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Report: QUA AND CURTIS CREEKS CRYSTAL GREEN NUTRIENT RESTORATION PREPARATION
PROJECT FWCP COL- F17-F-1410
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During the 2016 growing season, Curtis and Qua Creeks in the Salmo River watershed were sampled for the second of a three year project (2015-2017) of the Nutrient Restoration Preparation Project. Sampling included water chemistry to assess trophic status, periphyton growth to assess primary productivity, invertebrate diversity to assess secondary productivity and fish abundance and condition.
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Author: G. Nellestihn, R. Irvine
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Old Reference Number: COL- F17-F-1410
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Old Reference System: FWCP Fish Wildlife Compensation Program - Columbia
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Date Published: Jul 2017
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Report ID: 52848
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Audience: Government and Public
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During the 2016 growing season, Curtis and Qua Creeks in the Salmo River watershed were sampled for the second of a three year project (2015 to 2017) of the Nutrient Restoration Preparation Project. Sampling included water chemistry to assess trophic status, periphyton growth to assess primary productivity, invertebrate diversity to assess secondary productivity and fish abundance and condition. This assessment of the overall productivity of these two creeks is to determine if either creek is suitable for nutrient restoration with the addition of Crystal Green pelletized fertilizer in future years to augment juvenile Bull and Rainbow Trout as a restoration action within the priority Salmo watershed. The set-up of the study applies a Before-After-Control-Impact-Paired experimental and analytic design.
Key results and observations from the second year of the study included three juvenile Bull Trout in Site 2 in Curtis Creek confirming that spawning does occur in at least one of these streams. A result of significance is that the main chemistry, primary productivity, secondary productivity and fish metrics were quite similar between the two selected creeks meaning that they would likely be suitable replicates for a Before-After-Control-Impact analysis as was proposed.
Total Nitrogen to Total Phoshporus (TN:TP) ratios ranged from a low of 13:1 to a high of 62:1 in Curtis Creek and between 28:1 to 57:1 in Qua Creek in the two sampling periods (June in early season and September in late season). Peak chlorophyll a densities were assessed as an index of primary productivity and in Curtis Creek peaked at 6.5 ug and in Qua Creek peaked at 9.3 ug. Invertebrate diversity as measured by the Shannon diversity indices ranged between 1.3 to 2.1 in both creeks, with the highest diversity found in lower Curtis creek. Lineal density was slightly higher in Qua Creek for the second year in a row ranging from 1.3-1.6 ind/m for all fish species. In Curtis Creek, the lineal density ranged from 0.9-1.2 ind/m. Temperatures in both creeks were appropriate for Bull Trout and Rainbow Trout rearing and for Bull Trout presence.
Proposed fertilization using this background study will require delivery of 10 kg bags of fertilizer pellets to a chosen fertilization site. As such, accessible options along each creek was also discussed. The access to mid- and upper-Qua creek is limited to hiking (or helicopter) and the access to upper Curtis creek is by foot or mountain or trail bike. The access to lower Qua and lower and mid-Curtis Creeks is by 4x4 vehicle on logging roads.
These two creeks are likely suitable for fertilization treatment after further baseline data are collected should a compensation option in the watershed be desired. Further information on the effects of fertilization on Rainbow Trout and the overall health of the streams should be completed before the fertilization occurs if the information is available in the literature. Another compensation option would be the translocation of adult Bull Trout into the Salmo River to bolster the very low numbers of Bull Trout spawning in the Salmo watershed. This option would require significant background research on the associated risks and benefits of translocation. Augmenting the adult population could eventually seed these creeks with juvenile Bull Trout through increasing spawner density and utilization.
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Report Type
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Fish and Aquatic Habitat Information |
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Subject
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Fish Species - Bull Trout - Salvelinus confluentus |
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Fish Species - Rainbow Trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss |
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Region - Kootenay |
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Fish and Fish Habitat - Management |
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Fish and Fish Habitat - Restoration |
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