Canadian basin: fish passage lost

Will Warnock, CCRIFC Canadian Columbia River upstream from US Border – the baseline Chinook

Sockeye

Steelhead

Freshwater migratory Chinook salmon • Numerous stocks (ocean and stream type) – would qualify as mulple ESUs • Highest biomass; historically abundant (>500,000/yr) • Furthest migraon (2000km for upper stock) Sockeye salmon

• Historically abundant in (annual runs upwards of 1M) • Used Whatshan and Slocan Lakes in addion • Kokanee remain, but unlikely to be residualized anadromous stock Steelhead

• Restricted to lower Canadian basin tributaries, but locally abundant (upwards of 100K) Freshwater migratory and other anadromous

? ? Major First Naons fishing areas 1930’s Ede family collection Exrpaon and ecosystem impact

• Anadromous fish exrpated in early 1940s with compleon of Grand Coulee • Keystone species for the trophic structure of the Columbia Basin – nutrient and food web impacts to the ecosystem and the people that depend on them

Post -

• Canadian Columbia River hydropower development progresses with the 1973: historic distribuon of salmon forgoen • No facilies provide 1983: passage • Bioc and abioc

condions highly 1951: Whatshan Dam altered – system 1968: Hugh radically different 1944: Brilliant Dam 1979: 1954: Waneta Dam Abioc changes 7000 Columbia River upstream from US border

• Operaons – currently for 6000 1938-1967 1968-2012 maximized power and flood 5000 control 4000 – Flow (lower peak, higher winter 3000

flow) Discharge (m3/s) – Increased temp Arrow 2000 downstream, decreased temp 1000 0 upstream Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec • Riverine to lacustrine Month – Historic spawning, rearing and tradional fishing locaons inundated • Other impacts of cumulave urban, linear, industrial and watershed development – Water and habitat quality/quanty

Bioc changes • Increased producvity of some resident fisheries – Kokanee, some bull trout, some rainbow trout • Decreased producvity of some resident fisheries – White sturgeon, some bull trout, some rainbow trout • Nutrient impoundment • Floodplain wetland and riparian loss • Species introducons/invasions List of non-nave fish species in the Pend D’Oreille at • Pumpkinseed • Smallmouth Bass • Largemouth Bass • Black Crappie • Goldfish • Tench • Northern Pike • Black bullhead • Yellow perch • Walleye • Lake Whitefish • Hatchery origin rainbow trout • Hatchery origin kokanee • Brown trout • Brook trout • Lake trout A closer look: Waneta and Seven Mile Barriers to historic habitat in the Pend D’Oreille/Salmo for steelhead, sturgeon, chinook salmon and fluvial bull trout

Photo: Thomas Gardiner Waneta Dam • 76 m max high concrete structure; 62 m max head • Confined valley 475m upstream of Columbia • Mulple ownership of facility and expansion (BC Hydro, CPC, Teck, CBT, Fors) • 450 MW + 335 MW exp • Operated as run-of- river (small fluctuaon of water levels) with 9 km long reservoir (WRT of hrs) A closer look: Waneta and Seven Mile Dams Barriers to historic habitat in the Pend D’Oreille/Salmo for steelhead, sturgeon, chinook salmon and fluvial bull trout

Photo: Thomas Gardiner Seven Mile Dam • 10 km upstream from Waneta • Seven Mile – 80m high concrete structure; 61m max head • 848 MW • Confined valley • Owned by BC Hydro • Operated as run-of- river with 18km long reservoir (WRT of days). Brilliant Dam Barrier to historic habitat in the Kootnenay/Slocan for steelhead, chinook salmon, sockeye, sturgeon and fluvial bull trout • 43 m high concrete structure; 30m max head • Confined valley 2.7km upstream of Columbia • CPC/CBT ownership of facility and expansion 145 MW + 120 MW exp • Operated as run-of- river with 15 km reservoir (WRT of hrs- days) Hugh Keenleyside Dam Barrier to historic habitat in the Columbia for chinook salmon, sockeye, sturgeon and fluvial bull trout

• 52m high concrete and earthfill structure; 24m max head. Head variable with reservoir height • Impounded natural lake system; lile mainstem riverine habitat above. • Broad valley • BC Hydro ownership of facility; CPC/CBT ownership of expansion; CRT dam • 0 MW +185 MW expansion • Operated as storage reservoir – highly fluctuang water levels (normal ~10-15m). Oligotrophic with WRT of ~months (depends on season and operaons) • Navigaon lock Revelstoke/Mica Dams Barriers to historic habitat in the upper Columbia for chinook salmon, white sturgeon, fluvial rainbow and bull trout

Revelstoke • 175m high concrete and earthfill structure. • Narrow, confined valley • BC Hydro ownership of facility • 2480 MW + upcoming expansion (1 unit) • Operated as run-of-river with relavely stable, large ultra oligotrophic 130km reservoir for maximized head. WRT of ~ 2-3months Revelstoke/Mica Dams Barriers to historic habitat in the upper Columbia for chinook salmon, white sturgeon, fluvial rainbow and bull trout

Mica • 240m high earthfill embankment; 183m max head. • Tallest dam in US or ! • Narrow, confined valley • BC Hydro ownership of facility; CRT dam • 1805 MW (+2 unit upcoming expansion) • Operated with large ultra oligotrophic storage reservoir (~200km) with 50m normal operang range. WRT of yrs Summary – drainage and available contemporary habitats