• The Machmell River is an important spawning area to Reach 4 (lower 22 km), particularly for sockeye salmon. Chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon are also present, as well as Dolly Varden, steelhead, rainbow and cutthroat trout. Most of the knowledge of these populations is derived from annual sockeye spawner counts conducted by DFO, when incidental fish observations are made. Dolly Varden char have also been recorded in the upper mainstem Machmell and two of its major tributaries, Pashleth and Kilippi Creeks.
• Logging activities are ongoing in this watershed, upstream of the study area. For the purposes of this study, old cut blocks of interest are concentrated in Reach 4 (Pashleth Creek confluence) and downstream, especially on the left bank. In the lower reaches, fish habitat concerns are related to the indirect impacts of extreme flooding (channel scouring and course changes, berm buildup). In the upper reaches, the consequences of upslope instability and impaired riparian function may affect limited off-channel habitats adjacent to the mainstem canyon.
• Field work will not focus on mainstem habitats, due to the likelihood that continued instability will prohibit restoration work. However, the mainstem will be walked in order to locate off-channel habitats and determine their likely degree of fish access and fish habitat use. Low-gradient tributaries near the Pashleth confluence should be specifically examined for their fish habitat potential. Some high-gradient tributaries through cut blocks should also be assessed for their impact on the Machmell confluence zone.

Special thanks are due to Ardice Neudorf, Naomi Tabata and the other staff at Madrone Consultants Ltd. who conducted the background research and conducted the initial overview assessment. Bob Brand and Bill Dwyer of Western Forest Products in Ladysmith, Percy Walkus of the Oweekeno Nation, as well as Mike Parker and Troy Larden of the Ministry of Environment, Land and Parks in Williams Lake, all participated in ensuring that this project was properly initiated and brought to its conclusion. Their encouragement and direction is appreciated.

At the request of Pacific Forest Products, Forest Renewal B.C. has provided funding to undertake an Overview and Level I Fish Habitat Assessment on the Machmell River. With the cooperation of the Oweekeno Nation and with the technical assistance of Madrone Consultants Ltd. this work was initiated in the summer of 1997, in anticipation of field work in the fall of the same year. This document contains the results of the Overview Assessment. Results of the Level I Fish Habitat Assessment are contained in a separate report. The objectives of the overview assessment are:

• to determine what fish species (and life stages) are at risk to the imports of poor forestry practices in the watershed
• to identify areas of concern that need to be examined in quantitative field surveys of fish habitat
• to identify preliminary restoration strategies ( no action, restoration, rehabilitation, mitigation)
• where appropriate, to identify preliminary project objectives, scope and priorities.

The overview assessment uses existing or easily obtained information that provides a preliminary indication of the factors that limit fish production in the watershed. The purpose of this is to focus field assessment and preliminary restoration plans on areas where substantial benefits to the fishery resource are likely.

Methods were consistent with those described in the Watershed Restoration Program Technical Circular No. 8. Most information came from DFO, as a part of continuing salmon escapement records that have been undertaken for many years. Anecdotal information was gathered from several sources, but all had been consolidated previously into the government sources.

FISS and SISS data systems were searched in order to obtain the most recent fish distribution information, which was transposed onto 1:20,000 scale TRIM maps. Escapement information was obtained from DFO, but recent years’ data was not available for the study area. Recent (1991), colour airphotos were provided by Pacific Forest Products that covered their operating area, and other airphotos (black and white, 1979) were also made available for the headwaters and upstream tributary zones. The mainstem Machmell and its significant tributaries (Pashleth and Kilippi Creeks) were divided into reaches, which were used to describe zones of homogenous stream character.

Further information was obtained from the field data recently available from FHIP studies done on the upper Machmell River earlier in 1997. This information is in the draft form, and information is not to be quoted without the consent of the author.

The Machmell River is a glacially fed fourth order stream with a magnitude of 146. Peak flows are influenced by a high degree of seasonal streams (approximately 1,252 ephemeral streams were noted). Elevation ranges from just above sea level near the mouth of the river to 7600m at Mt. Buzza. The study area for this project extends to the Pashleth River; approximately 22 kilometers upstream. Upper reaches of the study area are characterized by sheer bedrock walls that form a canyon which runs for approximately three quarters of a kilometer. The morphology of the Machmell River in this area is dominated by cascades with a vegetated island at the confluence of the Pashleth River. Although the Pashleth joins the Machmell at the bottom of the canyon, most other tributaries generally drain from the hillsides onto a terraced platform and then plummet over the bedrock cliffs to the mainstem below. Downstream of the canyon, bedrock walls still dominate the landscape with a few areas of steep but sloping hills. The river’s width increases and riffle morphology dominates the channel with intermittent vegetated and unvegetated islands. From the mouth of the Machmell to approximately seven kilometers upstream, the area is characterized by a fluvial fan and flood plain. The lower reaches of this area also encompasses one of the major tributaries in the study area; the Machmell.

The Machmell River is found in the Coastal Western Hemlock zone which encompasses three biogeoclimatic subzones. The Central Moist Submaritime Coastal Western Hemlock Variant (CWH ms2) subzone occurs in the lower elevations (below 700m) of the Machmell River. At 700 to 1000m , the Montane Wet Submaritime Coastal Western Hemlock Variant (CWH ms2) occurs. The Windward Moist Maritime Mountain Hemlock Variant (Mhmm1) is found at upper elevations. In the headwaters, total snowfall is usually high, which can result in substantial snowpacks that may persist well into July. Large glaciers at the head of this drainage produce cold air that can influence the climate.

The Machmell River contains virtually no lakes and few wetlands with enough water storage capacity to buffer mainstem flows, and it is evident that the river is subject to extreme flood events. In the upper Machmell, there are few pools and off-channel habitat, and those that do exist are used by salmonids. Significant increases in flow can therefore severely limit fish populations by degrading the few areas that are available to them.

Included in the study area is Walkus Lake (100ha., elevation 290m) and its outlet stream, Genesee Creek. This system flows westward, dropping steeply just beyond the lake outlet and flows 1 km through a delta that it shares with the Machmell River to the south, before flowing directly into Oweekeno Lake. Lower Genesee Creek is sometimes connected to the Machmell River by a flood channel; however, this has not occurred in recent decades.

Rivers Inlet has been the home of important commercial fisheries, and numbers of sockeye salmon spawners have been documented by DFO for several decades. In recent years, a clear decline in the number of sockeye has been recorded, prompting increased research and attention to possible contributing factors. Initial indications are that there are complex processes at work, including the possibility of changing marine environments, and other factors well outside the watershed study areas. Although there is no clear evidence that this is the case, we are assuming that the quality and quantity of fish habitat in the Machmell River is part of the declining sockeye experience.

There are 5 other anadromous species recorded in the Machmell River. These include coho, chinook , pink and chum salmon, as well as steelhead trout. Directed spawner counts have not been attempted on these species, due to the very turbid, glacial water in the mainstem making these species difficult to spot in aerial surveys. The presence of the fish is known; however, precise spawning areas, timing, population trends and factors affecting them are unknown. It is assumed that any negative effects on fish habitat on the lower mainstem would have a negative effect on all the anadromous fish present there.

Rainbow and cutthroat trout are present in the mainstem and its peripheral areas. There has been no habitat surveys, creel surveys, lake stocking or other management or enhancement activities directed on these stocks. In the mainstem areas and tributaries above the barriers, only Dolly Varden and possibly bull trout have been observed. None of these populations receive any significant harvesting activity from either sport or aboriginal fishing.

The Machmell River is accessible to anadromous fish to the cascades just downstream of its confluence with Pashleth Creek. Most anadromous fish habitat is confined to the mainstem until this point. The primary spawning area for anadromous fish (and probably many resident fish as well) is in Reaches 1 and 2, where abundant gravel bars and sidechannel habitats exist. These side channels also provide slow-water backwaters, which allow for juvenile rearing, adult holding and spawning areas, and generally, refuge habitats from extreme flow events which are frequent in this system. It is assumed that chum, pink, and sockeye are probably limited to spawning habitats below the canyon area in Reach 2 (lower 7 km).

Tributaries to the mainstem Machmell River also provide some fish habitat, although this appears limited to the short confluence areas, off the side hill. These tributaries are valuable sources of clear water and some nutrients, and where they are accessible to fish, also function as refuge habitat from floods in the mainstem. It is assumed that the larger species of anadromous fish such as chinook, coho and steelhead that may inhabit the mainstem canyon area (between 7 km and 22 km) probably utilize these off-channel habitats to some extent.

More stable in-stream habitat is provided by the major tributaries, Pashleth, Kilippi, Morrow and Syme Creeks. These enter the Machmell above the anadromous barrier and some are inhabited to some extent by isolated populations of resident Dolly Varden (Pashleth and tributaries, mainstem tributaries at 20 km, and Kilippi Creek).

DFO notes that the barrier at 22 km on the mainstem prohibits fish passage. This was confirmed by field work this year where no anadromous fish were found upstream. Extensive electrofishing and minnow trapping captured Dolly Varden above this point, but no salmon.

Upstream of its confluence with Syme Creek, no fish are recorded in the watershed. This is consistent with the presence of a large falls just upstream of the confluence, which has presumably limited fish access to this area.

Fish habitat concerns are focused on Reaches 1 and 2, which are accessible to all salmonids. Habitat concerns in Reach 1 fall into 2 categories:

1. old logging blocks on the left bank that may have cut off or destroyed the riparian zone of peripheral fish habitats in sidechannels and sloughs; and
1. mainstem course changes, as a result of increasing berm buildup, that have removed peripheral habitats.

An example of the latter is the lower Genessee River that has historically had its own outlet from Walkus Lake, and is an important sockeye spawning area. It is evident that the mainstem Machmell River occasionally floods into the Genessee; however, in recent years, the hydrology of the mainstem Machmell has moved away from this pattern, to the apparent detriment of peripheral fish habitat. DFO staff have noted that the water flow in Genesee Creek is reduced in previous years, and have concerns for the possible loss of sockeye spawning habitat as a result of this; however, the cause and potential solutions are not apparent.

Reach 2 has additional habitat concerns with inundated confluence areas and loss of the off-channel habitats through road construction at the toe of the slope on the right bank, adjacent to the mainstem. River training through bridge construction and riprapping along the road edge constricts river flow and generally works to remove sidechannel habitats.

In Reaches 3, 4, and 5, and in the lower 2 reaches of the Pashleth River, the watercourse becomes more and more entrenched in a deep canyon. Throughout this area, streams run through old logging blocks on the left bank, some of which are accessible to fish in the lower end (R3), but most of which are important only as a source of food and nutrients as well as a source of clear water. Riparian habitat destruction in these tributaries would impact mainstem fish habitat less directly, but is more insidious in its collective impact.

Reach 6 and above in the mainstem do not now have any logging activities in the watershed, and so are of no interest when judging the impact of forest development activities on fish habitat. While recent road-building and harvesting activities are now taking place in the lower Kilippi, there are no apparent concerns for fish habitat and it is inappropriate to include these areas in this report.

In order to locate impacted areas more precisely, the lower reaches have been subdivided into sections, and then ranked for field examination priority.

Sidechannel habitats that improve fish habitat have controlled flow, stabilized banks, graded gravel, LWD at strategic points, and complex in-stream habitat installed, sometimes even before the water is turned on. Spawning channels may have upstream dams with control over the entire stream. Others have engineered flow control works off the mainstem, at the upstream end of the developed sidechannel. Others rely more on excavated areas of naturally-upwelling groundwater that appears in old flood channels adjacent to the river mainstem. The target fish species and life stages also dictate optimum flow regimes, substrate, cover pattern, etc. The most critical factor is obtaining controlled flow and in identifying the limiting factor for each fish species, so that each project is custom-designed, both in terms of hydraulic design as well as fish habitat requirements.

In a practical sense, areas adjacent to the mainstem Machmell either have an unmanageable amount of material to move, or would be too flood-prone for effective flow control. Instead, the focus should be on identifying areas that are sheltered from flood events by being behind the mainline road, set back at the toe or the slope, or possibly depressions that have been isolated by large berm buildups. Biological work to identify potential fish rearing areas (current and those possibly cut off in the past) would identify where fish habitat is located now, which species inhabit those areas, and correlate fish presence with specific sidechannel conditions. This information should complement engineering studies (future work) where flow control works would be feasible to construct. This fits the requirement of a Level I Fish Habitat Assessment.

Past logging practices often did not recognize the importance of tributary streams to mainstem fish habitats, especially non-fish bearing streams. These tributaries have been damaged by logging practices through destruction of the riparian zone, bank and gully wall destabilization causing bedload movement into the mainstem habitat, and by obstruction or inundation of the confluence area, where small but important off-channel habitats exist.

Where the riparian zone has been destroyed, or the gully sidewalls destabilized, the strategy is to identify those specific areas, so that a riparian specialist team can conduct site-level surveys in the spring (future work), for streamside planting, LWD placement or other reconstruction later in the 1998 season. Where off-channel habitat has been cut off or inundated such that no re-construction is possible, a quantity and type of off-channel fish habitat will be identified for creation in another location.

This study will identify areas where eroding banks and upslope stability affect the mainstem fish habitat. This process is usually evident in the substrate material and island/channel formations downstream, and sometimes this is also correlated with a more specific loss of (for example) spawning gravel through gravel compaction, aggradation, etc. Usually, gradual, more subtle changes in channel hydraulics are noticed as the assessment crew walks upstream, and these changes should be noted in the Fish Habitat Assessment Form.

It is beyond the scope of this study to identify the causes and extent of bank and slope instability; however, the Level I FHAP can identify the specific locations where valuable fish habitat is threatened and help prioritize upslope stabilization activities, and bank stabilization projects, where advised.

Field studies will focus on:

• walking creeks (one crew on each side, in the lower reaches of the mainstem) and up the immediate tributaries for short distances, to assess the quality of in-stream habitats, paying close attention to the condition of off-channel habitats, and identifying the water flow control points.
• Additional data collected will include temperature, discharge, turbidity and bank material, specifically directed at off-channel habitats.
• Reach descriptions in the mainstem will be on a subsampling basis, determined by a projected length of stream(s) to walk each day. Stream walking will record the habitat unit, chain distance, features, and habitat units. During the stream walk, a representative subsample length will be chosen for more complete measurements, according to the criteria outlined in Technical Circular No. 8.

It is proposed that field surveys focus on high and medium priority reaches and sections; however, some flexibility must be maintained to allow for variable field conditions. There should be ten (10) field days allocated to this watershed, assuming both aircraft and ground-based field support.

Britton, E.W. and D. E. Marshall. 1980. Catalogue of Salmon Streams and Spawning Escapements of Statistical Area 9 and 10 (Rivers and Smith Inlets). Canadian Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 222. xvi+ 164pp.

Hillaby, J.E. and A. Neudorf, 1998 (in preparation). Sheemahant Watershed Level I Fish Habitat Assessment Volume I - Summary. Report prepared under contract to Western Forest Products and Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Williams Lake.

Hillaby, J.E. and A. Neudorf, 1998 (in preparation). Sheemahant Watershed Level I Fish Habitat Assessment Volume II - Data Appendices. Report prepared under contract to Western Forest Products and Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Williams Lake.

Hillaby, J.E., T. McIntosh, and J. Ebell, 1997. Lemolo Creek Watershed Fish and Riparian Habitat Assessments. Report prepared under contract to Pacific Forest Products and Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Williams Lake. 39pp and Appendices.

J. Hillaby, 1998. (in preparation). Reconnaissance Level Fish Habitat Inventory for the Upper Machmell, Sumquolt and Phinney Creek watersheds. Report prepared under contract to Western Forest Products and Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Williams Lake.

Johnson, N.T. and P.A. Slaney, 1996. Fish Habitat Assessment Procedures Watershed Restoration Technical Circular 8, revised April 1996. Watershed Restoration Program; Ministry of Environment, Land and Parks, and Ministry of Parks.

Larkin, G.A. and P.A. Slaney. 1996. Calibration of a Habitat Sedimentation Indicator for Use in Measuring the Effectiveness of Watershed Restoration Treatments. Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and Ministry of Forests. Watershed Restoration Management Report No. 5.

Pendray, T. 1988. Biophysical Inventory of Tributaries to Owikeno Lake - 1984 - 1985. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Fisheries Branch, North Coast Division, Habitat Managmeent Unit, Prince Rupert, B.C.

SHIP Environmental Consultants. 1992. Stream Summary Catalogue for Subdistricts 9, Rivers Inlet and 10, Smith Inlet. Report prepared under contract to DFO/MOELP Fish Habitat Inventory and Information Program.

Sandy McLaurin, CID Community Advisor

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

P.O. Box 340,

Hagensborg, B.C. V0T 1H0

250-982-2663

Brad Koroluk, Habitat Technician,

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

P.O. Box 130,

Bella Coola, B.C. V0T 1C0

250-799-5729

Bob Brand, Divisional Engineer

Western Forest Products

P.O. Box 820, 100 E. Ludlow

Ladysmith, B.C. V0R 2E0

250-245-8211

Steve Bachen, Fisheries Technian,

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Pacific Biological Station

P.O. Box 100,

Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5K6

250-756-7174

Dennis Rutherford, Stock Assessment Biologist,

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Pacific Biological Station

P.O. Box 100,

Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5K6

250-756-7174

Ken Dunsworth, Forest Ecosystem Specialist,

Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks,

P.O. Box 190,

Hagensborg, B.C. V0T 1H0

250-982-2064

Dave MacLain, Engineer,

Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd.

North Vancouver, B.C.

604-980-6011

Watershed Name: MACHMELL RIVER UTM Coordinates: _______________________

Watershed Code: 910-1288-602 NTS Maps: __92M.058, 59, 67 - 70, 80_______

Watershed Name: PASHLETH CREEK UTM Coordinates: _______________________

Watershed Code: 910-1288-602-349 NTS Maps: __92M.058, 59 _______