North Saskatchewan River Drainage, Fish Sustainability Index Data Gaps Project, 2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
North Saskatchewan River Drainage, Fish Sustainability Index Data Gaps Project, 2018 North Saskatchewan River Drainage, Fish Sustainability Index Data Gaps Project, 2018 Chad Judd, Mike Rodtka, and Zachary Spence 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: 978-1-989448-03-8 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: Judd, C., M. Rodtka, and Z. Spence. 2019. North Saskatchewan River drainage, fish sustainability index data gaps project, 2018. Data Report, produced by Alberta Conservation Association, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. 17 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 Fishery inventories provide resource managers with information on fish species abundance, distribution, and habitat. This information is a key component of responsible land use planning. Alberta Environment and Park’s (AEP) Fish Sustainability Index (FSI), is a standardized process of assessment that provides the framework within which fishery inventories must occur for greatest relevance to government managers and planners. Our objective was to describe bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) distribution and abundance in the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River watershed to address data deficiencies for this FSI priority species. Bull trout are particularly sensitive to habitat change and are classed as Threatened in Alberta (Saskatchewan and Nelson rivers populations). Priority areas for fishery inventories in 2018 were identified in consultation with project partners and included the Cardinal River and its tributaries. From July 17 to August 17, we sampled 30 sites randomly distributed throughout three watersheds classed as hydrologic unit code (HUC) 10, Ruby Creek, Upper Cardinal River, and Lower Cardinal River. Sites were sampled using backpack and tote-barge electrofishing gear. We captured 98 bull trout, ranging in size from 31 to 273 mm fork length (FL). Bull trout were detected at seven sites in the Ruby Creek HUC 10 watershed and at six sites in the Upper Cardinal River HUC 10 watershed. Bull trout were not detected at any sites in the Lower Cardinal River HUC 10 watershed and overall thirteen of the 30 sites had zero fish captures. The Ruby Creek HUC 10 watershed had the highest median relative abundance of bull trout at 0.96 (CI = 0.00 – 4.33) bull trout per 100 m. We also sampled 6.5 kilometers of the Cardinal River mainstem using float electrofishing and angling gear and captured two bull trout and eleven cutthroat trout (Onchorynchus clarki). We measured stream temperature (hourly) at four stations in the HUC 10 watersheds and results indicated that highly suitable thermal habitat for bull trout existed in each of the watersheds in the summer months of 2018. Cobble substrate was dominant throughout the watersheds, a habitat quality preferred by bull trout. Our study provides current information on stream habitats, and the abundance and distribution of FSI priority species within the Cardinal River and its tributaries. This information is useful to land managers when attempting to balance the diverse values of the landbase upon which they operate and critical for the conservation of native fish species particularly sensitive to habitat degradation including bull trout. Key words: Alberta, Cardinal River watershed, Ruby Creek watershed, FSI, bull trout, distribution, abundance. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Jessica Reilly and Mike Blackburn of Alberta Environment and Parks for their assistance with project design and development. Alberta Conservation Association employees Andrew Clough, John Hallett, Dave Jackson, and Nikita Lebedynski assisted with data collection and summary. 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 ................................................................................................................................ 2 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS .................................................................................................. 5 3.1 Fish distribution and abundance ............................................................................................. 5 3.2 Stream habitat measurement .................................................................................................... 6 4.0 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................ 9 4.1 Fish distribution and abundance ............................................................................................. 9 4.2 Stream habitat measurement .................................................................................................. 13 5.0 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 15 6.0 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................................. 16 7.0 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 18 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River watershed and the fishery inventory watersheds, 2018. Inset map shows the location of the study area within the province of Alberta. .............................................................................. 3 Figure 2. Map of the HUC 10 watersheds showing the location of electrofishing sites ......... 4 Figure 3. Map of the HUC 10 watersheds showing the location of stream temperature stations in each watershed, 2018. ................................................................................... 8 Figure 4. Map of the HUC 10 watersheds showing the distribution of fish species captured using backpack and tote-barge electrofishing gear, July 17 to August 17, 2018. .. 10 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Number of sites where fish were detected in each HUC 10 watershed and total catch of fish species using backpack and tote-barge electrofishing gear, July 17 to August 17, 2018. .............................................................................................................. 11 Table 2. Size distribution of fish species captured in each HUC 10 watershed using backpack and tote-barge electrofishing gear, July 17 to August 17, 2018. ............. 11 Table 3. Bootstrapped median relative abundance (10,000 replicates) of bull trout and cutthroat trout in each HUC 10 watershed using backpack and tote-barge electrofishing gear, July 17 to August 17, 2018. ......................................................... 12 Table 4. Summary of stream habitat measurements in each HUC 10 watershed collected while backpack and tote-barge electrofish sampling, July 17 to August 17, 2018. 14 Table 5. Summary of stream temperature measurements from four stations in the Cardinal River watershed, July 1 to August 31, 2018. ............................................... 15 vi LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1. Location (NAD 83, Zone 11) of waterfalls identified during field reconnaissance in the Cardinal River HUC 8 watershed, 2018. .......................................................... 18 Appendix 2. Summary of backpack and tote-barge electrofishing site locations (NAD 83, Zone 11) and fish capture by species in the Ruby Creek (R), Upper Cardinal River (UC), and Lower Cardinal River (LC) HUC 10 watersheds, 2018. .......................... 19 Appendix 3. Length frequency histograms of bull trout, brown trout, and cutthroat trout, captured using backpack and tote-barge electrofishing gear in the Ruby Creek, Upper Cardinal River, and Lower Cardinal River HUC 10 watersheds, 2018. ..... 20 Appendix 4. Length frequency histograms of bull trout and cutthroat trout captured using float electrofishing and angling gear in the Cardinal River, 2018. .........................