A Preliminary Assessment of the Native Fish Stocks of Jasper National Park

A Preliminary Assessment of the Native Fish Stocks of Jasper National Park David W. Mayhood Part 3 of a Fish Management Plan for Jasper National Park Freshwater Research Limited A Preliminary Assessment of the Native Fish Stocks of Jasper National Park David W. Mayhood FWR Freshwater Research Limited Calgary, Alberta Prepared for Canadian Parks Service Jasper National Park Jasper, Alberta Part 3 of a Fish Management Plan for Jasper National Park July 1992 Cover & Title Page. Alexander Bajkov’s drawings of bull trout from Jacques Lake, Jasper National Park (Bajkov 1927:334-335). Top: Bajkov’s Figure 2, captioned “Head of specimen of Salvelinus alpinus malma, [female], 500 mm. in length from Jaques [sic] Lake.” Bottom: Bajkov’s Figure 3, captioned “Head of specimen of Salvelinus alpinus malma, [male], 590 mm. in length, from Jaques [sic] Lake.” Although only sketches, Bajkov’s figures well illustrate the most characteristic features of this most characteristic Jasper native fish. These are: the terminal mouth cleft bisecting the anterior profile at its midpoint, the elongated head with tapered snout, flat skull, long lower jaw, and eyes placed high on the head (Cavender 1980:300-302; compare with Cavender’s Figure 3). The head structure of bull trout is well suited to an ambush-type predatory style, in which the charr rests on the bottom and watches for prey to pass over. ABSTRACT I conducted an extensive survey of published and unpublished documents to identify the native fish stocks of Jasper National Park, describe their original condition, determine if there is anything unusual or especially significant about them, assess their present condition, outline what is known of their biology and life history, and outline what measures should be taken to manage and protect them. Sixteen species and subspecies are native to the park, three more are known from questionable records, and as many as 22 others occupy adjacent drainages, so ultimately may be found, with various degrees of probability, in park waters. One proposed subspecies, the Jasper longnose sucker, is endemic to Jasper National Park (i.e., found nowhere else); two other proposed endemic subspecies, a rainbow trout and a pearl dace, were described long ago but require taxonomic confirmation. The Talbot Lake stock of lake whitefish is genetically unusual (unique in the presently available dataset), as is a stock of rainbow trout immediately adjacent to the park and probably native also to Jasper waters. Pygmy whitefish, apparently rare in Alberta, are found in the Snake Indian River. Lake trout populations in two Jasper lakes were among fewer than a dozen that were native to the Rocky Mountains in Canada. A morphologically peculiar stock of lake whitefish may once have inhabited Lac Beauvert. Evidence is examined suggesting that some Alberta fish stocks could have survived in the vicinity of Jasper National Park in local glacial refugia (e.g., the Ice-free Corridor between the Continental and Cordilleran ice sheets, and associated ice-free areas) since the recession of the early Wisconsinan ice sheets more than 64,000 years ago. If true, we should expect to find other unusual fish stocks in Jasper National Park. Native stocks of rainbow trout, bull trout, lake trout, northern pike, mountain whitefish and lake whitefish are (or were) actually or potentially important sport fish. Stocks of bull trout, mountain whitefish, longnose sucker, burbot and spoonhead sculpin are valuable as representative fish stocks characteristic of the East Slopes Rocky Mountain region in Canada. All native fish stocks in the park are of scientific importance as carriers of information concerning the zoogeography of the region. Fish in general must be important in the ecology of Jasper National Park as a supplemental or critical food supply for fish-eating wildlife such as otter, mink, mergansers and several other ducks, loons, ospreys, kingfishers, terns, bald eagles, garter snakes and many others. Historical evidence suggests that trout, whitefish and northern pike were locally abundant (i.e., in certain waters) in the lower Athabasca valley and tributary waters accessible to fish, the area to which most native stocks are restricted. Native rainbow, lake and bull trout were abundant in certain waters in the early days of the park. The condition of the stocks at the time the park was formed would have reflected the influence of thousands of years of at least light use by aboriginal peoples, and approximately 100 years of perhaps locally significant domestic fishing to supply nearby fur trade posts. Firm data are not available on the status of any native stock, but some general assessments can be made. Native lake trout probably have been extirpated, as have certain stocks of native lake whitefish. Native rainbow trout are endangered, possibly extirpated, by introgressive hybridization with introduced non-native stocks. The Jasper longnose sucker, a proposed endemic subspecies, is considered threatened on the evidence of low recent catches. Bull trout are recognized as vulnerable throughout their range, primarily because of their many biological and life history characteristics that render them especially sensitive to overfishing. Several highly migratory species are of special concern because of potential toxic contamination from a pulpmill outside the park. The biology, life history and critical habitat of native fish stocks is almost completely undocumented within the park. Abundant evidence in the literature supports the view that separate stock development is common in many species, and that stocks have different biological and life history attributes and different habitat requirements. An important element of fish conservation and management in Jasper National Park will be to identify the stocks that are present, and obtain basic data on their biology, life history and critical habitat requirements. More detailed summaries of these points are available in the Conclusion to each section, in the Summary of each species account, and in the General Discussion. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am greatly indebted to the many individuals who gave me ideas, unpublished material and other assistance for this report. Most are acknowledged individually in the text and in the list of Personal Communications at the end of the volume. In particular, L. M. Carl, D. B. Donald, C. Hunt and B. Gadd were especially helpful and patient in answering requests for information. D. E. McAllister generously provided his important unpublished manuscript concerning the Jasper longnose sucker. L. M. Carl and C. Hunt allowed me to use their initial biochemical genetic data on the Wampus Creek rainbow trout. B. Coad provided valuable information on Jasper fishes in the collection of the Canadian Museum of Nature. R. Saunders permitted me to use his Salmasellus records. J. Taylor and W. Bradford, Project Manager and Acting Project Manager, respectively, did their level best to manage the unmanageable. They and the remaining members of the Advisory Committee for this project (D. B. Donald, P. Galbraith, M. Gilmour, C. Hunt and P. Wiebe) tested my ideas in numerous discussions. D. B. Donald and C. Hunt reviewed the draft, contributing many detailed written criticisms and observations which improved this final version. H. Johnson and D. Palmer helped with literature searches. The maps were drafted by M. Croot of Sun Mountain Graphics Services. This report was prepared under Canadian Parks Service contract number KJP-01290. The views expressed herein are mine and are not necessarily shared by the Canadian Parks Service, the Advisory Committee or the reviewers. Any errors of fact or omission are mine. J. C. (Cliff) Ward, retired since 1972, was Western Region fisheries biologist for two decades, and held a special fondness for Jasper. A more decent and amiable colleague would be difficult to find: in 1967, Cliff helped me get my first job in fisheries. I have referred frequently in these pages to his work, especially his many important observations on the distribution of the park’s native fishes. This volume is dedicated to Cliff Ward. CONTENTS GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 THE STUDY AREA History and Significance of Jasper National Park . 5 The Park Environment Weather and Climate . 6 Geology . 7 Water Resources . 8 Vegetation . 9 Wildlife . 9 Sources of Information on Fish and Their Habitats . 11 SECTION I: ORIGINS OF THE NATIVE FISH STOCKS Introduction . 15 Pleistocene Glaciation and Deglaciation . 16 Refugia and Postglacial Dispersal . 18 The Ice-free Corridor and Local Refugia Glacial History . 21 Biological Evidence of a Corridor Refugium . 27 Bow-Oldman Refugium . 27 Banff-Jasper Refugium . 33 Postglacial Dispersal in the Ice-free Corridor . 41 Conclusion . 42 SECTION II: HISTORY OF FISHES AND FISHING IN JASPER PARK Introduction . 45 Aboriginal Fishing . 45 Historical Records of Fishes and Fishing . 47 Conclusion . 68 SECTION III: SPECIES ACCOUNTS OF THE NATIVE FISHES Introduction . 71 Goldeye . 76 Lake chub . 80 Pearl dace . 93 Spottail shiner . 101 Flathead chub . 105 Longnose sucker . 110 Jasper longnose sucker . 117 White sucker . 127 Northern pike . 133 Lake whitefish . 138 Pygmy whitefish . 148 Mountain whitefish . 157 Rainbow trout . 167 Bull trout . 186 Lake trout . 206 Arctic grayling . 215 Trout-perch . 222 Burbot . 227 Spoonhead sculpin . 235 Records from Adjacent Areas . 242 GENERAL DISCUSSION . 253 REFERENCES CITED . 261 PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS . 295 TABLES, FIGURES & MAPS Tables Table 1. Names of fishes mentioned in the report . 3 Table 2. Timing of glacial and nonglacial periods in western Canada . 17 Table 3. Two views of the origins of the fishes of Jasper National Park . 22 Table 4. Lateral line scale counts in pearl dace . 95 Table 5. Allele frequencies in Wampus Creek rainbow trout . 172 Table 6. Bull trout angling catch in streams, 1947-53 . 198 Table 7. Bull trout angling catch per angler-hour, 1947-53 . 198 Table 8. Bull trout catch data, Jacques Lake 1943-77 . 199 Table 9. Bull trout catch data, various lakes, 1941-62 . 199 Figures Cover & Title Page: Bull trout from Jacques Lake Figure 1.

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