| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
With support from the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (MWLAP), the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund (HCTF) and other partnerships, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF) has completed numerous habitat restoration and enhancement projects on Vancouver Island since 2000. To determine the success of previous works and to improve the effectiveness of future restoration/enhancement projects, BCCF conducted effectiveness evaluations on a majority of projects completed since 2000, including: Big Qualicum River riffle enhancements (2000); Little Qualicum River LWD and boulder riffle enhancement (2002 and 2003); Englishman River LWD and boulder riffle enhancement (2003); Sproat Lake outlet spawning gravel placement (2002); Toquart Lake outlet spawning gravel placement (2002); Stewart Lake outlet spawning gravel placement (2002); Elk Falls Canyon (Campbell River) spawning gravel placement (2002); Lens Creek (San Juan watershed) side-channel spawning gravel placement (2002); Dickson Lake (Ash River) outlet spawning gravel placement (2003); Second Lake (Nanaimo River) outlet spawning gravel placement (2003); South Nanaimo River spawning gravel placement (2003); and, San Juan watershed nutrient enrichment (2003). Monitoring techniques for all fish habitat restoration works followed those identified in Guidelines for In-Stream and Off-Channel Routine Effectiveness Evaluation. Evaluations of installed LWD and boulder-riffles determine each sites physical (structural) and biological performance. LWD and boulder riffle sites constructed on the Big Qualicum River (2000), Little Qualicum River (2002 and 2003) and the Englishman River (2003) were evaluated. Site descriptions for each constructed habitat included reach, chainage from a known location, site identification number, structure type and site objective(s). For physical performance, each site was rated on how well it met design objectives, including creation or maintenance of pool and/or riffle habitat, and/or protection of stream banks, supplying stream cover, and an overall rating. Biological performance objectives assessed included how well each site supplied overwintering, rearing and holding habitats for fish of all species. |
