| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
In 2006, as part of its mission to promote and assist in the conservation of BC's fish and wildlife resources, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF) initiated a multi-year program to identify potential stream flow improvement projects in the Georgia Basin, primarily on east coast Vancouver Island (ECVI). Once built, these projects are intended to increase (or at least maintain in the face of climate change) the quality and quantity of freshwater fish rearing habitat and, in turn, wild smolt production for anadromous species (i.e., smolts/spawner). Though numerous terrestrial and aquatic species benefit from healthy stream flows, augmentation projects target native keystone stream-rearing species including Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and Steelhead (O. mykiss) and Coastal Cutthroat Trout (O. clarki clarki). Projects are designed to be as effective, and at the same time as environmentally benign, as possible. Provincial and federal fisheries agencies have been advocates for the program since its inception, regularly providing advice and in-kind support, where possible. Since 2006, annual financial support from the provincial Living Rivers Trust, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and the Pacific Salmon Commission Southern Fund has been complemented with assistance from local First Nations, municipal governments, regional districts, the private sector, community stream stewards and other interested ENGOs. In support of climate change adaptation since 2009, Natural Resources Canada has funded six Regional Adaptation Collaboratives across the country; one such initiative in BC has assisted BCCF's storage feasibility work in two ECVI watersheds: the Englishman River near the City of Parksville, and the Cowichan River flowing through the City of Duncan. This report summarizes storage feasibility work to date in the former, the Englishman River. This Report also includes the following attachments: App A: Englishman River Water Balance - Preliminary Regional Hydrologic Assessment. Prepared by Craig Sutherland, P.Eng.; Kerr Wood Leidal, July 2008. The purpose of this assessment is to review the storage capacity of Arrowsmith Lake to support both current and future water supply demand and conservation flows. The assessment will review if minimum conservation flows could be maintained at current levels along the full length of the river with consideration that the proposed municipal water supply intake was moved upstream of the current location. App. B: South Englishman River Water Balance and Hydrological Assessment - Shelton Lake Feasibility Assessment and Rationale. Prepared by Craig Sutherland, P.Eng.; Kerr Wood Leidal, May 2012. This technical memorandum summarizes a hydrological assessment for the South Englishman River performed since the preliminary hydrological assessment in July 2008. In addition, a feasibility assessment has been carried out to investigate potential storage options at Shelton Lake in the headwaters of the South Englishman River. App J: ECVI Storage Feasibility Project - Environment Assessment Component for Shelton and Healy Lakes. Prepared by Elke Wind; E. Wind Consulting, October 2008. The main objective of the environmental assessment component of this project was to identify and mitigate potential impacts of the proposed operations on the flora and fauna associated with the lakes, especially provincially and federally listed amphibian, bird, small mammal, and plant species. Photo Plates - Englishman River Storage Feasibility, Shelton Lake Option. |
