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Location: Upper Fraser, Murray Creek Watershed Project Summary
SUMMARY Four priority Coho habitat restoration sites will be undertaken from a list of critically eroding Coho habitat locations, identified within the 1995 watershed plan. This plan tracks sites restored and remaining riparian restoration priorities relative to a watershed scale completion threshold. Participant perception of riparian values and how they support salmon population and watershed health will continue to be polled. Ecological indicators will be monitored at a site a by site and watershed scale. OVERVIEW The proposed projects will undertaken on 4 priority restoration sites following standard bioengineering practices, will continue to build rapport with local landowners, and will demonstrate the value of cooperation and compliance with current riparian management practices as a means to support fish and fish habitat values. The significance of undertaking these restoration 4 sites is that they build momentum and support for improved riparian management practices and provide the opportunity to educate through demonstrate projects. Salmonids are important to Murray Creek and the agricultural community within the watershed, and the organization and partnership building undertaken by W Salewski over the past 2 years as a volunteer has been amazingly successful in moved the entire community forward. The opportunity to make the Murray Creek project into a local demonstration of success is high because most key landowners are already onside in concept, and the watershed is small enough, with relatively few key landowners that success in the watershed could be relatively quick and inexpensive to achieve as compared with the larger Salmon River Watershed Project. There have been 2 consecutive years of community discussion and a very effective sponsorship drive spear-headed by local volunteer W Salewski. The partners supporting the project include: local agricultural producers, Ducks Unlimited, Alcan, Terason Gas, Spectrum Energy, Vanderhoof Fish and Game Club, Municipality of Vanderhoof, EFP, students from 3 area schools (regular and independent studies students from Nechako Valley Senior, Sinkut View Elementary, WLM McLeod Elementary) , MOE, MOF, MOT, MAL, local consulting company (Avison Mgt) and several key landowners. This initiative is an example of behaviour change in the making, similar to a trend that gathered momentum through a process of “positive cooperative action” and “leading by example” undertaken on the Salmon River nearly two a decades before.
OBJECTIVES Objective #1 Completion of 4 high priority Salmonid habitat restoration sites
Restoration sites will be planned and undertaken using standard bioengineering techniques which have proven successful at previously restored Murray Creek sites, supervised by an RPBio familiar with the treatment methods local site conditions, and participating landowners. The project report will be written using pretreatment and as-built summaries of site conditions, and will be included in a GIS map showing progress toward watershed restoration goals. Monitoring, outreach and improved water management are also important aspects of the watershed rehabilitation project. Media contact, signage, meetings, local monitoring and onsite tours have helped build understanding of the key local land and water management issues as well as cooperation and participation in finding solutions. Last fall the first two sites were undertaken including education of the landowner as well as undertaking two priority sites with minimal resources gathered from a variety of contributors to “get it on the ground” . These sites have already generated interest from other local landowners willing to undertake similar improvements to riparian management practices. In the meantime the MOE (Prince George) has begun a cop monitoring project with students. Local producers are undertaking farm planning actions to implement BMP’s, local contractors are supporting the project by providing rock at a reduced cost for river rehabilitation projects, and the MOF/MOT are undertaking culver Assessments to contribute to the watershed planning perspective. BENEFITS By improving natal stream habitats that are critical to salmonids , as well as by inspiring human behaviour change in relation to the importance of fish, fish habitat and what it represents watershed sustainability and human health. The project is already serving as a point of education for surrounding watersheds with similar issues and interests. Engage First Nations, government agencies and community groups/NGOs Local Band activities on the Nechako River sturgeon program support the Murray Creek project. Gov Agency involvement includes MOE, DFO, MOF, MOT, MAL, local schools, Ducks Unlimited, Spectrum Energy, Terason Gas, Alcan and a local Consulting Company and rock supplier are supporting the project . Landowners and agriculture industry such as BC Cattlemen’s, EFP are also involved Complement or implement local and / or regional plans (e.g., recovery plans, watershed plans) The watershed planning process has been informal to date with emphasis being on establishing some demonstration sites and early cooperative field activities to garner further local support. Value-added aspects Local capacity and understanding of riparian and fish/fish habitat values is being improved as the number of demonstration sites and landowners involved increases. Mentoring and leadership are products of the efforts to communicate and explain the value of good riparian management practices. A broad range of partners have been engaged including citizens, students, landowners , agricultural producers, EFP, industry, NGO and government agencies in the project to date.
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