Appendix B Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat Aquatic Catalogue and Watercourse Crossing Data
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Technical Data Report Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat ENBRIDGE NORTHERN GATEWAY PROJECT Jacques Whitford AXYS Ltd. Burnaby, British Columbia M. Whelen, R.P.Bio. AMEC Earth & Environmental A division of AMEC Americas Limited Burnaby, British Columbia K. Bradley, B.Sc., R.B.Tech. 2010 Preface This Technical Data Report (TDR) primarily relies on data collected up to October 2009. These data are used in the Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment (ESA) for the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project, Volume 6A, Part 2, Section 11. Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat Technical Data Report Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Regulatory Setting ............................................................................................ 1-1 1.3 Objectives ........................................................................................................ 1-3 2 Methods ......................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Study Area Boundaries .................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1 Study Area for Existing Data Review ............................................................. 2-4 2.1.2 Study Area for Field Surveys ......................................................................... 2-4 2.2 Review of Existing Data Sources ...................................................................... 2-4 2.2.1 Species Distributions, Fish Assemblages, and Barriers ................................ 2-4 2.2.2 Species at Risk .............................................................................................. 2-7 2.3 Right-of-Way Field Surveys .............................................................................. 2-9 2.3.1 Identification of Watercourse Crossing Sites ............................................... 2-10 2.3.2 Development of the Watercourse Crossings Database .............................. 2-10 2.3.3 Permit Acquisitions and Conditions ............................................................. 2-11 2.3.4 Field Crew Orientations ............................................................................... 2-12 2.3.5 Stream Classification Systems .................................................................... 2-12 2.3.6 Least-Risk Periods for Instream Construction ............................................. 2-14 2.3.7 Habitat Evaluation ....................................................................................... 2-16 2.3.8 Fish Sampling .............................................................................................. 2-22 2.3.9 Data Management, Quality Assurance and Control .................................... 2-23 3 Results of Baseline Investigations ................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Watercourse Crossing Enumeration and Distribution ....................................... 3-1 3.2 Species Composition and Species at Risk ....................................................... 3-4 3.2.1 Species Composition ..................................................................................... 3-4 3.2.2 Species at Risk .............................................................................................. 3-9 3.3 Construction-Sensitive Species ...................................................................... 3-13 3.4 Alberta Drainages .......................................................................................... 3-21 3.4.1 North Saskatchewan River Drainage .......................................................... 3-24 3.4.2 Athabasca River Drainage ........................................................................... 3-29 3.4.3 Peace River Drainage, Alberta .................................................................... 3-40 3.5 British Columbia Drainages ............................................................................ 3-53 3.5.1 Peace River Drainage, British Columbia ..................................................... 3-55 3.5.2 Fraser River Drainage ................................................................................. 3-67 3.5.3 Skeena River Drainage ............................................................................... 3-75 3.5.4 Kitimat River Drainage ................................................................................. 3-90 3.5.5 Douglas Channel ......................................................................................... 3-97 4 Watercourse Crossing Summary..................................................................... 4-1 2010 Page i Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat Technical Data Report Table of Contents 5 References .....................................................................................................5-1 5.1 Literature Cited ................................................................................................. 5-1 5.2 Internet Sites .................................................................................................... 5-8 5.3 Personal Communications .............................................................................. 5-11 Appendix A Government Contacts ............................................................ A-1 Appendix B Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat Aquatic Catalogue and Watercourse Crossing Data ................................................... B-1 Appendix C Key to the Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat Aquatic Catalogue and Watercourse Crossing Data ........................... C-1 List of Tables Table 2-1 Major Drainage and Watershed, Summit Elevations, Biogeoclimatic Zones and Natural Subregions ................................................................ 2-1 Table 2-2 Major Information Requirements and Sources for Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat ...................................................................................... 2-5 Table 2-3 Schedule of Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat Field Programs ............... 2-9 Table 2-4 Alberta Stream Classification System ................................................... 2-14 Table 2-5 Criteria for Zone of Influence Downstream from Watercourse Crossings .............................................................................................. 2-16 Table 2-6 Habitat Parameters Collected During Field Surveys, 2005 to 2009 ....... 2-18 Table 2-7 Winter 2009 Survey Sites ...................................................................... 2-20 Table 3-1 Watercourses Crossed by the RoW, new Access Roads, Powerlines and Ancillary Facilities in Major Drainages of Alberta and British Columbia ............................................................................... 3-2 Table 3-2 Fish Species in Watercourses Crossed by the RoW ............................... 3-5 Table 3-3 Species of Conservation Concern, Alberta ............................................ 3-10 Table 3-4 Species of Conservation Concern, British Columbia ............................. 3-11 Table 3-5 Stream Class Summary by Drainage, Alberta ....................................... 3-21 Table 3-6 Fish Bearing Status of Crossings by Drainage, Alberta ......................... 3-22 Table 3-7 Fish Species Captured (Historic and 2005–2009) by Major Drainage, Alberta .................................................................................. 3-22 Table 3-8 Stream Class Summary, North Saskatchewan River Drainage, Alberta ................................................................................................... 3-24 Table 3-9 Fish Bearing Status of North Saskatchewan River Drainage Crossings by Watershed ....................................................................... 3-26 Table 3-10 Fish Species (Historic and Captured) by Watercourse, North Saskatchewan River Drainage, Alberta ................................................. 3-27 Table 3-11 Least-Risk Periods for Instream Construction, North Saskatchewan River Drainage, Alberta ......................................................................... 3-28 Table 3-12 Stream Class Summary, Athabasca River Drainage, Alberta ............... 3-29 Page ii 2010 Freshwater Fish and Fish Habitat Technical Data Report Table of Contents Table 3-13 Fish-Bearing Status of Athabasca River Drainage Crossings by Watershed ............................................................................................ 3-31 Table 3-14 Fish Species (Historic and Captured) by Watercourse, Athabasca River Drainage, Alberta ........................................................................ 3-32 Table 3-15 Athabasca Drainage Overwintering Habitat Survey Results ................. 3-36 Table 3-16 Least-Risk Period for Instream Construction, Athabasca River Drainage, Alberta.................................................................................. 3-37 Table 3-17 Stream Class Summary, Peace River Drainage, Alberta ...................... 3-40 Table 3-18 Fish-Bearing Status of Crossings by Watershed in the Peace River Drainage, Alberta.................................................................................. 3-42 Table 3-19 Fish Species (Historic and Captured) by Watercourse, Peace River Drainage, Alberta.................................................................................. 3-43 Table 3-20 Overwintering Habitat Survey