Small Woody Debris Restoration in the Puntledge River Headpond
This pilot project will determine whether the addition of strategically placed Small Woody Debris (SWD) in the Puntledge River headpond could potentially reduce summer Chinook Salmon fry entrainment at the hydro facility by providing a safer and more complex corridor for migration away from the hydro penstock intakes. The project will also determine whether rearing habitat will be enhanced, allowing fry to remain in the headpond longer, growing to a preferable larger size before they migrate past the hydro facility, with a higher diversion rate at the Eicher fish screens.
SWD enhancement will also benefit other salmonids (i.e. Coho fry and trout), and species such as mergansers, otters, etc., increasing the biological diversity in this reach. Increasing the survival of Chinook juveniles during their seaward migration is critical to maintaining the genetic integrity of the summer run and necessary for their long-term adaptation and conservation.
Final Report: Executive Summary
With support from the Courtenay and District Fish and Game Protective Association (CFGA) Conservation Committee and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), a habitat enhancement project was completed in the Puntledge River headpond in January/February 2016 using recycled Christmas trees. This pilot project will determine whether the addition of strategically placed small woody debris (SWD) in the headpond could potentially reduce summer Chinook fry entrainment at the hydro facility by providing a safer and more complex corridor for migration away from the hydro penstock intakes, and whether it will enhance rearing habitat, allowing fry to remain in the headpond longer, growing to a preferable larger size before they migrate past the hydro facility, with a higher diversion rate at the Eicher fish screens. These project objectives address ‘Research and Information Acquisition’ and ‘Habitat’ based priority actions in the Puntledge River Salmonid Action Plan (BC Hydro 2011) by providing further insight on downstream fish passage limitations of emergent Chinook fry and their behaviour/response to habitat enhancement activities in the lower Puntledge River mainstem.
The SWD installations were assessed during 5 snorkel surveys between March and April to determine utilization of the SWD by wild Chinook fry. In addition, releases of marked fry and minnow trapping was conducted to assess fry distribution and longevity of use. Overall, the sites that were treated with SWD bundles had slightly higher densities of fry compared to untreated sites, suggesting that Chinook fry were attracted to the SWD. However the total number of fry observed during all surveys was low (maximum 1.2 fry/m2 , average 0.5 fry/m2 ). Results from marked fry releases and minnow trapping were inconclusive.
Click the provincial database link below to read the full final report for this project.