Fisheries and Environment Peches et Environnement I+ Canada Canada REPORT ON SECOND ANNUAL BIOLOGICAL STAFF MEETING Salmonid Enhancement Unit Fraser River - West Coast Vancouver Island Branch Field Services Directorate Department of Fisheries and Environment 1976 - 1977 P;1rk~villA ~ FAhruary 23, 24/77 Canada. Department of Fisheri RePort on second annual biolcs ical staff meetins, Salmonid En ha n cement Unit, Fraser River-We------------------------------ st Coast Vancouver Island Branc h, Field Services Directorate, REPORT ON SECOND ANNUAL BIOLOGICAL STAFF MEETING Salmonid Enhancement Unit Fraser River - West Coast Vancouver Island Branch Field Services Directorate Department of Fisheries and Environment 1976- 1977 Parksville: February 23, 24/77 THE FRASER RIVER - WEST COAST VANCOUVER ISLAND BRANCH 1977 BIOLOGICAL STAFF MEETING PARTICIPANTS Top row (left to right) : Ian Todd, Fred Fraser, Bill Foye, Ed Carter, Larry Kahl, Eldon Stone, Dave Lightly, Leslie Salmon, George Nielsen, Jim Scott, Vicki Beck, Karl Peterson. Front row (left to right): Joe Kambeitz, Paul Starr, Rob Smeal, Ted Perry, Paul Sprout, Dave Wilson, Chris Whyte, Doug Moir, Paul Ryan, Paul Preston, Marion Wood, Glen Dixon, Robin Harrison, Brian Mitchell, Carol Cross, Jan Koster, Mike Mad Dog Bailey, Terry Hartrick, Gerry Cook, Mayda Koop, Alice Federenko. Horizontal : Randy Godin. Photographer: Don Bailey. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE I. Introduction - Fred Fraser ....................................................................................................................... II. The Department of Fisheries and the Environment - Ian Todd (OR: FRWC Branch and Its Niche in the Bureaucracy) ............................................................................. Structure and Organization Internati on al Negotiations Ill. Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) - Fred Fraser............................................................................... 2 Background Objectives Goals and Time Horizon Strate~iies Organization How F RWC SEP Proposals Develop (OR: Where Do We Fit In?) Financing SEP IV. 1976/77 Program Review........................................................................................................................... 3 A. Facilities ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Capilano Salmon Hatchery - Eldon Stone Robertson Creek Salmon Hatchery - Karl Petersen. Ed Carter Blaney and Inches Creek Chum Incubation Box Facilities - Don Bailey Thornton Creek Pilot Chum Hatchery - Paul Ryan B. Field Activities................................................................................................................................. 6 1. West Coast Vancouver Island........................................................................................................ 6 Nitinat Lake Studies - Alice Federenko Juvenile Marking and General Reconnaissance - Dave Lightly 2. Fraser River ................................ ~ ................................................................................... ,............. 7 Upper Fraser Reconnaissance - Larry Kahl, Chris Whyte, Paul Preston Nicola River Reconnaissance - Paul Starr Vedder-Chilliwack Tributary Reconnaissance - Paul Sprout Chilliwack System Juvenile Coho Taggir'lg - Brian Mitchell Shuswap System Headwater Tagging Program - Don Buxton Chilcotin River Marking Reconnaissance - Jan Koster Birkenhead River Salmon Enhancement Feasibility - Don Bailey C. Engineering Report - George Nielsen 10 Reconnaissance Feasibility Studies Design Construction Maintenance H.P.D. Activities Public Participation and Small Streams Engineers' Tour v. 1977/78 FRWC Branch Program Proposals............................................................................................. 12 A. Biological Program - Fred Fraser.................................................................................................. 12 1. Reconnaissance, feasibility, tagging studies 2. Directed studies (IPSFC - Mike Bailey) 3. Lake enrichment 4. Ongoing projects B. Public Participation Program - Fred Fraser 13 C. Provincial Program - Fred Fraser .................................................................................................. 13 D. Engineering Program - George Nielsen ........................................................................... .- .... ·.·......... 13 VI. Financing and Implementing the 1977/78 FRWC Branch SEP Program - Fred Fraser ............................. 13 LIST OF FIGURES PAGE 1. Biological unit organization Fraser River - West Coast Vancouver Island Branch ................................................... 14 2. Organization of the Department of Fisheries and the Environment as seen from the F RWC Branch ............................................................................................................................. ........................... 15 3. Organization of SEP planning groups ..................................................................................................................... 16 4. Fraser River System ............................................................................................................................................... 17 5. Proposed enhancement sites - West Coast Vancouver Island ................................................................................. 18 6. Nitinat Lake, Vancouver Island showing sample sites ............................................................................................. 19 7. Depth profiles for salinity, temperature, oxygen and H2S in Nitinat Lake ............................................................. _20 8. Stations monitored for H S in Nitinat Lake ........................................................................................................... 21 2 9. Isopleths of the percentage of new water that entered Nitinat Lake between July 1968 and August 1970 ............................................................................................................................................ 21 10. Fish kills in Nitinat Lake ........................................................................................................................................ 22 11. Density of benthic organisms in Nitinat Lake, June 1976 ...................................................................................... 23 12. Zooplankton densities in Nitinat Lake by season and station in the 0 - 20 m water column .................................................................................................................................................................. 24 13. Food composition of Nitinat Lake fish, 1976 ··········································:·····--··--············--····································· 25 14. Food interactions among Nitinat Lake fish ................................................•.......................................................... 26 15. Seasonal changes in length and weight of chum and chinook in Nitinat lake, 1975 and 1976 .............................................................................................................................................................. 27 16. North Thompson - Clearwater - Shuswap River systems .......................................................................................... 28 17. Quesnel - Chilko - Taseko River systems .................................................................................................................. 29 18. Salmon - Stuart- Nechako River systems ................................... : .................... .-........................................................ 30 19. Bowron - Tarpy - McGregor River systems ·····"···········:······························································:·--························· 31 20. Tete Jaune Cache .................................................................................................................................................... 32 21. Nicola River salmon spawning distribution and timing ............. ., ......................................................................... -..... 33 22. Chilliwack ·Vedder 1976 tributary reconnaissance .................... ~............................................................................ 34 23. The Shuswap lake system study area...................................................................................................................... 35 24. Chilcotin River 1976 sampling ................................... :............................................................................................ 36 25. Birkenhead River spawning distributions .......................................... , ..................................................................... 37 ii LIST OF TABLES PAGE Proposed stock enhancement in the F RWC Branch area ....•....... .......................................................•.............•..... 38 11 Capilano smolt releases 1976 ................................................................................................................................. 38 111 Capilano adu It returns 1976 .................................................................................................................................. 38 IV Planned smolt releases from Capilano Hatchery 1977 ........................................................................................... 38 V Robertson Creek smolt releases 1976