(Salvelinus Confluentus) in the Kakwa River Drainage, Alberta a Fisheries
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Biology and Status of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Kakwa River Drainage, Alberta A Fisheries Management Enhancement Project Alberta Conservation Association Data Summary 1995 to 1997 Progress Report Photo by P. Hvenegaard by Paul Hvenegaard and David Fairless Northwest Boreal Region Peace River, Alberta March, 1998 Alberta Conservation Association Kakwa River Bull Trout Project ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study continued to be funded by Alberta’s anglers through the Fisheries Management Enhancement Program. We are especially thankful for support received from Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) - Managing Director - Dr. T. Neraasen, Mr. K. Zelt (Former Head, Fisheries Enhancement and Habitat Development Branch, Natural Resources Service), the ACA -N.W. Boreal Region Programs Manager Mr. T. Thera, and the Fisheries Advisory Committee. In addition, the following individuals and their affiliations are recognised for many in-kind and logistical support items and services: ! Alberta Conservation Association employees and former trust fund employees, Messrs., M. Bryski, M. Dahl, K. Gardiner, S. Grey, D. Jackson, B. Lucko, S. Nadeau, S.Olinger, L. Osokin, K. Potter, B. Redmond, T. Ripley, K. ShantZ, T. Sundegaard, G. Todd, D. Unreiner, K. Wilcox, A. Wildeman, K. Wright. ! Alberta Environmental Protection, Natural Resources Service Fisheries Management Section, N.W. Boreal Region Messrs., D. Walty, K. Moller, D. Schroeder, and D. Hervieux. ! Alberta Environmental Protection, Land and Forest Service Messrs., E. Ritcey, B. Yates, D. Spears. ! Alberta Natural Gas Ltd. (Cutbank Plant Operations) Progress Report 1995 - 1997 i Alberta Conservation Association Kakwa River Bull Trout Project TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................. ii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................... iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Fish Species Composition ........................................................................................................ 3 3.0 METHODS .................................................................................................................................... 3 3.1 Enumeration Traps and Fences ................................................................................................ 4 3.2 Mainstem Sampling .................................................................................................................. 4 3.2.1 Bull Trout Mark-Recapture Estimate .................................................................................. 7 3.3 Tributary Sampling .................................................................................................................... 7 3.4 Radio Telemetry ........................................................................................................................ 7 3.5 Fish Sampling/Data Recording ................................................................................................. 7 4.0 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 8 4.1 Enumeration Traps and Fences ................................................................................................ 8 4.2 Mainstem Sampling .................................................................................................................. 8 4.2.1 Bull Trout Mark-Recapture Estimate ................................................................................ 14 4.3 Tributaries ............................................................................................................................... 14 4.3.1 General Inventory ............................................................................................................ 14 4.3.2 Production Modelling Inventory ....................................................................................... 14 4.4 Radio Telemetry ...................................................................................................................... 14 4.5 Fish Sampling ......................................................................................................................... 18 5.0 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................. 23 5.1 Timing of Spawning Movements ............................................................................................. 23 5.2 Spawning Frequency .............................................................................................................. 23 5.3 Estimate of Abundance ........................................................................................................... 23 5.4 Critical Habitats ........................................................................................................................ 24 5.5 Fish Sampling .......................................................................................................................... 24 6.0 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................................. 25 7.0 INFORMATION SOURCES ....................................................................................................... 27 8.0 APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................. 28 LIST OF FIGURES Progress Report 1995 - 1997 ii Alberta Conservation Association Kakwa River Bull Trout Project Figure 1. Kakwa River study area. ......................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Fork length distribution of bull trout captured at Lynx Creek (1995 to 1997). ....................... 12 Figure 3. Lynx Creek bull trout population estimate sites 1996 and 1997. ........................................... 17 Figure 4. Distribution of 56 radio tags in the Kakwa River drainage 1996 and 1997. .......................... 20 Figure 5. Bull trout overwintering sites Kakwa River (1996/97). ........................................................... 21 Figure 6. Bull trout spawning areas determined by radio telemetry relocation data (1996/97). ........... 22 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Fish assemblages in the Kakwa River drainage (1995 to 1997). ............................................. 5 Table 2. Trap deployment in tributary creeks of the Kakwa River (1995 to 1997). ................................ 6 Table 3. Measured and recorded parameters for fish captures and trap inspections. ........................... 9 Table 4. Bull trout capture summary for specific study locations and capture methods1, Kakwa River (1995 to 1997). ............................................................................................................................... 10 Table 5. Descriptive statistics of trap captured bull trout in tributary creeks of the Kakwa River (1995 to 1997). ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Table 6. Descriptive statistics of float electrofishing on the Kakwa River (1995 to 1997). ................... 13 Table 7. Descriptive statistics for stream inventory sites Kakwa River (1995 to 1997). ....................... 15 Table 8. Descriptive statistics for bull trout population estimate sites at Lynx Creek (1996/97). .......... 16 Table 9. Observed growth rates of Kakwa River bull trout. .................................................................. 19 Progress Report 1995 - 1997 iii Alberta Conservation Association Kakwa River Bull Trout Project EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Data on bull trout population biology and status in the Kakwa River were collected from July 1995 to November 1997. In total, 1087 bull trout were sampled during the study; the mean fork length was 333 mm with a range of 45 – 731 mm. Fish enumeration traps/fences were placed in Lynx, Copton, Chicken, Daniel, and Prairie creeks. Bull trout captures varied from a high of 77 at Lynx Creek in 1995 to a low of 3 at Daniel creek in 1995. Timing of spawning movements were gauged using radio telemetry and trap catch data. Bull trout from the Kakwa River drainage appear to enter their spawning tributaries earlier and remain longer than reported by other researchers. Specific bull trout spawning sites were identified in Lynx, Copton, and Prairie creeks using radio telemetry data. Presence of young-of-the-year bull trout in, Redrock, Little Redrock, and Route creeks also identified generalised spawning locations. Mainstem abundance of bull trout from late fall surveys was