Canada Cheakamus River Habitat Restoration Sue's Channel Project
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Cheakamus River Habitat Restoration Sue’s Channel Project (06.CMS.01) Sue’s Channel Bridge March 2007 Canada Government of Canada North Vancouver Fisheries and Oceans Outdoor School Cheakamus River Salmon Habitat Restoration 06.CMS.01 “Sue’s Channel” Final Report This channel, and the educational opportunities that occur along its banks, are a memorial to Sue Emerson, and her dedication to the Bridge Coastal Restoration Program. Submitted by: Squamish River Watershed Society Prepared by: Carl Halvorson North Vancouver Outdoor School, School District #44 and Edith Tobe Squamish River Watershed Society with financial support of the BC Hydro Bridge Coastal Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program Executive Summary This project involved construction of new channel habitats and support structures for salmonid habitat located at North Vancouver Outdoor School (NVOS) (Sue’s Channel) and the restoration of channel habitats that were impacted by the October 2003 flood of record on the Cheakamus River and the August 5, 2005 CN Rail sodium hydroxide spill (Moody’s Channel), located on Squamish First Nation (SFN) I.R. 11. Design and engineering work were undertaken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and NVOS staff during the winter of 2005 - 2006. Construction work started late in 2005 with right of way clearing to facilitate surveys for construction levels, grades and cuts. Initial excavation for the Sue's Channel complex area started in the spring of 2006. These early excavations were funded by the concurrent Mamquam Reunion project. Approx. 1200 m3 of alluvial gravels extracted on-site at NVOS were utilized in that project. Excavation started in earnest in late spring with the start of the "Moody's Channel" phase of the project. Gravels excavated from the Sue's Channel site were used to reconstruct approx. 205 m of Lower Moody's Channel, creating 2278 m2 of enhanced spawning, rearing and refuge habitats for chum, coho, pink, chinook and steelhead. Works also included the installation of 61 pieces of LWD and over 166 boulders. Works on the new Sue's Channel Complex included a 610mm valve assembly and intake pipe, feeding water from the existing Gorbuscha Channel headpond; and the creation of a 380 m, 2400 m2 spawning, rearing and refuge channel for chum, coho, pink, chinook and steelhead. An additional 467 m2 amphibian habitat area was constructed, providing study areas for North Vancouver Outdoor School’s aquatic study programs, accessed by habitat side trails. Works also included the installation of 175 pieces of LWD and over 80 in-channel boulders. There were very few problems during any phase of this project, though some of the cuts were relatively deep and a significant amount of material was excavated from site to complete the project. Several thousand cubic meters of "excess" alluvial gravels were stored on-site at NVOS for future fisheries related projects. Both projects were completed prior to the 2006 chum and coho runs and were well utilized by spawners. "Gee" trapping within weeks of project completion indicated that an abundance of juvenile salmonids had entered and were utilizing both habitats. i Table of Contents Executive Summary i. Table of Contents ii. List of Figures iii. List of Tables iii. 1. Introduction 1. 2. Goals and Objectives 1. 3. Study Area 2. 4. Methods 2. 5. Results 3. 6. Acknowledgements 3. Appendices I. Financial Statement (income and expenditures) 4. II. Performance Measures - Actual Outcomes 5. III. Confirmation of BCRP Recognition - Sue’s Channal signage 6. IV. 1. Sue’s Channel - Site Locator Map / Site as-built drawings 7. 2. Moody’s Channel - Site Locator Map / Site as-built drawings 8. C. Additional Information Photo Pages pgs 9. 10. 11. 12. ii List of Figures fig 1. Bob Brown, John Hunter - installing boulders - Moody’s 3. fig 2. Sue’s Channel - final pass 9. fig 3. Sue’s Channel - “trout reach 4” - profiling 9. fig 4. Sue’s Channel - “trout reach 4” - complexing 9. fig 5. Sue’s Channel - “trout reach 4” - completed 9. fig 6. Sue’s Channel - “groundwater reach 2” - base completed 10. fig 7. Sue’s Channel - “groundwater reach 2” - completed 10. fig 8. Sue’s Channel - middle “trout reach 4” - complexing 10. fig 9. Sue’s Channel - intake installation 10. fig 10. Sue’s Channel - channel bridge - reach 1 10. fig 11. 12. 13. Sue’s Channel - BC Hydro right of way construction 11. fig 14. Moody’s Channel - start of construction - downstream riffle 12. fig 15. Moody’s Channel - gravelling 12. fig 16. Moody’s Channel - downstream riffle completed 12. fig 17. Moody’s Channel - complexing completed mid-channel 12. fig 18. Moody’s Channel - completed channel panorama 12. fig 19. 1. Sue’s Channel - Site Locator Map / Site As-built drawings 13. fig 20. 2. Moody’s Channel - Site Locator Map / Site As-built drawings 14. fig 21. Sue’s Channel Sign 6. List of Tables I. Financial Statement (income and expenditures) 4. II. Performance Measures - Actual Outcomes 5. iii Introduction The North Vancouver Outdoor School has worked with BC Hydro, DFO and the Squamish Indian Band to develop a number of salmon habitat restoration projects on the school property and adjacent lands over the last two decades and this project is directed at the restoration and upgrading of these habitats so that they remain productive over time. These various channels and ponds collectively form a large and important component of the off-channel habitat accessible to salmonids and other fishes of the Cheakamus River and were major factors in conserving pink, chinook and coho salmon populations during the recent 2003 flood and 2005 caustic soda spill in the Cheakamus River. This project involves a continuation of the effort to repair, upgrade and expand constructed salmon habitats that were either damaged by recent events on the Cheakamus River or those that require upgrading to improve how they function as fish habitat and further how they deal with future flood and other catastrophic events in the valley. It is very important that these habitats be maintained and improved where possible. Footprint impacts and limiting factors Loss of habitat: The first limiting factor that these projects address is the loss of side channel and off- channel habitat. The off-channel habitat is critically important for species such as coho, chinook, pink and chum salmon. Riverine channels are important for spawning pink and for spawning and rearing 0+ chinook salmon and steelhead trout juveniles. Former spawning and rearing areas have been lost, primarily due to simplification of the Cheakamus River in Reach 4 due to dyke and bridge construction for protection and access to transmission lines, diversion of flows out of the basin directly into the Squamish River and loss of wood and gravel recruitment due to the effects of Daisy Lake created by dam construction (Northwest Hydraulics, 2000). These footprint impacts; such as altered fluvial processes, caused by reduced downstream flows, and controlled flow releases have resulted in less downstream diversity, such as side channels to the main river. This loss of riverine side channels critically limits spawning and rearing habitat for pink and chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Migrating pink fry provide a major source of food for other species, such as steelhead trout and chinook and coho pre-smolts, prior to their migration to saltwater in the spring. Diversions: The second limiting factor addressed is loss of nutrients due to the effects of the Daisy Lake Reservoir and diversion of nutrients out of the basin through the power tunnel to the Squamish River. These projects will increase the biomass of salmon produced by the lower Cheakamus River and thereby increase the amount of marine derived nutrients that enter the ecosystem each year. Loss of nutrients due to the effects of the Daisy Lake reservoir and diversion tunnel are addressed by increasing the source of marine derived nutrients to the lower Cheakamus River. Side channel habitats can increase salmon returns to the river and have the ability to hold salmon carcasses through winter floods and prevent them being swept out of the watershed. This maximizes the value of the marine derived nutrients to the local ecosystem. Goals and Objectives These projects take advantage of the river intakes on the NVOS property that feed water downstream into constructed channel habitats. The Eagle Point intake provides flows into the Moody’s Channel complex, where a section of side channel was restored to provide optimum habitat for spawning pink, coho and chum salmon. This area will provide another significant refuge for pink salmon embryos during future flood events and should assist in the conservation of this specific population. The expansion of groundwater fed components in the Upper Paradise system, in Sue’s Channel, provides critical spawning habitat for the benefit of chum salmon. The work of the Cheakamus Water Use Plan’s Fish Technical Advisory Committee identified chum spawning capacity in the Cheakamus River as a specific 1 limiting factor. This project adds significant spawning and rearing potential to an already extremely productive channel system. Additional flows provided by the Gorbuscha Channel intake provide habitats critical to trout, chinook and coho. Similar constructed channel areas along the Cheakamus River played a critical role in conserving a significant proportion of the 2004 brood juvenile coho salmon during the recent 2005 caustic soda spill. Coho fry survived in high numbers within protected side channel habitats and are now re-colonizing heavily affected main stem habitats. Study Area These salmon habitat restoration sites are located adjacent to the Cheakamus River within the area known locally as the Paradise Valley. The project focused on two constructed off channel habitats along the Cheakamus River, Moody’s side channel, and the expansion of the Upper Paradise groundwater channel, with the addition of the “Sue’s Channel” complex.