Draft Routine Effectiveness
Evaluation Guidelines for In-Stream and Off-Channel Projects
2000 FPCI Manual
Fish Passage - Culvert Inspection Procedures. Watershed Technical
Circular No. 11. 2000. By Michael A. Parker.
Introduction to Fish Passage – Culvert Inspection Procedures:
The connectivity of a diversity of fish
habitats is integral to supporting the abundance of fish
species and their life stages found in British Columbia's
fresh water habitats. Tributary streams, lakes, off-channels,
back channels, ponds, and sloughs all provide critical
habitat. Ensuring that these components remain connected
for the free migration of spawning adults and rearing
juvenile fish is a critical piece of the equation in maintaining
healthy populations. A variety of natural and man made
barriers limit connectivity of habitat and greatly reduces
the fish production in some systems. The Fish Passage
- Culvert Inspection Procedures (FPCI) assesses fish passage
at culverts and evaluates the findings in conjunction
with other known barriers to identify priority barrier
crossings that are eligible for improvement under Forest
Renewal British Columbia's (FRBC) Watershed Restoration
Program (WRP). In order to prioritize access issues, all
crossings within a watershed are typically evaluated,
such that the relative importance of addressing those
that are eligible for funding through FRBC programs is
within a watershed context.
The FPCI procedures have been developed to assess fish
access at culvert bearing road crossings installed before
the implementation of the Forest Practices Code. Although
an informal evaluation of this type is completed during
a WRP Fish Habitat Assessment Procedure (FHAP) - Level
1 Field Assessment (Johnston and Slaney 1996), this is
only done if the road crossing happens to be within the
portion of stream reach from which data is being collected.
Therefore, a culvert above or below the site may not be
assessed, and certainly a comprehensive assessment of
watershed culverts is not completed. Similarly, the WRP
Sediment Source Surveys (SSS) (Moore, G. 1994) funded
by FRBC may evaluate every culvert crossing in a watershed
for sediment delivery, but it does not assess fish passage.
Therefore, the FPCI procedure has been developed to evaluate
one of the most easily addressed fish habitat constraints.
Access to existing habitats.
The FPCI is easily incorporated into the Watershed Restoration
Program toolbox with other assessments and activities.
It should be considered as a potential add on component
to be included as part of a Fish Habitat Assessment Procedure,
as it addresses one of the high priority objectives of
FRBC; fish access. In many watersheds an FHAP may have
already been completed, in which case the FPCI can be
carried out as a stand-alone assessment that draws on
habitat value information collected during the FHAP. Interior
Watershed Assessment Procedures (IWAP) and Coastal Watershed
Assessment Procedures (CWAP) may provide a reasonable
selection tool in determining which watersheds should
undergo an FPCI as these procedures identify the number
of road crossings per kilometer of stream. The higher
the number of crossings the greater the likelihood that
stream connectivity issues associated with crossings could
exist.
The FPCI is a watershed approach to determining connectivity
of fish habitats, and relative priorities of FRBC eligible
crossings in the stream network, in order to address fish
access issues associated with road crossings. The priorities
identified by the FPCI are then incorporated into the
overall restoration planning for a watershed, adding a
critical component to the rehabilitation of fish and fish
habitat. Even though this assessment has been developed
for use in the Watershed Restoration Program and the eligible
funding criteria established by Forest Renewal British
Columbia, it is easily applied to other non-forestry locations
and programs without modification.
The data collected herein provides support for determination
of fish passage, as well as serving as a quality assurance
tool to be used for expert evaluation in determining if
additional assessment is required. If a fish passage issue
is identified and prioritized to be addressed, a prescription
will need to be completed to re-establish fish access
at the crossing. All prescriptions leading to installation
of new FRBC eligible crossing structures will need to
meet Forest Practices Code standards.
The FPCI is best completed by a qualified fisheries biologist
because of the need to carry out fish sampling and identification
at crossings where fish inventories have not been previously
completed, and a subjective evaluation of the value of
fish habitat to be gained by restoring access.
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