Kakwa River Watershed, Arctic Grayling Assessment 2016

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Kakwa River Watershed, Arctic Grayling Assessment 2016 – 2017

Scott Seward and Brad Hurkett Alberta Conservation Association 101 – 9 Chippewa Road Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada T8A 6J7

Report Editors

PETER AKU GLENDA SAMUELSON Alberta Conservation Association R.R. #2 101 – 9 Chippewa Rd. Craven, SK S0G 0W0 Sherwood Park, AB T8A 6J7

Conservation Report Series Type Data

ISBN: 978-0-9959984-8-3

Reproduction and Availability: This report and its contents may be reproduced in whole, or in part, provided that this title page is included with such reproduction and/or appropriate acknowledgements are provided to the authors and sponsors of this project.

Suggested Citation: Seward, S., and B. Hurkett. 2018. Kakwa River Watershed, Arctic Grayling Assessment 2016 –

2017. Data Report, produced by Alberta Conservation Association, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. 12 pp + App.

Cover photo credit: David Fairless

Digital copies of conservation reports can be obtained from: Alberta Conservation Association 101 – 9 Chippewa Rd. Sherwood Park, AB T8A 6J7 Toll Free: 1-877-969-9091 Tel: (780) 410-1998 Fax: (780) 464-0990 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ab-conservation.com

i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Alberta’s Arctic grayling population has declined due to a number of factors including habitat degradation and fragmentation, and overfishing. Resource development in the Kakwa River watershed has expanded over the last two decades and is suspected of negatively impacting Arctic grayling populations, but data are outdated. Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) conducted a two year study assessing abundance, distribution, and population structure of Arctic grayling in the Kakwa River watershed. The goal of the study is to update Arctic grayling data, which feed directly into the development of a provincial Arctic grayling Fish Sustainability Index (FSI) rank for the Kakwa River watershed.

We angled Arctic grayling throughout the Kakwa River watershed during July and August of 2016 and 2017. We sampled 117 sites covering a total distance of 55.8 km of stream. Five different species of fish were captured in the watershed including Arctic grayling (n = 259), bull trout (n = 72), rainbow trout (n = 43), mountain whitefish (n = 14), and redside shiner (n = 1). Arctic grayling represented 67% of the total catch. All 259 Arctic grayling were captured in the downstream three quarters of the watershed, with Arctic grayling being detected at 44% of sampling sites. No Arctic grayling were captured upstream of the South Kakwa River Falls or the Lower Kakwa River Falls. We captured 67 adult Arctic grayling throughout the study area, representing 26% of Arctic grayling catch. Of the 67 adults captured, 57% (n = 38) were caught in the Kakwa River mainstem. Relative abundance of Arctic grayling was low with a catch-per- unit-effort (CPUE) of 0.57 fish/hr (95% CI = 0.40 – 0.72). We captured Arctic grayling ranging in size from 103 to 388 mm fork length (FL). The most prevalent size groups for tributaries was 180 – 240 mm FL and 180 – 200 mm FL for the Kakwa River mainstem, but with good representation from the larger size groups in the mainstem as well. Fourth-order streams had the lowest percentage of fish detections (19%). Seventh-order streams had the highest percentage of fish detections (85%), followed closely by fifth-order streams (83%). The data collected in this study will aid in the development of an Arctic grayling FSI rank for the Kakwa River watershed and support regulatory actions to remediate the effects of industrial activities on Arctic grayling populations and their habitats.

Key words: Alberta, Kakwa River watershed, FSI, Arctic grayling, distribution, abundance.

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank Adrian Meinke of Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) for assistance with project design and development. Reg Arbuckle, Andrew Goldberg, Cindy Oulette, and Shauna Cooney of AEP provided logistical support. Alberta Conservation Association employees Jason Blackburn, Andrew Clough, Jessy Dubnyk, Colin Eyo, Kevin Fitzsimmons, Jeff Forsyth, Troy Furukawa, Brendan Ganton, John Hallett, Paul Hvenegaard, Dave Jackson, Chad Judd, Nikita Lebedynski, Mike Rodtka, Diana Rung, Britt Schmidt, Layne Seward, and Ken Wright assisted with data collection.

iii TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... iv LIST OF FIGURES ...... v LIST OF TABLES ...... vi LIST OF APPENDICES ...... vii 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 2.0 STUDY AREA ...... 1 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS ...... 2 3.1 Fish abundance, distribution, and population structure ...... 2 4.0 RESULTS ...... 4 4.1 Fish abundance, distribution, and population structure ...... 4 5.0 SUMMARY ...... 9 6.0 LITERATURE CITED ...... 11 7.0 APPENDICES ...... 13

iv LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Map of the Kakwa River watershed. Inset map shows the location of the study area within the province of Alberta...... 2 Figure 2. Sampling sites and locations where Arctic grayling (ARGR) were captured in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17...... 5 Figure 3. CPUE by size class of Arctic grayling in tributaries and mainstem of the Kakwa River Watershed, using angling gear in July and August, 2016/17...... 9

v LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Catch of fish species by stream order in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17. Species codes: ARGR = Arctic grayling, BLTR = bull trout, RNTR = rainbow trout, MNWH = mountain whitefish, and RDSH = redside shiner...... 6 Table 2. Total CPUE (fish/hr, 95% CI) of juvenile and adult Arctic grayling captured in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17...... 6 Table 3. Site detections of Arctic grayling (ARGR), by stream order, in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17...... 6 Table 4. Total catch and CPUE (fish/hr, ± SE) of juvenile and adult Arctic grayling by stream order in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17...... 8

vi LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 1. Summary of habitat measurements at angling sites in the Kakwa River watershed, July and August, 2016/17. Mainstem angling sites are not included in this table...... 13 Appendix 2. Summary of angling site locations (NAD 83, Zone 11) and fish capture by species in the Kakwa River watershed, July and August, 2016/17. Species codes: ARGR = Arctic grayling, BLTR = bull trout, MNWH = mountian whitefish, RNTR = rainbow trout, RDSH = redside shiner...... 17 Appendix 3. Juvenile Arctic grayling relative abundance (fish/hr) in the Kakwa River watershed...... 22 Appendix 4. Adult Arctic grayling relative abundance (fish/hr) in the Kakwa River watershed ...... 23 Appendix 5. Fork length distributions of Arctic grayling captured using angling gear in the Kakwa River tributaries (n = 142), mainstem (n = 117) and watershed (n = 259), July and August, 2016/17...... 24 Appendix 6. Fork length distribution of fish by stream order in the Kakwa River watershed captured using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17. Species codes: ARGR = Arctic grayling, BLTR = bull trout, RNTR = rainbow trout, MNWH = mountain whitefish, RDSH = redside shiner...... 26

vii 1.0 INTRODUCTION

Alberta’s Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) population has declined by as much as 70% since the 1960s due to a number of factors including habitat degradation and fragmentation, and overfishing. (Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) and Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) 2015). Although Ripley (1998) described the Kakwa River watershed as ‘pristine’ in the context of fish passage and water quality, resource development in the Kakwa River watershed has expanded over the last two decades (Ripley et al. 2005; McKay et al. 2014) with the greatest increase (24%) in stand-replacing disturbances occurring between 2004 and 2006 (White 2011). These stand-replacing disturbances have the potential to result in further degradation and fragmentation of Arctic grayling habitat.

Existing data on Arctic grayling in the Kakwa River watershed are outdated. Thus, ACA’s goal for this two year study is to collect data on Arctic grayling abundance, distribution, and population structure in the Kakwa River watershed to address data deficiencies identified by AEP. To ensure consistency in fish population assessments across the province, AEP developed the Fish Sustainability Index (FSI) (MacPherson et al. 2014). The FSI provides a standardized approach for evaluation of existing data and identification of additional data needs that will allow for robust assessment of species status. One of the priority species for which an FSI is being developed is Arctic grayling. The data collected from our study will inform provincial Arctic grayling FSI development, as well as be used to support regulatory actions to remediate the effects of industrial activities on Arctic grayling populations and their habitats in the Kakwa River watershed.

2.0 STUDY AREA

The Kakwa River originates at Kakwa Lake in the mountains of British Columbia and flows in a northeasterly direction for approximately 196 km, where it confluences with the Smoky River, east of Highway 40 (Figure 1). The Alberta portion of the watershed is approximately 3,500 km2 and is within the green zone of the province, north of Grande Cache (Ripley et al. 2005). The upstream portion of the watershed in Alberta is located in Kakwa Wildland Park. There are several waterfalls in the park that are suspected barriers to fish passage including: Upper Kakwa Falls, Lower Kakwa Falls, South Kakwa Falls, and Francis Peak Creek Falls. Three native sport fish species occur in the Kakwa River watershed including Arctic grayling, bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), and mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni). In addition to native

1 species, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are also present in the Kakwa River watershed. While fish occur above the Upper and Lower Kakwa Falls, there are no known fish populations above the South Kakwa Falls or Francis Peak Creek Falls, suggesting that there are large sections of the watershed that are fishless. Land use activities in the watershed, outside of Kakwa Wildland Park, include forestry, oil and gas exploration and recreation. Land use within the Kakwa Wildland Park is restricted and primarily recreational in nature.

Figure 1. Map of the Kakwa River watershed. Inset map shows the location of the study area within the province of Alberta.

3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1 Fish abundance, distribution, and population structure

Between July 4 – August 31, 2016 and July 5 – August 31, 2017, we sampled a total of 117 sites, throughout the Kakwa River watershed, focusing on third-order streams (Strahler 1952) or greater, to collect data on Arctic grayling abundance, distribution and population structure. We

2 distributed prospective sampling sites on tributaries of the Kakwa River at 2-km intervals. Sites were distributed in an upstream progression along the length of third-order (> 400 m) to sixth- order streams (1:20,000 scale) within the Kakwa River Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 8 using a geographic information system (GIS) (ArcGIS version 10.1) and the Government of Alberta, Resource Management Information Branch hydro line data layer. Sites were randomly selected without replacement using a Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified (GRTS) design (Stevens and Olsen 2004). Sites along the Kakwa River mainstem (seventh-order stream) were assigned separately from the tributaries using GRTS. Sites were assessed in the order in which they were drawn and were sampled only once in the two year study. If sites were inaccessible (i.e., further than 2 km away from nearest off-highway vehicle (OHV) access), had low to no streamflow, or were unsafe to sample (e.g. steep gradient, dangerous wildlife present at site), they were deemed a non-response site and removed from the list of sample sites. We used the GRTS sampling design because it allows for dynamic adjustment of sample size to accommodate nonresponse sites while maintaining a spatially balanced sample (Stevens and Olsen 2004).

We used a handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate sampling sites in the field. We collected standard fish habitat data (i.e. stream wetted and rooted widths, stream type composition, water temperature, conductivity and maximum depth) at each site as per the Government of Alberta Standard for Sampling Small Streams protocol (Alberta Fisheries Management Branch 2013) (Appendix 1). Our sampling protocol for angling required two anglers to sample sites in an upstream direction for a minimum of 45 minutes (if no fish were captured or observed) to a maximum of two hours (if fish were captured or observed). Angling is a standardized capture method for Arctic grayling in Alberta (Government of Alberta 2014) as conventional electrofishing methods are less effective on Arctic grayling and result in lower catch rates (MacPherson and Furukawa 2010). Field crews spent equal amounts of time sampling all habitat types within a site. We used a combination of fly- and spin-casting gear and hook types that targeted Arctic grayling. We did not use bait in this study. We used a handheld GPS to record start and end locations for angling transects. We also recorded start and end times for each angler (Appendix 2). We measured captured fish for total length (TL) (mm) and fork length (FL) (mm). We documented habitat types and coordinates (UTM, NAD 83) at the location of each captured fish except for the Kakwa River mainstem. In 2016, a subsample of Arctic grayling were culled to obtain otoliths for ageing purposes; five samples per 50 mm size class were collected and submitted to AEP for analysis.

3 Relative abundance of fish was expressed as catch rates (fish/hour) or catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) at angling sites. A watershed catch rate for Arctic grayling was calculated as fish/hr with 95% CI (Haddon 2001). For the purposes of the FSI, juvenile Arctic grayling were defined as < 283 mm FL and adult Arctic grayling were defined as ≥ 283 mm FL (Government of Alberta 2014). All field data was submitted to AEP for inclusion in their Fisheries and Wildlife Management Information System (FWMIS) database.

The Kakwa River watershed upstream of South Kakwa Falls has long been assumed to be fishless (Brilling and Lucko 1984). We evaluated fish presence above the falls using angling and backpack electrofishing gear. In 2016, we angled six sites upstream of the falls (selected using GRTS), and in 2017 we used backpack electrofishing and angling gear to confirm the falls as the upstream limit of fish occurrence in the Kakwa River watershed.

4.0 RESULTS

4.1 Fish abundance, distribution, and population structure

We sampled 117 sites with angling gear resulting in 362.15 hours (hr) of effort over 55.8 km of stream (Figure 2). Five different species of fish were captured in the watershed including Arctic grayling (n = 259), bull trout (n = 72), rainbow trout (n = 43), mountain whitefish (n = 14) and redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) (n = 1) (Table 1). Arctic grayling represented 67% of the total catch. Of the 259 Arctic grayling captured, 45% (n = 117) were captured in the Kakwa River mainstem while the remaining 55% (n = 142) were captured in tributaries. Total CPUE of Arctic grayling was 1.29 fish/hr in the mainstem and 0.40 fish/hr in the tributaries (Table 2; Appendix 3, 4). Arctic grayling were captured at 44% of sampling sites with fourth-order streams having the lowest percentage of fish detections (19%) (Table 3). Seventh-order streams had the highest percentage of fish detections (85%) followed closely by fifth-order streams (83%).

Figure 2. Sampling sites and locations where Arctic grayling (ARGR) were captured in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17.

5 Table 1. Catch of fish species by stream order in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17. Species codes: ARGR = Arctic grayling, BLTR = bull trout, RNTR = rainbow trout, MNWH = mountain whitefish, and RDSH = redside shiner.

Percentage of Catch by stream order (n) Total total catch (n) Species 3 4 5 6 7 (%) ARGR 46 20 55 21 117 259 67 BLTR 9 18 3 3 39 72 19 RNTR 23 4 8 1 7 43 11 MNWH 0 1 0 0 13 14 4 RDSH 0 0 0 0 1 1 <1

Table 2. Total CPUE (fish/hr, 95% CI) of juvenile and adult Arctic grayling captured in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17.

Tributaries Mainstem Watershed (fish/hr) (fish/hr) (fish/hr) Mean 95% CI Mean 95% CI Mean 95% CI Juvenile¹ 0.32 0.18 – 0.46 0.85 0.51 – 1.20 0.42 0.28 – 0.55 Adult² 0.08 0.04 – 0.13 0.44 0.26 – 0.61 0.15 0.09 – 0.20 Total 0.40 1.29 0.57 ¹ Juvenile < 283 mm FL ² Adult ≥ 283 mm FL

Table 3. Site detections of Arctic grayling (ARGR), by stream order, in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17.

Site detections of ARGR by stream order (%) 3 4 5 6 7 26 19 83 56 85 Site detections of ARGR/stream order (12/47) (5/26) (10/13) (5/9) (18/22)

We caught 67 adult Arctic grayling throughout the study area with 57% (n = 38) captured in the Kakwa River mainstem (Table 4). The highest adult Arctic grayling CPUE was observed in sixth-order streams but was not significantly different from fifth- and seventh-order streams (ANOVA, F4, 109 = 11.72, p < 0.01 and Tukey-Kramer HSD α = 0.05). We caught 192 juvenile

6 Arctic grayling throughout the study area with 41% (n = 79) captured in the Kakwa River mainstem (Table 4). The highest juvenile Arctic grayling CPUE (fish/hr) was observed in fifth- order streams but was not significantly different from seventh-order streams (ANOVA, F4, 109 = 5.89, p < 0.01 and Tukey-Kramer HSD α = 0.05). In all but three sampling locations, stream temperatures were within the optimal range for Arctic grayling (7.5˚C - 17˚C) (Meinke et al. 2015): mean 11.3˚C ± 2.29 SD (range 5.7˚C – 16.4˚C). The remaining three measurements were below optimal (< 7.5˚C) temperature (Appendix 1).

7 Table 4. Total catch and CPUE (fish/hr, ± SE) of juvenile and adult Arctic grayling by stream order in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17.

Catch and CPUE by stream order 3 4 5 6 7

Mean fish/hr Mean fish/hr Mean fish/hr Mean fish/hr Mean fish/hr n n n n n (± SE) (± SE) (± SE) (± SE) (± SE) Juvenile¹ 42 0.29 ± 0.11 14 0.14 ± 0.06 48 0.96 ± 0.24 9 0.19 ± 0.10 79 0.90 ± 0.17 Adult² 4 0.02 ± 0.01 6 0.07 ± 0.05 7 0.14 ± 0.05 12 0.41 ± 0.14 38 0.40 ± 0.08 ¹ Juvenile < 283 mm FL ² Adult ≥ 283 mm FL

8 The dominant size range of Arctic grayling for tributaries is 180 – 240 mm FL, while 180 – 200 mm FL is the most prevalent size range for the mainstem, but with good representation from the larger size groups as well (Figure 3; Appendix 5, 6).

0.12 Tributaries (n=142) 0.10 Mainstem (n=117) 0.08

0.06

0.04

Catch rate rate Catch (fish/h) 0.02

0.00 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 Fork length (mm)

Figure 3. CPUE by size class of Arctic grayling in tributaries and mainstem of the Kakwa River Watershed, using angling gear in July and August, 2016/17.

Despite 17.3 hours of angling effort at seven sites and 1,357 seconds of electrofishing effort over a 600 m transect, no fish were captured or observed upstream of South Kakwa Falls during sampling in 2016 or 2017. Thus, South Kakwa Falls is considered a fish barrier and the Kakwa River is considered fishless upstream of the falls despite suitable habitat for both Arctic grayling and bull trout being observed. Several fish were captured immediately downstream of South Kakwa Falls, where angling CPUE was 8.6 fish/hr, including six rainbow trout and one Arctic grayling.

5.0 SUMMARY

We sampled 117 sites in the Kakwa River watershed using angling gear in July and August, 2016/17. Arctic grayling were detected throughout the downstream three quarters of the watershed, but not in the upstream quarter of the watershed. Specifically, no Arctic grayling were captured above South Kakwa Falls, Francis Peak Creek Falls or the Lower Kakwa Falls despite the presence of suitable Arctic grayling habitat.

Both juvenile and adult Arctic grayling abundance in the Kakwa River watershed is low. There was no evidence of missing size classes within the length distributions of captured Arctic

9 grayling. The highest catch rates for adult Arctic grayling were in sixth- and seventh-order streams, while fifth-order streams had the highest catch rates for juvenile Arctic grayling.

Our study provides current data on the abundance, distribution and population structure of Arctic grayling within the Kakwa River watershed, a FSI priority species for AEP. This information is useful to land managers seeking to balance the diverse values of the land base upon which they operate and critical for the conservation of native fish species particularly sensitive to habitat degradation and overfishing, such as Arctic grayling. The data collected in this study will aid in the development of an Arctic grayling FSI rank for the Kakwa River watershed and support regulatory actions to remediate the effects of industrial activities on Arctic grayling populations and their habitats.

10 6.0 LITERATURE CITED

Alberta Fisheries Management Branch. 2013. Standard for sampling of small streams in Alberta (Public Version). Available online at http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/fish-research- licence/documents/Standard-SamplingSmallStreams-May2013.pdf. [Accessed 7 December 2017].

Alberta Environment and Parks and Alberta Conservation Association. 2015. Status of the Artic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in Alberta: Update 2015. Alberta wildlife status report No. 57 produced by Alberta Environment and Parks, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 96 pp.

Brilling, M., and B. Lucko. 1984. Preliminary survey of the South Kakwa River. Unpublished report produced by Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Energy and Natural Resources, Peace River, Alberta, Canada.

Government of Alberta. 2014. Arctic grayling fish sustainability index (FSI) assumptions. Report produced by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 16 pp.

Haddon, M. 2001. Modelling and quantitative methods in fisheries. Chapman and Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, Florida, United States. 406 pp.

McKay, T., E. Sahlen, O. Stoen, J.E. Swenson, and G.B. Stenhouse. 2014. Wellsite selection by grizzly bears Ursus arctos in west-central Alberta. Wildlife Biology 20: 310-319.

MacPherson, L., M. Coombs, J. Reilly, M.G. Sullivan, and D.J. Park. 2014. A generic rule set for applying the Alberta fish sustainability index, second edition. Report produced by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 51 pp.

MacPherson, L., and T. Furukawa. 2010. Preliminary report: Stream crossings and Arctic grayling conservation in the Athabasca River basin. Report produced by Alberta Conservation Association, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. 30 pp + App.

11 Meinke, A., L. Schaubel, and M. Birkigt. 2015. Upper Little Smoky River watershed assessment, 2015. Data report produced by Alberta Environment and Parks, Fisheries Management Branch, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. 31 pp.

Ripley, T. 1998. A stock assessment of the Kakwa River Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) population, fall 1997. Report produced by Alberta Conservation Association, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. 23 pp.

Ripley, T., G. Scrimgeor, and M. Boyce. 2005. Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) occurrence and abundance influenced by cumulative industrial developments in a Canadian boreal forest watershed. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 62(11): 2431-2442.

Stevens Jr, D.L., and A.R. Olsen. 2004. Spatially balanced sampling of natural resources. Journal of the American Statistical Association 99(465): 262–278.

Strahler, A.N. 1952. Hypsometric (area-altitude) analysis of erosional topography. Geological Society of America Bulletin 63(11): 1117–1142.

White, J.C., M. Wulder, C. Gomez, G. Stenhouse. 2011. A history of habitat dynamics: characterizing 35 years of stand replacing disturbance. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing 37: 234-251.

12 7.0 APPENDICES

Appendix 1. Summary of habitat measurements at angling sites in the Kakwa River watershed, July and August, 2016/17. Mainstem angling sites are not included in this table. Ambient Mean wetted Mean rooted Mean depth Mean Mean Mean Temp Site ID cond. width ± SD width ± SD ± SD percentage pool percentage riffle Percentage run (°C) (µS/cm) (m) (m) (m) (min - max) (min - max) (min - max) 1 11.1 216 6.0 ± 0.0 6.5 ± 3.5 >1.0 0 0 100 6 16.4 322 2.5 ± 0.5 10.0 ± 5.6 0.2 ± 0.2 93 (85-99) 7 (1-15) 0 (0-0) 7 - - 7.4 ± 4.1 11.8 ± 4.1 0.7 ± 0.2 27 (10-40) 25 (20-35) 48 (35-70) 14 14.9 267 3 ± 0.7 3.5 ± 0.7 0.3 ± 0.3 50 (30-70) 5 (0-10) 45 (30-60) 18 14.8 - 2.3 ± 2.6 3.6 ± 0.7 0.5 ± 0.1 97 (95-98) 4 (2-5) 0 (0-0) 27 11.0 - 9.3 ± 1.5 9.6 ± 1.0 0.4 ± 0.3 32 (5-80) 38 (10-70) 30 (10-60) 35 - - 99.3 ± 0.0 100.4 ± 0.0 1.8 0 0 100 36 - - 1.9 ± 0.2 1.9 ± 0.1 0.4 75 (70-80) 10 (0-20) 15 (0-30) 41 - - 3.7 ± 0.6 3.8 ± 0.5 0.6 ± 0.2 43 (30-50) 7 (5-10) 50 (45-60) 42 10.4 238 0.7 ± 0.3 0.7 ± 0.3 0.6 ± 0.1 90 (85-95) 5 (5-5) 5 (0-10) 45 11.0 - 2.7 ± 0.7 2.8 ± 0.9 0.4 ± 0.2 0 (0-0) 8 (0-15) 92 (85-100) 48 14.7 372 5.7 ± 2.8 6.8 ± 3.1 0.2 ± 0.2 0 (0-0) 44 (20-100) 44 (10-80) 54 13.0 - 4.0 ± 1.7 4.4 ± 1.0 0.1 ± 87 (70-100) 5 (0-10) 8 (0-25) 57 15.0 - 4.5 ± 1.7 5.9 ± 2.7 0.2 ± 0.1 40 (10-70) 13 (10-20) 47 (20-80) 59 12.2 306 5.7 ± 0.6 6.0 ± 0.4 0.2 ± 0.0 0 (0-0) 3 (0-10) 97 (90-100) 60 13.0 - 3.7 ± 1.1 10.2 ± 5.1 0.3 ± 0.3 28 (0-80) 15 (5-20) 57 (0-90) 69 15.0 - 2.7 ± 0.5 12.2 ± 3.4 0.2 ± 0.1 3 (0-10) 7 (5-10) 90 (80-95) 70 13.3 362 6.6 ± 1.8 8.4 ± 1.3 0.4 ± 0.3 2 (0-5) 67 (15-95) 32 (5-85) 77 - - 11.0 ± 6.0 14.8 ± 3.7 0.7 ± 0.7 43 (10-80) 18 (5-40) 38 (15-80) 81 10.4 281 7.6 ± 0.7 12.3 ± 1.7 0.7 ± 0.3 3 (0-10) 50 (0-80) 13 (0-20) 85 14.0 354 7.3 ± 3.7 12.3 ± 4.0 0.8 ± 0.2 20 (10-30) 43 (30-60) 37 (30-40) 92 - - 5.5 ± 1.2 7.8 ± 0.8 0.3 ± 0.1 53 (20-85) 20 (0-40) 28 (15-40) 96 13.9 395 5.7 ± 1.0 8.7 ± 1.9 0.3 ± 0.1 3 (0-10) 5 (0-10) 92 (80-100)

13 Appendix 1. Continued. Ambient Mean wetted Mean rooted Mean depth Mean Mean Mean Temp Site ID cond. width ± SD width ± SD ± SD percentage pool percentage riffle Percentage run (°C) (µS/cm) (m) (m) (m) (min - max) (min - max) (min - max) 98 9.1 219 0.7 ± 0.5 0.7 ± 0.5 2.2 ± 2.2 15 (0-30) 85 (70-100) 0 (0-0) 100 9.0 - 5.2 ± 1.5 5.9 ± 1.6 0.6 ± 0.3 10 (0-20) 17 (10-30) 73 (60-90) 107 11.0 - 3.2 ± 1.0 6.2 ± 2.5 0.4 ± 0.3 57 (30-70) 7 (5-10) 37 (25-60) 108 12.5 329 4.4 ± 0.9 6.2 ± 1.6 0.3 ± 0.1 15 (5-30) 35 (10-85) 50 (10-80) 110 9.6 287 3.4 ± 0.7 6.0 ± 1.4 0.3 ± 0.1 10 (5-20) 28 (0-45) 62 (50-80) 118 12.0 - 3.9 ± 1.3 4.4 ± 1.0 0.1 ± 0.1 52 (5-80) 33 (10-80) 15 (10-20) 119 10.0 - 5.1 ± 1.0 7.8 ± 1.3 0.3 ± 0.1 15 (0-25) 35 (20-50) 50 (25-80) 121 - - 5.4 ± 0.9 11.9 ± 2.1 0.4 ± 0.2 47 (20-70) 12 (5-20) 33 (10-70) 124 6.8 341 1.1 ± 0.2 1.1 ± 0.2 0.3 ± 0.1 8 (0-15) 10 (5-15) 82 (70-95) 125 8.5 290 2.6 ± 0.5 3.1 ± 1.0 0.2 ± 0.0 42 (5-80) 38 (15-80) 6 (4-10) 128 10.0 - 3.5 ± 3.0 4.4 ± 3.1 0.3 ± 0.3 65 (5-100) 17 (0-40) 18 (0-55) 129 11.0 - 2.1 ± 0.2 3.6 ± 1.3 0.2 ± 0.0 27 (0-50) 13 (0-20) 60 (50-80) 137 14.0 - 7.6 ± 2.1 25.2 ± 1.6 >1.0 7 (0-15) 8 (0-20) 85 (75-100) 140 16.3 395 3.4 ± 0.4 4.2 ± 0.4 0.2 ± 0.1 0 (0-0) 7 (5-10) 93 (90-95) 141 11.2 262 7.2 ± 1.6 10.5 ± 0.9 0.4 ± 0.1 4 (0-10) 48 (0-100) 1 (0-5) 142 9.0 - 5.8 ± 0.9 9.1 ± 1.0 0.5 ± 0.2 10 (0-30) 33 (10-50) 57 (50-60) 151 - - 2.0 ± 0.2 5.7 ± 1.3 0.2 ± 0.1 25 (20-30) 33 (25-40) 43 (40-45) 152 11.3 475 2.7 ± 0.8 5.0 ± 1.7 0.4 ± 0.2 18 (0-50) 50 (20-90) 32 (5-60) 153 13.3 105.7 4.2 ± 0.9 2.6 ± 1.2 - 10 (10-10) 50 (50-50) 10 (10-10) 154 - - 2.7 ± 0.4 4.3 ± 0.8 0.2 ± 0.1 38 (25-60) 27 (15-35) 35 (10-60) 155 11.8 442 3.2 ± 0.3 4.7 ± 1.8 0.5 ± 0.2 18 (5-40) 37 (10-80) 45 (10-85) 168 10.3 391 4.0 ± 1.0 4.5 ± 0.5 0.4 ± 0.1 0 (0-0) 50 (25-95) 50 (5-75) 169 - - 4.0 ± 0.4 6.3 ± 0.9 0.5 ± 0.1 13 (10-20) 50 (40-70) 37 (20-50) 175 13.5 - 11.3 ± 1.0 28.0 ± 13.5 0.5 ± 0.2 12 (0-25) 18 (10-35) 70 (40-90) 178 - - 17.3 ± 6.9 28.4 ± 7.6 1.0 ± 0.4 52 (5-90) 13 (5-20) 35 (5-80) 181 13.3 214 7.6 ± 3.1 21.7 ± 0.3 0.7 ± 0.3 8 (5-10) 85 (80-90) 8 (5-10) 184 - - 15.1 ± 5.6 60.3 ± 14.3 0.6 ± 0.2 23 (20-30) 50 (40-60) 27 (20-30)

14 Appendix 1. Continued. Ambient Mean wetted Mean rooted Mean depth Mean Mean Mean Temp Site ID cond. width ± SD width ± SD ± SD percentage pool percentage riffle Percentage run (°C) (µS/cm) (m) (m) (m) (min - max) (min - max) (min - max) 189 10.4 393 4.9 ± 1.3 5.6 ± 0.7 0.4 ± 0.1 25 (10-40) 20 (20-20) 25 (10-40) 191 13.0 401 2.9 ± 1.3 9.7 ± 1.2 0.4 ± 0.3 22 (0-50) 15 (5-25) 63 (25-85) 203 13.9 - 19.5 ± 6.1 26.3 ± 1.1 0.4 ± 0.2 5 (5-5) 55 (25-85) 40 (10-70) 205 13.6 131 3.5 ± 0.6 6.5 ± 0.1 1.3 ± 1.6 17 (0-25) 15 (0-40) 67 (60-70) 208 9.6 60.9 3.2 ± 0.5 4.1 ± 0.6 0.4 ± 0.2 8 (5-10) 75 (70-80) 18 (15-20) 212 9.9 281 ------215 10.4 212 3.9 ± 0.2 3.9 ± 0.2 0.3 ± 0.2 10 (5-15) 80 (75-85) 10 (10-10) 222 9.2 462 2.5 ± 0.7 3.5 ± 0.7 1.0 ± 0.0 8 (5-10) 75 (70-80) 18 (15-20) 234 10.7 384 2.5 ± 0.5 4.5 ± 0.5 0.2 ± 0.1 5 (0-10) 95 (90-100) 0 (0-0) 251 9.8 152.3 3.0 ± 0.4 6.5 ± 0.3 0.2 ± 0.0 8 (5-10) 78 (75-80) 15 (10-20) 255 11.9 279 13.7 ± 6.1 20.6 ± 2.8 0.7 ± 0.7 2 (0-5) 13 (10-15) 85 (80-90) 261 10.6 253 3.6 ± 1.4 6.6 ± 4.5 0.3 ± 0.0 8 (5-10) 65 (60-70) 28 (25-30) 267 15.2 389 3.0 ± 0.4 4.9 ± 2.2 0.2 ± 0.0 35 (5-75) 0 (0-0) 65 (25-95) 270 12.7 466 2.7 ± 0.3 7.0 ± 1.7 0.2 ± 0.0 0 (0-0) 77 (60-90) 23 (10-40) 272 11.2 205 6.2 ± 1.4 19.3 ± 6.4 0.4 ± 0.2 7 (5-10) 42 (15-75) 52 (15-80) 273 11.4 365 29.2 ± 4.8 34.4 ± 11.5 0.3 ± 0.0 8 (5-10) 28 (20-35) 65 (60-70) 278 8.8 115 2.4 3.9 0.2 5 90 5 281 12.4 241 5.3 ± 0.6 11.7 ± 2.9 0.6 ± 0.2 0 (0-0) 53 (40-70) 47 (30-60) 285 9.1 136.9 9.0 ± 5.7 9.0 ± 5.7 1.0 ± 0.3 0 (0-0) 3 (0-5) 98 (95-100) 291 12.1 97 5.1 ± 0.3 5.5 ± 0.2 0.4 ± 0.3 3 (0-5) 8 (5-10) 90 (85-95) 293 13.3 140 4.4 ± 3 7.6 ± 0.6 0.7 ± 0.3 33 (10-65) 20 (5-40) 47 (20-70) 298 - - 6.8 ± 4.1 7.3 ± 4.3 0.6 ± 0.1 5 (0-10) 32 (25-40) 63 (55-75) 306 9.3 188.7 4.3 ± 1.9 11.3 ± 2.8 0.4 ± 0.1 23 (10-30) 42 (30-50) 35 (20-45) 307 - - 11.2 ± 5.4 17.8 ± 1.8 0.8 ± 0.5 3 (0-5) 70 (65-75) 28 (20-35) 309 6.8 170 1.3 ± 1 1.3 ± 1.0 0.5 ± 0.2 2 (0-5) 10 (5-20) 88 (80-95) 315 11.3 101.2 5.2 ± 1.3 7.7 ± 2.5 0.8 ± 0.1 10 (10-10) 35 (20-50) 55 (40-70) 321 13.0 - 12.3 ± 5.1 29.7 ± 11.1 0.6 ± 0.1 5 (0-15) 10 (5-15) 85 (80-90)

15 Appendix 1. Continued. Ambient Mean wetted Mean rooted Mean depth Mean Mean Mean Temp Site ID cond. width ± SD width ± SD ± SD percentage pool percentage riffle Percentage run (°C) (µS/cm) (m) (m) (m) (min - max) (min - max) (min - max) 323 13.8 283 13.3 ± 3 20.4 ± 3.1 0.8 ± 0.1 10 (10-10) 35 (30-40) 55 (50-60) 325 9.9 183.4 5.1 ± 1.4 13.2 ± 1.3 0.5 ± 0.3 20 (10-30) 60 (40-80) 20 (10-30) 333 11.5 264 111.1 ± 172 43.4 ± 12.9 1.5 ± 0.3 17 (10-20) 13 (10-20) 70 (60-80) 337 9.6 92.4 4.3 ± 0.3 5.4 ± 0.3 0.7 ± 0.0 15 (10-20) 40 (30-50) 45 (40-50) 341 12.1 254 40.5 ± 9.9 42.7 ± 6.6 1.5 ± 0.2 3 (0-10) 97 (90-100) 0 (0-0) 343 9.2 - 1.9 ± 0.5 2.9 ± 0.5 0.1 ± 0.0 8 (0-15) 70 (55-85) 22 (5-30) 346 8.4 99.9 9.1 ± 1.9 14.5 ± 7.2 1.2 ± 0.1 53 (10-95) 15 (0-30) 33 (5-60) 347 10.5 93.5 4.5 ± 0.7 5.1 ± 0.1 0.7 ± 0.4 3 (0-5) 5 (5-5) 93 (90-95) 367 10.5 393 3.7 ± 1.1 5.6 ± 1.0 0.2 ± 0.1 5 90 5 368 - - 27.3 ± 2.5 32.7 ± 1.2 1.2 ± 0.3 5 (5-5) 35 (20-55) 60 (40-75) 377 11.1 295.5 7.3 ± 0.9 9.8 ± 1.2 0.6 ± 0.2 20 (5-40) 38 (15-60) 42 (20-70) 385 11.1 137.2 2.7 ± 0.5 8.6 ± 2.1 0.2 ± 0.0 10 (0-20) 57 (50-70) 33 (30-40) 402 12.2 333 18.8 ± 5.5 61.6 ± 8.1 1.1 ± 0.5 23 (20-30) 50 (40-60) 27 (20-40) 436 8.3 121 2.4 ± 0.3 2.7 ± 0.5 0.1 ± 0.1 8 (0-15) 80 (80-80) 12 (5-20) 437 14.0 286 3.5 ± 2.1 3.5 ± 2.1 1.1 ± 0.1 5 (0-10) 2 (0-5) 93 (90-100) 444 - - 3.1 ± 0.3 3.6 ± 0.4 0.3 ± 0.0 5 (5-5) 22 (15-25) 73 (70-80) 456 8.6 312 2.3 ± 0.5 3.0 ± 1.3 0.2 ± 0.1 12 (5-20) 67 (40-80) 22 (10-40) 473 7.8 354 24.8 ± 14.3 30.7 ± 20.7 1.4 ± 0.5 8 (5-10) 88 (85-90) 5 (5-5) 479 8.9 287 7.3 ± 2.1 9.7 ± 1.3 0.6 ± 0.1 7 (5-10) 90 (80-95) 3 (0-10) 524 7.5 281 3.5 ± 0.5 5.3 ± 1.8 0.4 ± 0.1 5 (0-10) 5 (0-10) 90 (90-90) 529 7.5 361 9.9 ± 1.4 12.9 ± 3.1 0.4 ± 0.1 8 (5-10) 35 (10-50) 57 (40-80) 547 5.7 379 3.9 ± 1.1 7.0 ± 5.1 0.2 ± 0.1 3 (0-5) 48 (0-95) 50 (0-100) 573 10.3 217 2.8 ± 1.3 3.7 ± 1.9 0.3 ± 0.3 3 (0-10) 32 (0-80) 65 (20-100)

16 Appendix 2. Summary of angling site locations (NAD 83, Zone 11) and fish capture by species in the Kakwa River watershed, July and August, 2016/17. Species codes: ARGR = Arctic grayling, BLTR = bull trout, MNWH = mountian whitefish, RNTR = rainbow trout, RDSH = redside shiner. UTM Straight line Total distance angling ARGR BLTR MNWH RNTR RDSH Site ID Date Easting Northing angled (m) effort (hr) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) 151 6-Jul-2016 326296 6015224 171 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 153 6-Jul-2016 325759 6015106 170 3.0 1 1 0 0 0 385 7-Jul-2016 326833 6011232 465 4.0 0 3 0 0 0 437 7-Jul-2016 309058 6000984 340 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 377 8-Jul-2016 306225 5995075 366 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 473* 8-Jul-2016 317479 5988638 481 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 479* 8-Jul-2016 312550 5985128 355 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 529* 8-Jul-2016 318985 5986900 285 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 547* 8-Jul-2016 323958 5982722 238 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 573* 8-Jul-2016 321394 5978326 240 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 181 9-Jul-2016 329360 6011314 609 3.0 2 0 0 0 0 272 9-Jul-2016 326730 6006537 431 3.5 0 5 0 0 0 306 9-Jul-2016 324600 6005535 167 3.0 0 2 0 0 0 333 9-Jul-2016 314367 5998197 696 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 341 9-Jul-2016 306517 5999300 400 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 368 9-Jul-2016 324340 5996773 334 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 42 11-Jul-2016 354120 6029495 329 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 110 11-Jul-2016 349363 6027911 232 4.0 6 0 0 0 0 141 11-Jul-2016 339895 6017718 848 4.0 0 0 1 2 0 81 12-Jul-2016 353880 6023374 587 5.0 11 0 0 2 0 215 12-Jul-2016 336691 6015965 256 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 36 20-Jul-2016 390671 6032657 148 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 108 20-Jul-2016 389341 6023503 228 3.5 0 0 0 0 0 524* 21-Jul-2016 312931 5988813 460 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 35 22-Jul-2016 401492 6033838 105 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 59 22-Jul-2016 385943 6021759 537 3.0 0 0 0 1 0

17 Appendix 2. Continued. UTM Straight line Total distance angling ARGR BLTR MNWH RNTR RDSH Site ID Date Easting Northing angled (m) effort (hr) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) 140 22-Jul-2016 395086 6017005 203 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 178 22-Jul-2016 384907 6015666 298 4.0 2 0 0 0 0 96 23-Jul-2016 395806 6021877 237 3.0 3 0 0 0 0 154 23-Jul-2016 391885 6013694 203 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 48 24-Jul-2016 356888 6021224 582 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 92 24-Jul-2016 364362 6018587 203 4.0 0 2 0 0 0 124 24-Jul-2016 348878 6022849 197 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 121 25-Jul-2016 366702 6019285 145 4.0 2 1 0 0 0 255 25-Jul-2016 381589 6008490 810 4.0 3 0 0 0 0 70 26-Jul-2016 382388 6020481 339 3.0 3 0 0 0 0 77 26-Jul-2016 375943 6023028 204 3.5 3 0 0 0 0 291 2-Aug-2016 360007 6003212 103 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 325 2-Aug-2016 350416 5999770 279 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 347 2-Aug-2016 359461 6002735 263 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 278 3-Aug-2016 342685 6003236 NA 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 309 3-Aug-2016 366872 6001216 290 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 367 3-Aug-2016 347114 5995319 34 3.0 0 5 0 0 0 184 4-Aug-2016 352380 6012960 1047 4.0 7 0 0 1 0 261 4-Aug-2016 352406 6009325 299 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 285 4-Aug-2016 364902 6004862 675 4.0 3 0 0 0 0 251 5-Aug-2016 349345 6010306 180 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 208 6-Aug-2016 340612 6010053 319 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 323 7-Aug-2016 349470 6000513 493 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 315 8-Aug-2016 362328 6000575 321 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 337 8-Aug-2016 362234 5998058 252 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 402 9-Aug-2016 351439 6005454 65 4.0 5 0 0 0 0 267 16-Aug-2016 382583 6005484 249 3.0 2 0 0 0 0 189 18-Aug-2016 357871 6011610 267 2.0 0 0 0 0 0

18 Appendix 2. Continued. UTM Straight line Total distance angling ARGR BLTR MNWH RNTR RDSH Site ID Date Easting Northing angled (m) effort (hr) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) 346 18-Aug-2016 358773 6001618 666 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 205 19-Aug-2016 346951 6010001 NA 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 258 19-Aug-2016 356044 6006509 NA 3.5 0 0 0 0 0 273 20-Aug-2016 351606 6004707 742 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 307 20-Aug-2016 351356 6003551 666 3.5 2 1 0 0 0 1 30-Aug-2016 394710 6042532 99 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 212 30-Aug-2016 348721 6016940 204 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 98 31-Aug-2016 340702 6021276 161 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 222 31-Aug-2016 372046 6016143 129 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 14 5-Jul-2017 394128 6037691 56 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 113 5-Jul-2017 391719 6024967 45 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 169 5-Jul-2017 368758 6015563 8 4.3 0 1 0 0 0 444 6-Jul-2017 352721 5996010 367 4.0 0 1 0 0 0 456 6-Jul-2017 347380 5994161 96 1.6 0 1 0 0 0 41 8-Jul-2017 375732 6027058 469 4.1 16 0 0 0 0 436 8-Jul-2017 351325 5999474 108 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 298 9-Jul-2017 372198 6002894 432 3.9 7 0 0 0 0 7 10-Jul-2017 399493 6045509 185 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 125 10-Jul-2017 350628 6022823 198 3.9 0 3 0 0 0 118 18-Jul-2017 365726 6023538 309 3.2 0 0 0 1 0 155 18-Jul-2017 392516 6015066 302 4.0 3 0 0 0 0 137 19-Jul-2017 357553 6019683 158 3.8 2 1 0 1 0 234 19-Jul-2017 376012 6010944 213 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 107 20-Jul-2017 388407 6024706 107 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 168 20-Jul-2017 367473 6014705 422 4.0 0 1 0 0 0 281 21-Jul-2017 371245 6003636 371 4.0 12 0 0 0 0 27 22-Jul-2017 348836 6029372 284 4.2 3 2 0 0 0 152 22-Jul-2017 394560 6015520 432 1.5 0 0 0 0 0

19 Appendix 2. Continued. UTM Straight line Total distance angling ARGR BLTR MNWH RNTR RDSH Site ID Date Easting Northing angled (m) effort (hr) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) 270 23-Jul-2017 378141 6005534 775 4.0 0 1 0 2 0 54 26-Jul-2017 394343 6032596 353 4.5 2 0 0 0 0 6 1-Aug-2017 397931 6045582 58 1.6 0 0 0 0 0 57 1-Aug-2017 384384 6024418 361 4.0 0 0 0 8 0 45 2-Aug-2017 354918 6024768 443 4.2 5 0 0 0 0 293 2-Aug-2017 361889 6003986 108 1.6 0 0 0 0 0 85 3-Aug-2017 355581 6021464 444 4.2 5 0 0 4 0 321 3-Aug-2017 347161 6000521 829 4.0 3 1 0 0 0 69 4-Aug-2017 381748 6021693 739 4.0 3 0 0 4 0 191 4-Aug-2017 359074 6013876 370 3.9 0 0 0 4 0 100 5-Aug-2017 342825 6020528 621 4.0 0 1 0 0 0 129 6-Aug-2017 400092 6023608 337 2.5 9 0 0 0 0 119 29-Aug-2017 365454 6022092 620 3.9 0 0 0 2 0 175 29-Aug-2017 384343 6011073 652 4.2 9 2 0 0 0 18 30-Aug-2017 390255 6035224 62 0.7 0 0 0 0 0 142 30-Aug-2017 338729 6016611 534 4.0 0 0 0 2 0 343 30-Aug-2017 355980 5998438 222 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 60 31-Aug-2017 386332 6020093 466 3.6 1 0 0 1 0 128 31-Aug-2017 400640 6022022 134 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 203 31-Aug-2017 383288 6009395 809 4.1 6 0 0 1 0 M1 16-Aug-2017 403065 6050116 346 5.0 0 0 0 0 1 M5 16-Aug-2017 408777 6044244 630 5.6 2 0 1 0 0 M6 16-Aug-2017 408609 6041996 825 4.1 0 1 0 0 0 M7 16-Aug-2017 406415 6039691 540 3.0 2 0 0 0 0 M11 16-Aug-2017 399071 6030144 196 4.5 6 0 1 0 0 M12 16-Aug-2017 397222 6027380 519 3.1 5 0 0 0 0 M14 16-Aug-2017 393142 6023977 649 4.2 6 1 0 0 0 M17 16-Aug-2017 385930 6018393 753 5.5 7 0 0 0 0

20 Appendix 2. Continued. UTM Straight line Total distance angling ARGR BLTR MNWH RNTR RDSH Site ID Date Easting Northing angled (m) effort (hr) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) M19 16-Aug-2017 381173 6015108 779 3.0 0 0 1 0 0 M21 16-Aug-2017 377253 6013266 386 4.7 14 5 0 0 0 M22 16-Aug-2017 373340 6013603 255 3.2 2 0 1 1 0 M25 16-Aug-2017 366534 6018691 397 4.4 6 2 1 0 0 M27 16-Aug-2017 360297 6018864 572 3.3 7 0 0 0 0 M28 16-Aug-2017 356934 6017899 1081 4.3 12 4 1 1 0 M29 16-Aug-2017 354110 6016351 293 3.5 11 0 0 0 0 M31 16-Aug-2017 349974 6013827 314 4.7 11 6 5 0 0 M33 16-Aug-2017 342243 6013084 604 5.3 9 4 2 1 0 M35 16-Aug-2017 337408 6014374 549 4.5 3 5 0 0 0 M37 16-Aug-2017 333580 6010674 317 4.4 5 2 0 0 0 M39 16-Aug-2017 330865 6005016 314 5.6 5 4 0 0 0 M42 16-Aug-2017 324825 5996633 249 4.5 3 3 0 3 0 SK1 16-Aug-2017 481376 6233183 0 0.8 1 0 0 6 0 SK2* 16-Aug-2017 324262 5995625 454 1.8 0 0 0 0 0 * - indicates upstream of South Kakwa Falls fish barrier M - indicates mainstem sampling location

21 Appendix 3. Juvenile Arctic grayling relative abundance (fish/hr) in the Kakwa River watershed.

22 Appendix 4. Adult Arctic grayling relative abundance (fish/hr) in the Kakwa River watershed.

23 Appendix 5. Fork length distributions of Arctic grayling captured using angling gear in the Kakwa River tributaries (n = 142), mainstem (n = 117) and watershed (n = 259), July and August, 2016/17.

a) Tributaries

14 12

10 8 6 4 Frequency (%) Frequency 2 0 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 Fork length (mm)

b) Mainstem

18 16

14 12 10 8 6 Frequency (%) Frequency 4 2 0 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 Fork length (mm)

24 Appendix 5. Continued.

c) Watershed

16 14

12 10 8 6

Frequency (%) Frequency 4 2 0 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 Fork length (mm)

25 Appendix 6. Fork length distribution of fish by stream order in the Kakwa River watershed captured using angling gear, July and August, 2016/17. Species codes: ARGR = Arctic grayling, BLTR = bull trout, RNTR = rainbow trout, MNWH = mountain whitefish, RDSH = redside shiner.

Stream order

3 4 5 6 7 Mean FL FL Mean FL Mean FL FL Mean FL FL Mean FL FL range n ± SD range n FL ± SD range n ± SD range n ± SD range n ± SD (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm)

ARGR 46 195 ± 49 103 - 339 20 236 ± 72 132 - 335 55 219 ± 54 112 - 380 21 287 ± 70 149 - 388 117 239 ± 65 114 - 370

BLTR 9 246 ± 103 130 - 410 18 178 ± 56 116 - 346 3 282 ± 78 199 - 354 3 290 ± 178 92 - 435 39 361 ± 83 207 - 548

RNTR 23 161 ± 47 100 - 271 4 173 ± 67 117 - 258 8 178 ± 37 130 - 232 1 205 - 7 272 ± 57 204 - 356

MNWH 0 - - 1 262 - 0 - - 0 - - 13 282 ± 48 195 - 358

RDSH 0 - - 0 - - 0 - - 0 - - 1 115 -

Alberta Conservation Association acknowledges the following partner for its generous support of this project: