Heron, credit: Phil Payne

Restoring Species of Conservation and Cultural Value in Alouette and Pitt River Watersheds

Project Year: 2016-2017

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Heron: Phil Payne

Project Lead

Katzie First Nation

Watershed/Sub-region

Coastal Region

Alouette

Project Type

Habitat-Based Actions

FWCP Contribution

$63,625

Action Plan Alignment

Alouette Riparian Wetlands Action Plan

Project ID

COA-F17-W-1295

Restoring Species of Conservation and Cultural Value

This project has developed an eco-cultural restoration plan for Katzie traditional territory (Alouette and Pitt River watersheds), which integrates the principles of restoration science and adaptive management with Katzie traditional knowledge and values. This will be a five-year project, implemented at riparian wetland sites throughout the Alouette Watershed. Beginning with two sites in 2016, restoration efforts will focus on habitat restoration to support healthy populations of five culturally-valued species, 11 species of conservation concern, and two keystone species. In addition, the success of previous restoration work funded by the FWCP, will be monitored and evaluated to provide valuable learning toward designing strategies that will ensure future success. Species expected to benefit include: Western Painted Turtle, Great Blue Heron, Western Screech-Owl, Pacific Water Shrew, Common Nighthawk, Barn Swallow, Mountain Sneezeweed, and several culturally-valued plants.

The main benefit of this project in 2016 will be the creation of approximately 13 hectares of tidal marsh habitat at two low bench riparian sites along the lower Alouette River. This project will help ameliorate the significant loss of marsh habitat in the Alouette system due to the dam and water diversion, as well as the dike system. Creation of marsh habitat will benefit a wide range of species, including as foraging habitat for the Great Blue Heron, Sandhill Crane, Pacific Water Shrew, Short-Eared Owl, and Western Screech-Owl.

Other habitat provisions that will benefit wildlife in the short-term include, but are not limited to:

  1. anchoring of large wood in aquatic zones to provide basking habitat and foraging substrate for re-introduced Painted Turtles,
  2. creation of sand-gravel berms as nesting habitat for Painted Turtles,
  3. erecting nest boxes, particularly for Barn Swallows and Western Screech-Owls, and
  4. erecting bat boxes, particularly for Little Brown Myotis and Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat.

Removal of Reed Canary Grass will allow establishment of planted seedlings of native species. Planting of Vancouver Island Beggarticks, and culturally-valued plants such as Wapato, Beaked Hazelnut, and tule will enhance local populations of these species, all of which have been reduced in the Alouette Watershed due to habitat loss and degradation. Improved cover of native plants will also provide shelter and forage for many wildlife species, including waterbirds and land birds.

To aid in regional recovery efforts and help with prioritizing our restoration efforts in future years, we will conduct surveys using standardized protocols for priority species to map distributions and habitats, with particular focus on Painted Turtles, Short-Eared and Western Screech-Owl surveys, and Great Blue Heron nest surveys and monitoring. All data will be shared with relevant agencies to help coordinated efforts toward species recovery in the region.


Final Report: Executive Summary

In response to 80% loss of wetlands in Katzie traditional territory in the lower Alouette and Pitt River watersheds, we combined scientific and traditional knowledge and values to create an Eco-Cultural Restoration Plan for Katzie territory. Wetland loss has resulted in the extirpation or near extirpation of several species from this area, including several federally-listed species at risk, and loss of access to several species of cultural value to Katzie. Hence, cultural practices that supported sustainable use of these species for food and medicine have also declined. Wapato has been identified as a cultural keystone species for the Katzie First Nation, but is no longer accessible due to the loss of wetland habitat. Our plan prioritizes wetland restoration within the lower Alouette River, the core of Katzie traditional territory. During previous work (2012-2014), we mapped wetland habitat and conducted inventories for species at risk to identify candidate sites for restoration. In this first year of our multi-year project, we implemented our plan by enhancing 1 ha of wetland at two high priority sites along the lower Alouette River for 11 species of conservation concern while also restoring access to plant species of cultural value. Habitat enhancement actions such as installation of large wood, creation of tidal marsh, beach clearing, installation of shelter boxes, and planting of native aquatics and berry-producing shrubs were targeted to priority species of conservation concern, including the great blue heron, painted turtle, and barn swallow, and to improve biodiversity overall. We designed marshes to sustain large patches of wapato and tule, so that members of the Katzie and wider community can learn about and engage in traditional harvesting of these culturally-valued plants. Our actions encompass priority actions under the Alouette Riparian Wetlands Action Plan (FWCP 2011): 1. conduct mapping to determine abundance, distribution, and category of riparian and wetland habitat, 2. identify opportunities for restoration or creation of category 2 areas, and 3. implement riparian and wetland restoration projects that are identified as high priorities through inventory, mapping or assessment.

Click the provincial database link below to read the full final report for this project.

View more about this project on the provincial database