Restoration Effectiveness Monitoring | |
Location: Fraser Valley,
Alouette and Silverhope
Project Summary
Purpose:
This proposal is intended to acquire critical funding for continued effectiveness monitoring of restoration projects with focus on streams in the Fraser River watershed, where significant in-stream large wood, boulder and side-channel restoration has been completed by the BC Conservation Foundation’s Steelhead Recovery / Living Rivers programs.
A multi-step effectiveness monitoring program has been established using the Effectiveness Monitoring Guide for Stream Restoration Conducted for Greater Georgia Basin Steelhead Recovery by Slaney (2007), based primarily on the American Fisheries Society’s retrospective/post-treatment analysis and recommendations in “Monitoring Stream and Watershed Restoration” (Roni, 2005). The goals are to measure the structural integrity of habitat restoration structures, prevent liability issues, and provide essential biological information in fish usage to engage an adaptive approach.
Method:
For stream rearing species such as steelhead and coho salmon, a measure of response to restoration can be gained by monitoring freshwater abundance of juveniles in restored and un-restored habitats. An effectiveness monitoring guide for stream restoration developed for the Steelhead Recovery Program (Slaney, 2007) outlines a need for replicated day-time summer in-stream underwater fish monitoring at the site and the reach level, compared to untreated spatial controls. Mid-winter night time underwater fish monitoring is also recommended because the over-winter period is documented to be the season of highest mortality in flood-prone coastal Pacific Northwest streams (Ward and Slaney, 2003). Assessment studies on the Thompson and Skagit Rivers have successfully employed the use of night time underwater surveys (Hagen et al. 2002, 2004). The proposed monitoring involves systematic late-winter (February) counts at night time with diving lights at the site level in paired reach sections and reach level day-time summer counts. Effectiveness monitoring activities will follow established protocols and generate quantifiable data that produces results that are repeatable by use of a replicated post-treatment design, in terms of both years and stream sites/reaches. Summer and winter surveys will be conducted on each of three completed mainstem large wood restoration projects; the Seymour River (LRGB funded), the Alouette River and Silverhope Creek, a subset of regional projects. Monitoring will include over 30 restored sites on the Seymour River (LRGB funded) and Silverhope Creek, and over 20 on the Alouette River. In addition to restored sites, up to 8 control sites will be evaluated on each system. Monitoring summer use involves carefully structured surveys conducted by 3 to 4 swimmers (depending on river size and water conditions) at restored sites (figure 1), natural woody debris sites, and identified control sites, which represent the pre-treatment state of restored sites. Winter surveys are similar to summer surveys, but are conducted at night with high powered dive lights and generally take more time to complete than summer swims. To date, initial ongoing monitoring on the Seymour and Silverhope systems has provided valuable feedback (figures 2-4) as to the importance of large wood restoration on juvenile salmonid populations and seasonal patterns of movement in coastal streams; both juvenile steelhead and coho are found in high densities in overwinter LWD refuges. Continued monitoring on additional systems is important as replicate data to strengthen results. It is also important to get an indication of regional and species-specific responses to restoration. Summer surveys will be completed during late July or early August 2008 when water temperature and discharge promote typical summer foraging behavior among juvenile salmonids. Winter surveys will be completed in late January or early February 2009 when conditions establish typical over-winter behavior in habitat selection.
To monitor the physical durability and performance of LWD structures over time, the Watershed Restoration Program - Forest Investment Account protocol “Guidelines for In-Stream and Off-Channel Routine Effectiveness Evaluation” (Anonymous, 2003) are used which determine the physical stream changes (pool scour, wood accumulation, etc) resulting from the structures.
Outcomes:
Deliverables of this project will include the acquisition of data on the seasonal habitat use by juvenile steelhead and coho in treated (restored) vs. control sites in the Alouette, Silverhope and Seymour (LRGB funded) rivers, during summer 2008 and winter 2009. In addition, we will conduct physical assessments of the large wood structures. Following the completion of data acquisition we will produce a report with statistically rigorous and publishable quality results to evaluate habitat restoration works in the Fraser Valley. In combination with additive input from other watersheds (incl. Vancouver Island), we will quantify the contribution of large wood, habitat boulder and off-channel habitat restoration projects, in summer rearing and winter habitats, and improvements in juvenile over-winter survivals, toward the ultimate goal of an increasing smolt yield in target watersheds.
Ongoing monitoring of current and future habitat restoration projects will provide guidance on improvements/alterations that maximize benefits to overwinter survival of juveniles and to overall habitat capacity. This allows for adaptive management of Steelhead Recovery/Living Rivers habitat rehabilitation program and provides a tool to examine the extent and focus of future activities. Juvenile data helps monitor local spawner abundance, habitat conditions, and effectiveness of restoration activities.
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