Sport Fish Distribution and Relative Abundance on the Lower Red Deer River from Dickson Dam to Joffre, Alberta, 2005 CONSERVATION REPORT SERIES The Alberta Conservation Association is a Delegated Administrative Organization under Alberta’s Wildlife Act. CONSERVATION REPORT SERIES 25% Post Consumer Fibre When separated, both the binding and paper in this document are recyclable Sport Fish Distribution and Relative Abundance on the Lower Red Deer River from Dickson Dam to Joffre, Alberta, 2005 Jason Blackburn Alberta Conservation Association 2nd floor, YPM Place, 530 – 8th Street South Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 2J8 Report Series Co‐editors PETER AKU KELLEY KISSNER Alberta Conservation Association 50 Tuscany Meadows Cres. NW #101, 9 Chippewa Rd Calgary, AB T3A 5K6 Sherwood Park, AB T8A 6J7 Conservation Report Series Type Data, Technical ISBN printed: 978‐0‐7785‐7731‐7 ISBN online: 978‐0‐7785‐7732‐4 Publication No.: T/199 Disclaimer: This document is an independent report prepared by the Alberta Conservation Association. The authors are solely responsible for the interpretations of data and statements made within this report. Reproduction and Availability: This report and its contents may be reproduced in whole, or in part, provided that this title page is included with such reproduction and/or appropriate acknowledgements are provided to the authors and sponsors of this project. Suggested Citation: Blackburn, J. 2007. Sport fish distribution and relative abundance on the Lower Red Deer River from Dickson Dam to Joffre, Alberta, 2005. Data report, D‐2007‐005, produced by Alberta Conservation Association, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. 25 pp + App. Cover photo credit: David Fairless Digital copies of conservation reports can be obtained from: Alberta Conservation Association #101, 9 Chippewa Rd Sherwood Park, AB T8A 6J7 Toll Free: 1‐877‐969‐9091 Tel: (780) 410‐1998 Fax: (780) 464‐0990 Email: info@ab‐conservation.com Website: www.ab‐conservation.com i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sport fish relative abundance and distribution data were collected on a 97‐km reach of the Lower Red Deer River from Dickson Dam to the Highway 11 Bridge near Joffre. A total of 50 1‐km sample sites were boat electrofished at 2‐km intervals. A concurrent mark‐recapture population estimate was also attempted on five consecutive river kilometres immediately downstream of Dickson Dam. The mark‐recapture component was not completed because of high river flows and resulted in no viable estimate from two passes and a single recapture. Excluding the first pass of the population estimate, a total of 3,105 fish were captured or enumerated across 50 sample sites. A total of 15 species were identified, of which ten were sport fish species. Mountain whitefish was the most abundant species representing 53.9% of the total sample and occurred at 33.5 fish/km, followed by goldeye at 18.7% and 11.6 fish/km. Walleye were the next most abundant sport species at 2.9% of the total and 1.8 fish/km, followed by brown trout at 1.4% and 1.2 fish/km. The remaining sport species, including mooneye, burbot, northern pike, lake whitefish, rainbow trout and sauger, each represented less than 1% of the total sample and occurred at less than 1 fish/km. The most abundant species were also the most widely distributed throughout the study area. In comparison with 1991 data, goldeye showed the greatest increase in overall abundance from 1.0 to 11.6 fish/km followed by an increase in walleye from 0.7 to 1.8 fish/km. The remaining sport species decreased in overall abundance. Most notably, brown trout decreased from 2.6 to 0.9 fish/km, northern pike from 1.4 to 0.2 fish/km and lake whitefish from 1.4 to 0.1 fish/km. Species that increased in abundance also increased in distribution, and species that decreased in abundance showed reductions in distribution throughout the study area; with the exception of lake whitefish which decreased in abundance but remained in three of six reaches in both 1991 and 2005. Key words: Red Deer River, abundance, distribution, brown trout, walleye, electrofishing, Dickson Dam, Joffre. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was funded by the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA). Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) staff were instrumental in helping to conduct this work. Thanks to Vance Buchwald (ASRD, Fish and Wildlife, Red Deer), the primary coordinator of this survey, for study design, logistics and scheduling, provision of volunteers, expertise in boat piloting, and ongoing commitment to the Red Deer River. Thanks to Jason Cooper who was the ACA crew leader and coordinated ACA’s involvement in the survey with ASRD. Special thanks to the electrofishing crew, Kevin Wingert (ASRD, Fish and Wildlife, Red Deer) and Jay Wieliczko (ACA, Cochrane). Volunteers were greatly appreciated, including Conrad Ozero (ASRD), Gary Pierce (Tailwater Drifters®), Lauren Baldwen (Alberta Environment), Dave Jensen (Flyfish Alberta®), Linda Winkel (ASRD) and Bob Scammell. Finally, thanks to the Red Deer Advocate® for informing the public about this study. This report benefited from constructive comments by Trevor Council (ACA), Jason Cooper and Vance Buchwald (ASRD, Fish and Wildlife, Red Deer). iii TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................................................... vii 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1 1.1 Study rationale ...........................................................................................................1 1.2 Study objectives .........................................................................................................2 2.0 STUDY AREA.................................................................................................................2 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS ...................................................................................3 3.1 Sample sites ................................................................................................................9 3.2 General sampling method ........................................................................................9 3.3 Fish sampling .............................................................................................................9 3.4 Species distribution and abundance analysis......................................................10 3.5 Comparative analysis of abundance and distribution .......................................10 3.6 Population estimate.................................................................................................10 4.0 RESULTS .......................................................................................................................11 4.1 Species abundance...................................................................................................12 4.2 General species distributions and abundance.....................................................13 4.3 Comparison of sport fish species distributions between 1991 and 2005 .........13 4.4 Comparison of species abundance between 1991 and 2005 ..............................16 4.5 Comparison of species abundance per reach between 1991 and 2005.............17 4.6 Fork length frequency analysis, fall 2005 .............................................................21 4.7 Walleye age analysis, 2005 .....................................................................................23 4.8 Population estimate.................................................................................................23 5.0 LITERATURE CITED ..................................................................................................24 6.0 APPENDICES...............................................................................................................26 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of the Red Deer River watershed in Alberta and the 2005 study area ...........................................................................................................................4 Figure 2. Map of the study area sampled along the Red Deer River, 2005.....................5 Figure 3. River kilometer divisions and reaches A to B of the study area......................6 Figure 4. River kilometer divisions and reaches B to C of the study area ......................7 Figure 5. River kilometer divisions and reaches D to F of the study area ......................8 Figure 6. Species distributions in the Red Deer River, Dickson Dam to Joffre, 2005. .14 Figure 7. Comparison of sport fish species presence by river kilometer and reach in the Red Deer River, October 1991 and September and October 2005...........15 Figure 8. Comparison of fish abundance (fish per km) between 1991 and 2005. ........16 Figure 9. Comparison of fish abundance (catch‐per‐unit‐effort) between