Bella Coola Valley Restoration

Objectives

To demonstrate a variety of restoration techniques that would benefit a variety of salmonids at various life stages.

FRBC Region/ MELP Region/ MoF Region

Pacific/Cariboo/Vancouver

Author

Michael A. Parker

Proponent

Ministry of Environment, with support of a Community Partnership Group including, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Central Coast Regional District, International Forest Products, Central Coast Fisherman’s Protective Association.

Watershed

Bella Coola

Location

The Bella Coola Watershed is located in the Mid Coast Forest District approximately 450km West of the City of Williams Lake.

Introduction

This project is the continuation of activities begun on the ground in 1997. Through the participation of a local partnership group small systems that feed the Bella Coola River are selected for restoration activities. MELP staff has completed most of the in stream prescriptions that are then constructed by a variety of local firms and groups. Works have been intentionally kept as primarily hand works when possible. The project created over 400 person days of work.

Assessments and Prescriptions

An Overview Fish Habitat Assessment was completed for the Bella Coola Valley in 1996. Level 1 FHAP’s were completed on six different tributaries in 1997, and prescriptions have been ongoing.

Rehabilitation Work

Site 1 - Anne Creek

Fencing was erected approximately 8 meters back from the creek for 700 meters to eliminate cattle access. An alcove pond into a corralled and graveled area provides a watering location to the cattle away from the main channel. Hand crews removed all small organic debris under 15 cm diameter and 2 meters in length within the channel for 1100 meters. Rakes were used to remove water parsnip that had choked the degraded channel. Finally, 846 Spruce and Cedar trees were planted within the newly fenced riparian.

Site 2 - Dump Creek

Dump Creek has historically been used as a spawning and rearing area for Coho and Cutthroat. However, ongoing problems with beaver and scour at a culvert placement on Highway 20 through which the Creek flows limited access into and out of the upper pond and channel portions of this creek. A beaver box was constructed and installed on the upstream end of the culvert to prevent beavers from damming the entrance, and a series of riffles were constructed below the culvert to improve access to the culvert and the habitat above. In the fall of 1998 adult Coho were observed in the pond above the culvert having successfully negotiated the riffles and beaver box.

Site 3 - Epp Creek

Epp Creek is a small channel primarily used for Coho rearing. However, late summer low flows often stranded fish in a few small pockets of water. A refuge pond of approximately 0.025 ha was excavated to a depth of 2 meters, and complexed with rootwads, artificial cut banks, and other LWD placements. As well, a 0.005 ha pond was excavated adjacent to a year round cool water spring that augment water flows in the creek during low flow periods. These two ponds will provide stable rearing and refugia area for juvenile fish of many species that seek stability from the waters of the Bella Coola mainstem some 300 meters downstream.

Site 4 - Tuck Creek

Tuck Creek was originally excavated as a 250 meter drainage ditch through an old cutblock and agricultural land. Due to the high quality of water it picked up, it has been highly utilized by Pink, Chum, Coho, and Cutthroat, and to a lesser degree, other species of fish. However, it is undersized for its high flows, and has minimal habitat features. As the first step in redesigning this channel, excavation has begun on a channel that will bring more stable year round flows from a spring to the ditchline. This 275 meter channel, to be built during early 1999, will have a repeatable riffle pool morphology and be complexed with LWD and boulder placements to target Steelhead and Cutthroat. In 1999, this work will be connected to the spring and ditchline, and the ditchline will be redesigned to handle all flows, complexed with structures, and morphologically altered to provide a combination of riffle and pool habitats. In total, 500 meters of new and existing channel will be reworked and complexed.

Site 5 - Hagensborg Slough

Work on the Hagensborg Slough was a follow up to restoration activities that had taken place during the summer of 1997. A couple of days were spent checking the 47 structures placed in 1997, and making any adjustments to these hand placements as was necessary. In addition a pond and channel habitat from one of the source springs was excavated to a depth of 2 meters, with four pockets in an existing pond brought to a depth of 3 meters during 1998. This 0.04 ha area was complexed with LWD placements and the streamside planted with 120 conifers. Coho, Cutthroat and other species were counted through the fish fence being operated as part of an ongoing monitoring program on the Slough. Over 400 spawning adult Coho were counted within the slough during the fall of 1998. By far the largest numbers observed in recent years, these fish were found almost exclusively within the reach restored during the past two years.

Site 6 - George Hall Creek

George Hall Creek was set to receive 35, full spanning log structures to promote scour of primary pool habitat within 500 meters of stream. Due to late funding approvals the in stream window for this activity as missed. However, all logs and rock materials have been placed on site and are ready for installation in 1999.

Cost Summary

Labour NFOL $30,000

Labour non-NFOL $40,000

Expenses $18,500

Materials $19,000

Total $107,500

Proposed Work

Thirty five full spanning log placements will be installed in George Hall Creek. Six large structures have been designed for a 180 meter section of Nuhalk Creek. Activities will continue in Anne Creek, George Hall Creek, Tuck Creek, Epp Creek, and Hagensborg Slough. New activities will be undertaken in Fish Creek, and Molly Walker Creek.

For Further Information contact:

 

After shot of a beaver box installed on Dump Creek:

 

Overwinter pond excavation on Epp Creek prior to wood complexing:

 

Fish counting fence constructed on lower Hagensborg Slough: