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FISS : Habitat Restoration and Salmon Enhancement Program HRSEP Project Report 14/ DFO - L brary / MPO - Bibliotheque 11 1 11 1111 1 1 I 1 1 020221261 1 11 1 I
Hecate . Strait Streamkeeper Society: Salmonid Habitat Restoration Project 1997
1) Table of Contents and Acknowledgments:
pp 1-5: As per HRSEP project report format.
Attatched: Financial Statements Hecate Strait Streamkeepers: Salmonid Habitat Restoration Project 1997, Final Report
Acknowledgments: We would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to the following groups and to acknowledge their commitment and contribution to the resource in funding projects such as this. Thanks to the generous support from the Pacific salmon Foundation, the Gwaii Trust Society and DFO. Salmonid habitat and populations can be restored to historic levels of productivity to provide economic, recreational and spiritual benefits for present and future generations.
2) Introduction
Title:
Salmonid Habitat Restoration Project 1997
Proponent: Hecate Strait Streamkeeper Society
Neil Davies, Chair
Box 1045, Queen Charlotte City, B.C. VOT 1S0 Tel: (250) 559 4649 Fax: 559 8184 SH 167 S17 H77 9 7 - 0 1 Hecate Strait Streamkeepers HRSEP Project Report 1997/8
Agency Contact: Dave Davies, Community Advisor, Habitat and Enhancement Branch, DFO
Box 208, Queen Charlotte City, B. C. VOT 1S0 Tel: (250) 559 0039 Fax: 559 4678
Project Category: Habitat Restoration
A brief Description: 1997 restoration work focused on eight streams within Skidegate Inlet (the Inlet separates Graham and Moresby Islands). These streams were: Indian Cabin Creek, Two Torrent Creek, Outlook Creek, Gore Brook, Charlie Hartie Creek, Crabapple Creek, Tarundl Creek, and South Bay Dump Creek. These small, typical, systems were all impacted heavily by forest harvesting techniques during the past fifty years; most were logged to the banks. High winds and rainfall have continued to degrade habitat since. Chum and coho populations have suffered especially. This project was an attempt to ameliorate-- to some extent-- these detrimental effects, and provide immediate improvement to fish habitat.
Funding: Funding was received from several sources: DFO, Pacific Salmon Foundation and Gwaii Trust Society.
Habitat Restoration and Salmon Enhancement Program funding amounted to $27,983.00.
3) Project Details
Project Time-Frame: Project initiation was July 21/97, and all instream work was completed by August 31/97. Some assessment work had been completed before this time in expectation/hope of receiving funding, in order to expedite the process, and because the summer "DFO window for work" is short.
Project Location: Queen Charlotte City/Skidegate Inlet, B.C. (see attached map)
Personnel: Approximately 280 hours of volunteer coordination time was donated, primarily by four members of the society: (Simon Davies, George Farrell, Rob Pettigrew, and Karl Kulesha); seven additional employees comprised the rest of the work force.
These were: Project advisor: Project documentor: Crew supervisor: Crew: 2 Saw Persons 2 Laborers
Partnerships Involved: Partnership funding was received from several sources (all new): DFO, Pacific Salmon Foundation and Gwaii Trust Society.
Salmonid Habitat Restoration 1997-- 2 Hecate Strait Streamkeepers HRSEP Project Report 1997/8
Local Community Involvement: Hecate Strait Streamkeepers are a group of proactive residents of the Queen Charlotte Islands/Haida Gwaii. One of the society objectives is to promote public awareness and involvement in watershed stewardship in QCUHG. All seven HSS directors are local residents, as were five of the seven employees.
Project Rationale: 1997 restoration work focused on eight streams within Skidegate Inlet (the Inlet separates Graham and Moresby Islands). These streams were: Indian Cabin Creek, Two Torrent Creek, Outlook Creek, Gore Brook, Charlie Hartie Creek, Crabapple Creek, Tarundl Creek, and South Bay Dump Creek. These small, typical, systems were all impacted heavily by forest harvesting techniques during the past fifty years; most were logged to the banks. High winds and rainfall have continued to degrade habitat since. Chum and coho populations have suffered especially. This project was an attempt to ameliorate-- to some extent-- these detrimental effects, and provide immediate improvement to fish habitat.
Specific goals were to engage in restoration activities that would lead to returning salmonid habitat to historic levels of productivity; to employ local residents; to train workers in various stream restoration techniques; and to promote the value of healthy streams and riparian ecosystems through public education and involvement.
Methods: Prior to July 21/97 overview fish habitat field reviews and documentation were completed for Indian Cabin Creek. Assessment work continued throughout the project on Indian Cabin Creek, Crabapple Creek, Two Torrent Creek, and Outlook Creek. (See appendices).
Restoration work on Gore Brook, Charlie Hartie Creek, Tarundl creek, and South Bay Dump Creek was site specific , involving the ensuring of fish passage beyond identified obstructions. All instream efforts were hands-on emergency habitat restoration work. (See appendices).
4a) Results/General Discussion
See previously prepared final report and appendices.
Instream work was completed; information has been gathered, reports and mapping/inventories have been completed and forwarded to DFO, together with the details of habitat restoration/reclamation.
Tools generated to protect/restore fish habitat, their strategic uses are delineated in the attached report.
Key streams and problem reaches/sites were identified, and specific techniques were developed and tried in areas most needing of emergency attentions. Conifer release/alder control, and cabled rock groyne structures were among the ideas implemented to control erosion/scouring. More details are available in the attached report.
One of the primary problems experienced was of man-handling heavy/cumbersome structures instream (clearing and/or placement of weighty and unwieldy components of instream ecology-- trees/large boulders, and etc. ), without heavy machinery. Solutions found were all labour/time intensive, and many of the muscles used were young. Safety of personnel and care of the streams were considered of utmost importance; but in spite of these difficulties, much was accomplished.
Salmonid Habitat Restoration 1997-- 3 Hecate Strait Streamkeepers HRSEP Project Report 1997/8
4b) Results/Quantifiable Measures
See report: Project Objectives were met.
1997 restoration work focused on seven streams within Skidegate Inlet (the Inlet separates Graham and Moresby Islands; Queen Charlotte City fronts Skidegate Inlet). These streams were: Indian Cabin Creek, Two Torrent Creek, Outlook Creek, Gore Brook, Charlie Hartie Creek, Tarundl Creek, and South Bay Dump Creek. Instream work was conducted at numerous specific sites throughout these streams.
Category Information Comments
# Species/Stocks 2 (Coho, Chum)/14 # Counted/Tagged N/A Duplication of Charter Patrol service # Sites Instream Work Intensive restoration >70 sites # Meters Habitat Restored: (67% of mapped) Intensive, rest access improvement Productivity Bio-standards N/A # Streams Mapped, # Meters 8 streams, 6927 meters total Indian Cabin Creek + tributary 2157m (1482m+ 675m) Two Torrent Creek 1250m Outlook Creek 900m Crabapple Creek 1000m Gore Brook Creek 270m Charlie Hartle Creek 180m South Bay Dump Creek 230m Tanmdl Creek 1040m # Streams Protected, it Meters N/A Not focus Riparian Habitat Revegetated 550m— Alder Control Conifer Release # Fishers Received Retraining 3 # Un/Under-employed Fishers Employed 1 Fishers Employed in Field After Project *-- see below Contingent on funding # Volunteers, # Hours 3 primary, 200 hours
* Project completion coincided with end of season. It is expected that with continued funding will re-employ many of the same personnel.
For further details see attached report.
5) Follow-up, Monitoring and Future Plans
Project indicators of success: See report-- this year's project was a good balance of habitat restored for the total of moneys spent. Few dollars were spent on administration and report writing, and much hands-on, instream work was accomplished. Field and office forms have been developed and streamlined. If funding is obtained for the 98/99 season, additional efficiency in this area is expected.
Objectives Met: Yes project objectives were well met, please see Project Objectives (original Final Report attached); One of the objectives we felt most strongly about was the meeting and exceeding of safety requirements; Pacific Salmon Foundation funds allowed purchase of safety and field restoration equipment that we anticipate using for many seasons to come. Local media (newspaper) articles were submitted; community awareness was well developed. Local residents and un/under-employed fishers were trained (as Queen Charlotte City is very much dependent on fishing every-one is to some extent connected to the industry anyway). Salmonid Habitat Restoration 1997-- 4 Hecate Strait Streamkeepers HRSEP Project Report 1997/8
Short and long-term impacts of the project: Many talented people were employed during the project who developed considerable expertise. These people are a valuable community asset, who will be available for future work and who are generally more aware of salmonid habitat requirements in their every-day lives. Salmonid habitat, and healthy populations of salmon will be available for future generations to use and enjoy in the wild, in perpetuity.
Monitoring and Maintenance component: Salmon charter patrol services already provide a monitoring component; if monitoring suggests needs for remedial work, future efforts will focus on identified areas.
Suggestions for improvement/lessons learned: Given the time constraints of operating within the "fisheries window", a more timely distribution of funds would assist the challenge of operations. A considerable expenditure of volunteer time (too much) was required because of the lack of a project coordinator. We anticipate someone hired for this position in the next season.
Future Work Recommended: Hecate Strait Streamkeepers does intend to apply for 98/99 funding for similar restoration work in Skidegate Inlet and Haida Gwaii generally; HSS is in the process of developing a proposal to this end. Similar objectives as were espoused last season are expected to be applied to other, local, damaged habitat . For further details of proposed work please refer to the proposal, due February 28/98. 6) Financial Statement:
Attached.
Salmonid Habitat Restoration 1997-- 5 Lim) & ARO cR STATEMENT OF WORK HECATE STRAIT STREAMKEEPERS
PERIOD: 21ST JULY, 1997 - 12TH SEPTEMBER, 1997
Restoration of Indian Cabin Creek, mainstem and tributary.
- Hand removal of small floatable debris from the channel and stream margin to higher ground.
- Improvement of fish access through placement of rock berms and re-arrangement of in-channel debris.
- Hand placement of cobble-rock substrate to form in-channel gravel catchment basins and in some cases to armor the bank preventing further erosion and down cutting.
- Recruitment of off-channel gravel deposits for changing the catchment basins.
INDIAN CABIN CREEK MAINSTEM
- Improvement of fish access by hand removal of debris
- Removal of debris jam formation
- Limbing of underside branches from straddling the channel
OUTLOOK CREEK (Gray's Cabin)
- Ensuring adequate fish passage in the lower 400m - blow down area in the lower 50m
GORE BROOK
- Improve access to the stream below the lower (3rd Avenue) culvert by placing riprap and construction of rock groynes CHARLIE HARTEE CREEK
- Improving access to the stream above the 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue culverts by clearing the stream debris and construction of a rock berm. 1--IPSCP SHERIES OCEANS-OCI; 9-30-98 ;11:46AM DFO UCH 604 086 2
Indian Cabin Cmek- 970 m of habitat improved
Tributary to Indian Cabin 675 m of habitat improved
- -100 m 2 of tearing habitat improve!
Two Torren4 Creek -- ,400 ni of 'habitat improved
Outlook Creek - 450 m habitat improved
- 200 m201 spawning habit improved
Gore Brook - prtwidi passage, to 400 in of previously under utilized spawning and rearing habitat 2 -7 g r
Charlie Hartie Creek - 300 m of habitat improved
Tirundi Creek - 1530 m of habitat improved
Tartu:id! tribiffary - 47/5 ni fhabut improved
South By Dump Creek-- provided access to previously inaccessible habitat /-2, -
-- 5 km of total trail cut for monitoring and school fieiii trips
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