| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
At the request of West Fraser Mills Ltd - Quesnel Division and in conjunction with the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP), Cariboo Region, Williams Lake, Carmanah Research Ltd. conducted a Fish Passage – Culvert Inspection (FPCI) of Sovereign, Victoria and Reddish creeks are all sub-basins of the Cottonwood River. The FPCI is a process which attempts to identify culverted road crossings that may be barriers to fish passage. The procedures used during this survey followed those outlined in the Fish Passage – Culvert Inspection Completion Procedures; Draft 2A (April 1997), prepared by MELP, Cariboo Region. Initial site locations were determined by selecting road crossings from the FHAP Overview Report of the Cottonwood River, prepared by Carmanah Research Ltd. The Cottonwood River watershed comprises a study area of 247,363ha, and is located in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Three sub-basins within the watershed were included in the initial FPCI assessment. In order of confluence with the mainstem upstream from the mouth, the sub-basins are Sovereign Creek, Victoria Creek and Reddish Creek. The primary goal of the FPCI assessment was to identify culverts on fish bearing streams that are barriers to fish migration, and to suggest prescriptions to reopen these streams to fish. By removing these barriers, instantaneous and inexpensive increases in fish habitat may be attained. During the FPCI of the Cottonwood watershed, 27 sites were assessed and then divided into high, moderate and low priority categories for rehabilitation. Priorities for rehabilitation were based on the presence of a barrier and the potential for the culvert to become a barrier (ex. beaver activity upstream of the culvert). There were 20 high priority sites, 5 moderate priority sites and 2 low priority sites. Included with the descriptions of each site are remediation prescriptions and the length of stream habitat that can be gained by removing the barrier. |
