CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAINS ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT Volume Three: Conservation Areas Descriptions British Columbia Conservation Data Centre Citation: Rumsey, C., M. Wood, B. Butterfield, P. Comer, D. Hillary, M. Bryer, C. Carroll, G. Kittel, K.J. Torgerson, C. Jean, R. Mullen, P. Iachetti, and J. Lewis. 2003. Canadian Rocky Mountains Ecoregional Assessment, Volume Three: Conservation Areas Descriptions. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Cover page photo credits: Top, left to right: The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Mount Broadwood Conservation Area (Dave Hillary); Water howellia (howellia aquatilis); Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) (Dave Fraser); Northern Leopard Frog (rana pipiens), Columbia Valley Wildlife Management Area (Dave Hillary); Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park (Pierre Iachetti) Bottom, left to right: Mission Valley, Montana (Marilyn Wood); Palouse Prairie, Idaho (KJ Torgerson); Harlequin duck (histrionicus histrionicus) TABLE OF CONTENTS CONSERVATION AREA SUMMARIES......................................................................... 4 Adams River. ...................................................................................................................... 5 Bitterroot............................................................................................................................. 6 Bull Lake/East Cabinet. ...................................................................................................... 7 Camas Prairie...................................................................................................................... 9 Cougar Bay ....................................................................................................................... 11 Crown of the Continent..................................................................................................... 13 Cusick. .............................................................................................................................. 15 Dayton Creek /Hog Heaven.............................................................................................. 16 Dishman Hills/Mica Peak ................................................................................................. 17 East-West Connectivity North. ......................................................................................... 19 East-West Connectivity South. ......................................................................................... 21 Elk River Valley ............................................................................................................... 23 Flathead Lake and Wetlands............................................................................................. 25 Fraser River Headwaters................................................................................................... 27 Granby............................................................................................................................... 28 Kakwa - Willmore............................................................................................................. 29 Jocko River. ...................................................................................................................... 31 Kootenai River.................................................................................................................. 33 Kootenay River A (Libby Dam to Kootenay Lake).......................................................... 35 Kootenay River B. ............................................................................................................ 38 Kootenay River C. ............................................................................................................ 40 Lake Pend Oreille. ............................................................................................................ 41 Little Bitterroot River. ...................................................................................................... 43 Lower Coeur d’Alene. ...................................................................................................... 45 Lower Columbia A. .......................................................................................................... 47 Lower Columbia B............................................................................................................ 49 Lower Columbia C............................................................................................................ 50 Middle Columbia. ............................................................................................................. 52 Mission Valley.................................................................................................................. 54 Mountain Parks ................................................................................................................. 55 North Thompson River. .................................................................................................... 57 Orofino – Ford Creeks. ..................................................................................................... 58 Palouse Prairie .................................................................................................................. 60 Pend Oreille River............................................................................................................. 62 Pleasant Valley.................................................................................................................. 64 Purcell Mountains. ............................................................................................................ 66 Rocky Mountain Front...................................................................................................... 68 Rocky Mountain Trench A ............................................................................................... 69 Rocky Mountain Trench B................................................................................................ 71 Salmo-Priest-Selkirks ....................................................................................................... 73 Salmo River. ..................................................................................................................... 75 Scotchman Peak................................................................................................................ 77 Shuswap Highlands........................................................................................................... 78 Slocan River...................................................................................................................... 80 CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAINS ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT • VOLUME 3 • CONSERVATION AREAS 2 Spirit Lake......................................................................................................................... 82 St. Joe-Clearwater............................................................................................................. 84 Thompson- Lower Clark Fork (Idaho-Montana).............................................................. 87 Upper Coeur d’Alene........................................................................................................ 88 Weitas Creek..................................................................................................................... 90 Wells Gray/Bowron. ......................................................................................................... 91 Ahbou Lake....................................................................................................................... 93 Bitterroot Mountainsnail EO............................................................................................. 93 Bull Trout Spawning Area................................................................................................ 93 Burbot Spawning Area...................................................................................................... 93 Cyr Culch Bald Eagle Nest EO......................................................................................... 93 Fleabane/Salmon Driven................................................................................................... 93 Hixon Creek Headwaters. ................................................................................................. 93 Hunt Girl Creek................................................................................................................. 94 Landslide........................................................................................................................... 94 Least (Selkirk) Chipmunk................................................................................................. 94 Little NF CDA Trib. ......................................................................................................... 94 Mabel Lake. ...................................................................................................................... 94 Moffat Creek..................................................................................................................... 94 Moody Creek. ................................................................................................................... 95 Moyie River Headwaters. ................................................................................................. 95 Murphy Creek. .................................................................................................................