WCS CANADA CONSERVATION REPORT NO. 2 | AUGUST 2007 FRESHWATER FISH IN ONTARIO'S BOREAL: STATUS, CONSERVATION AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF dEVELOPMENT David R. Browne WCS CANADA CONSERVATION REPORT #2 AUGUST 2007 FRESHWATER FISH IN ONTARIO'S BOREAL: STATUS, CONSERVATION AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF DEVELOPMENT David R. Browne WCS Canada Conservation Reports: ISSN 1719-8941 Conservation Report (Print) ISSN 1719-8968 Conservation Report (Online) ISBN 978-0-9784461-1-6 Conservation Report (Print) ISBN 978-0-9784461-2-3 Conservation Report (Online) Copies of WCSC Conservation Reports are available at: www.wcscanada.org/publications Suggested citation: Browne, D.R. 2007. Freshwater fish in Ontario's bore- al: Status, conservation and potential impacts of development. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada Conservation Report No. 2. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Cover photographs: Fish from top: northern pike – Engbretson Underwater Photography; stur- geon – Rob Criswell; brook trout – Mary Edwards; lake whitefish – © Shedd Aquarium, photo by Edward G. Lines; walleye – Engbretson Underwater Photography. Front cover landscape: Justina Ray; back cover: Carrie Sadowski, OMNR Copyright: The contents of this paper are the sole property of the authors and cannot be reproduced without permission of the authors. About Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) WCS Canada's mission is to save wildlife and wildlands by improving our understanding of — and seeking solutions to — critical issues that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. It both implements and supports comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and seeks to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of stakeholders, including local community members, conservation groups, reg- ulatory agencies, and commercial interests. It also provides technical assistance and biological expertise to local groups and agencies that lack the resources to address complex conservation issues. Major issues addressed to date include protected-area design, conservation-based land use planning, monitoring and management of wildlife and fish populations, recovery of endangered species, and impacts of climate change upon wildlife. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed in Canada, while retain- ing a strong collaborative working relationship with sister WCS programs in more than 55 countries. The Wildlife Conservation Society is a recognized global leader in conservation, dedicated to saving wildlife and wildlands in order to assure a future for threatened species, such as elephants, tigers, sharks, macaws and lynx. For more than a century, WCS has worked in North America promoting such concepts as bison reintroduction, park establishment and leg- islation to protect endangered wildlife. Today, WCS Canada draws upon this legacy of experience and expertise to inform its conservation programs from Yukon to Labrador. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements. 2 About the Author. 3 Executive Summary. 4 1. Introduction. 12 2. Freshwater Fishes of Northern Ontario. 19 2.1 Fish Diversity in Northern Ontario . 19 2.2 Freshwater Habitats of Northern Ontario . 19 2.3 Fish Communities of Northern Ontario . 22 2.3.1 Walleye and Pike Communities. 23 2.3.2 Lake Trout and Whitefish/Cisco Communities . 28 2.3.3 Brook Trout Communities .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36 2.3.4 Lake Sturgeon. 39 3. Resource Extraction in the Roadless Portion of Ontario. 43 3.1 Forestry . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 3.1.1 Effects of Forest Removal .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 49 3.1.2 Logging Roads. 54 3.1.3 Reducing the Effects of Forestry on Aquatic Ecosystems. 57 3.2 Hydroelectric Dams . 58 3.2.1 Reservoir Creation . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 59 3.2.2 Barriers to Migration . 60 3.2.3 Flow Regime Changes .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 61 3.2.4 Future Hydroelectric Development in Northern Ontario . 62 3.3 Mining. 64 3.3.1 Mine Effluent and Tailings . 64 3.3.2 Aquatic Habitat Alteration . 66 3.3.3 Road Access .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 67 3.3.4 Regulatory Environment and Future Mine Development . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 67 3.4 Road Access and Recreational Fishing .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 69 3.4.1 Overharvest Potential . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 3.4.2 Stocking . 72 3.4.3 Access and Fishing Quality . 72 4. Recommendations and Information Needs. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 77 4.1 Fish Ecology and Population Status . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 78 4.2 Reducing the Impacts of Resource Extraction .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 Box 1: Mapping Current Impacts . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 46 Box 2: Transition from Commercial to Recreational Fishing in Northern Ontario . 73 Box 3: Climate Change . 75 Appendix I: Methods for Mapping Watershed Impacts (Box 1) . 84 References. 86 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Tremendous thanks are due to Dr. Justina Ray who conceived of the report and found the means to make it happen. The report benefited enormously from her ideas and her vision of the importance of aquatic environments in Ontario’s northern boreal region. This report was prepared while working as a research associate in the research group of Dr. Lauren Chapman in the Department of Biology, McGill University in a joint post-doc position with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada. A great deal of thanks is due to Lauren and fellow researchers, Erin Reardon, Jackie Paterson, and Sandra Binning, for creating a supportive and stimulating environment in which to work. Chris Chenier, Peter Colby, Lee Gerrish, Michele Glena, Tim Gray, Tom Johnston, Joan Kuyek, Nigel Lester, Jenni McDermid, George Morgan and Michael Sullivan provided invaluable comments on an earlier draft of the report. The report benefited greatly from their thorough reading and thought- ful analysis, as well as their insight as resource managers, conservationists and fisheries researchers. While comments from the many reviewers helped shape the document, the contents of the final report and the opinions expressed therein are the sole responsibility of WCS Canada. Several additional people shared their expertise and their data in prepara- tion of the report: Charles Hendry provided insight and information on lake sturgeon populations in Ontario; John Johnson provided some historical back- ground and current information on commercial fisheries in small inland lakes of Ontario; Len Hunt and Todd Eastman provided valuable insight into the recreational fishing industry of northern Ontario; and Enid Carlson shared her knowledge and information on the commercial fisheries of northern Ontario in the 1970s. Jenni McDermid contributed a box exploring the potential impacts of climate change on freshwater fish. Production of the maps for the report was made possible by the GIS wiz- ardry of Julee Boan and Gillian Woolmer. In particular, Julee Boan persevered through endless revisions and changes to the datasets to produce excellent final maps for the report. Thanks to the many individuals, credited herein, who con- tributed their beautiful photos to this report. Finally, this report and launching of WCS Canada's freshwater fish research and conservation initiative would simply not have been possible without the generous support of the EJLB Foundation, Ivey Foundation, and the Mc- Cutcheon Family Foundation. David R. Browne Wildlife Conservation Society CANADA | CONSERVATION REPORT no. 2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR David R. Browne completed this report while on contract with WCS Canada in 2006-2007. He is currently working as a policy analyst for the Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa while completing his doctorate in freshwater ecol- ogy at McGill University. His doctoral research was carried out in Alqonquin Park, Ontario and examined the food web dynamics of the interaction between brook trout and yellow perch. David holds a Masters degree in Geography and Geology in which he examined marine heavy metal pollution in Indonesia. He has co-authored a book chapter and three papers related to marine pollution and its effects on human health in Indonesia. David also holds a Masters degree in Environmental Studies in which he examined the policy-making process for air pollution and flood control in Los Angeles. Freshwater fish in Ontario's boreal: Status, conservation and potential impacts of development EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The French translation of this executive summary is available from http://www. wcscanada.org/publications or by e-mailing [email protected]. La sommaire exécutif est disponible à www.wcscanada.org/publications ou [email protected]. Freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Physical alteration, water withdrawal, overexploitation, pollution, and the introduction of non-native species have caused widespread habitat loss, degradation in water quality, declines in the abundance of aquatic animals, and biodiversity loss. More than 20 percent of the world’s 10,000 freshwater fish species have become threatened, endangered or extinct in recent decades. In Ontario, the area north of the current limit for forestry activities