):

• Undefined - very limited over short length below dam

Existing Habitat:
Watershed area (km2):	1140		Comments
Mean Annual Discharge (m3/s):	111		Stave power project cuts off most natural habitat. High summer flows, poor parr habitat (almost no cover) and unnatural ramping rates. 16% of watershed has been logged creating impacts on natural hydrology Biomass < 80 g/unit
Summer Base Flow (% MAD)	>100%
Accessible length (km):	32
Productivity:	Very low

HABITAT RESTORATION TO DATE

• BC Hydro WUP plan - off-channel habitat work for other salmon species

STEELHEAD OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

• Provide an angling opportunity on hatchery fish to take pressure off other systems
• Manage downstream flows to allow for safe angling and some potential for natural production

NOTES: Good fishery in 2000 - about half the effort in 2001. Several unmarked fish reported in catch. Hatchery female fish from Chilliwack crossed with wild males. Incubated at Abbotsford, reared to smolt at Inch Creek. High rate of hatchery release in 2000 fishery.

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Estimated Steelhead Smolt Capacity & Returning Adults:

• Undetermined

EXISTING HABITAT

• Flashy system, natural summer 7-day mean low flow is 14% of Mean Annual Discharge (MAD), 5 km accessible length, and relatively unproductive system.
• Habitat protection has been extremely difficult. Gravel accumulation and bed stability problematic. Chronic problems with an inadequate opening at the CPR bridge crossing. Major water supply for Fraser valley - August water demand is 26% of MAD - low flows have caused fish kills in the past as portions of creek bed go dry. Slide and turbidity problems present, placer mining in area of creek.

HABITAT RESTORATION TO DATE

• Limited work done to mitigate flood control activities

SPECIAL HABITAT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

• Negotiate with the CPR for a comprehensive gravel- and bridge-flow-through rehabilitation and management plan.

STEELHEAD OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

• Examine regulatory options with respect to angling activity in the watershed and sloughs downstream to give increased protection to steelhead adults and parr.
• Investigate enrichment feasibility downstream of water intake.

NOTES: The railway bridge needs to be lengthened to provide for less constriction of the flood plain and to reduce the need for annual gravel removal. DFO has negotiated increased summer low flow releases from Dickson Lake reservoir. Still receives angling pressure.

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Estimated Steelhead Smolt Capacity & Returning Adults (assuming 13% marine survival):

• Approx 6000 smolts/700 adults (based on a regional review of existing information).
• Conservation Concern Level @ 30% of capacity is approx. 210 adults

Existing Habitat:
Watershed area (km2):	383		Comments
Mean annual discharge (m3/s):	40.5		Sediment problems, 32% of watershed has been logged, laterally and vertically unstable system resulting in channel changes on its fan, low summer flows - subsurface flows during low periods in aggregated areas, limited accessible area biomass 90 g/unit:, parr habitat limited by few large woody debris and boulder reach extent
accessible length (km):	20
Productivity:	Low

SPECIAL HABITAT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

• Provide adequate habitat protection especially with respect to rate of cut in headwaters and logging in riparian zones and in land disturbance leading to sedimentation and flow regime changes in headwaters.
• Provide full protection to sensitive areas in the flood plain.

STEELHEAD OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

• Maintain status quo with respect to fishery and winter run hatchery stocking as long as wild stocks are at healthy levels, consider limiting rod days through regulation changes and scaling back or re-deploying augmentation elsewhere to reduce impacts on wild fish.
• Maintain augmentation and resulting summer fishery based on introduced Coquihalla summer run fish (and Chinook) continuing to give priority to the needs of the Coquihalla system itself. (See Coquihalla Summary. Summer run could be augmented by using hatchery and unmarked summer fish returning to the Chehalis.)
• Undertake habitat restoration to improve pool habitats in addition to pools in canyon area
• Provide additional spawning gravel and off-channel rearing.
• Foster stewardship groups and local FN to assist in protection

IDENTIFIED RECOVERY OPTIONS

• Install large wood and pools in lower river below bridge.
• Implement an annual stream enrichment program using slow release fertilizer and carcasses from the hatchery.
• Construct a 1-km long side channel at Bentley Creek.

NOTES: Major Federal Chehalis Hatchery and Weaver Creek spawning channel in watershed. Many years ago, the Nature Trust acquired a significant parcel of land in the lower river for habitat protection.

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• 1,900 smolts/ 250 adults based on actual smolt counts less an allowance for pump losses.
• Conservation Concern Level @ 30% of capacity is approx. 75 adults

Existing Habitat:
Watershed area (km2):	47.7		Comments
Mean annual discharge (m3/s):	1.82		Summer base flows somewhat below 20% of mean annual discharge. Serious water quality concerns above established guidelines for nutrients, ammonia, fecal coliform, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus, and water temperatures. High nutrient impacts coming from agricultural wastes - extremely high total alkalinity 42.8 mg/l, pumping station impacts smolts - estimated loss approx. 25%, extensive urbanization in watershed, golf course development. Potential limited by extent of boulder reaches for parr habitat. Biomass: 490 g/unit
Summer Base Flow (%MAD):	15%
Accessible length (km):	15
Productivity:	Very High

HABITAT RESTORATION TO DATE

• Planting in riparian zones

SPECIAL HABITAT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS:

• Reduce nutrient inputs by working with farm community.
• Provide improved protection from urban sprawl and agricultural activities.
• Foster efforts to develop an improved protection plan for lower river that is subject to flooding and mitigate impacts on smolts from pump stations

STEELHEAD OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

• Establish steelhead run size and updated productive potential of the system.
• Foster efforts to constitute a river conservation authority to develop a management plan, coordinate efforts to protect and rehabilitate habitats and set protection standards for other developments.

NOTES: Fence Counts from 1978-1980, 1987 - 1995. Good fishery in 2001, prior to that not much reported. This is one of the most seriously impacted groundwater areas in the Fraser Valley. A local watershed group has been in place for some time with support from DFO and the Fraser Basin Council. Long-term DFO index site for coho - some limited possibility of indexing steelhead if run strength is adequate. (Fence does not operate during adult steelhead migration.)

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• 4000 adults (based on a review of several reports and models using updated conditions.)
• Conservation Concern Level @ 30% of capacity is approx. 1200 adults

Existing Habitat:
Watershed area (km2):	1230		Comments
Mean annual discharge (m3/s):	67.3		Ideal summer base flows. Urbanization and flood control/riparian encroachment impacts in lower reaches below Vedder Crossing, gravel removal impacts, loss of SH habitat downstream of Slesse Creek (LWD removal and bank protection works for flood control), excessive channelization, turbidity and sediment input from naturally occurring clay slides, 29% of watershed has been logged. Biomass 318 g/unit
Summer Base Flow (%MAD):	20%
accessible length (km):	60
productivity:	high

HABITAT RESTORATION TO DATE

• A very extensive suite of more than 16 off-channel projects have been completed in the last few years through cooperative efforts with WRP, DFO etc. They are mainly salmon orientated but with steelhead rearing and spawning benefits; gravel placement at outlet of Chilliwack Lake; approx. 60 LWD placements.

STEELHEAD OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

• Maintain wild stocks at approx. 2000 adult return or greater and manage for a fishery based on augmentation at approximately 40,000 rod-days per annum.
• Establish a river conservation authority to develop a management plan that would rehabilitate damaged habitats and provide an improved protection plan (particularly below Vedder Crossing) by reducing dyking encroachments, opening up channels in the floodplain, stopping vehicle impacts on riparian areas, purchasing key parcels and more creative management of gravel removal operations.
• Implement a watching brief on wild stock levels through a comprehensive stock assessment program that would allow for regulatory adjustments if necessary.
• If necessary, consider reducing augmentation or redirecting some stocking to other systems to protect wild stocks and spread effort.

IDENTIFIED RECOVERY OPTIONS

• Lower river main stem pool creation with very well anchored large wood or heavy substitutes.
• Gravel placement and side-channel improvements in Foley Creek (spawning limited).
• New side channel potential on Tamahi Creek - approx 2.5 km $500K.
• Selective annual stream enrichment (as required depending on pink and chum escapements).

NOTES: This is one of the most complex rivers in the province from a habitat protection standpoint - many jurisdictions and competing land and water uses. Major federal hatchery provides comprehensive enhancement of coho, pink, chum, chinook, and steelhead.

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Media

Chilliwack Times, October 10, 2003
Fish used to save fish by Robyn Chambers (579KB PDF, opens in new browser window)

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