Water Stewardship Information Sources

Citation Burke, L, Hutchinson, J, Warttig, W. 2012. Restoration Plan: Detailed salmon habitat and riparian overview with level II prescriptions - Atleo River, Bedingfield Watershed. Central Westcoast Forestry Society.
Organization Central Westcoast Forestry Society
URL http://clayoquot.org/sites/default/files/content-documents/Atleo%20River%20Restoration%20Plan%202012.pdf
Abstract/Description or Keywords This Restoration Plan addresses not only the root causes directly responsible for the
immediate loss of habitat quantity and quality, but also the ecosystem processes that
create and maintain habitats through time (CSSP, 1995)4
.
Although some road deactivation was carried out in the Atleo River Watershed not all of
the high-risk roads were deactivated; some TFL 57 roads that were deactivated isolated
sections of TFL 54 roads that were not deactivated and some of the roads that were
deactivated were done to an earlier standard and still retain an unacceptable level of
risk.
The success and effectiveness of the road deactivation activities varies across the
watershed and it is not within the scope of this report or the author’s experience to
assess the effectiveness of these activities. The road risk assessment provides
effectiveness information as it was implemented after the road deactivation occurred. If,
in the road risk summary, the road is listed as deactivated but there is high to critical risk
associated with the road, then we can conclude that it was not very effective. Instead,
we hope to provide a better understanding of the amount of slide activity, the number of high-risk roads in the upper watershed that pose a risk to fish habitat, and the impact
the slide activity is having in the anadromous downstream reaches (1 to 5) of the Atleo
River.
In the Atleo River Watershed, riparian areas have been significantly altered and
reduced. During the Level I and II fisheries habitat assessment, not all riparian polygons
were visited to observe the current conditions in comparison to the evaluations made by
Poulin and Simmons in 1999. This assessment is not intended to be a comprehensive
riparian assessment, but rather, a cumulative assessment that combines information
and recommendations collected during past assessments with observations and
recommendations from this recent assessment.
From our observations, and based on the assessment provided by Poulin and Simmons
(1999), we recommend that Riparian Vegetation Type5
(RVT) 2 and RVT 3 sites be
given the highest priority for treatment. Restoration in these areas will have the
maximum and an immediate benefit for fisheries habitat. No restoration is
recommended for RVT 1 or RVT 5 sites. These RVT’s should not be altered by
restoration activities.
During the assessment, fish habitat in the anadromous reaches of the Atleo River was
generally found to be good, with the exception of poor pool area and boulder cover, and
fair wood cover in pools.
The impacts of sediment infilling from landslides in the upper Atleo are starting to be
observed in the anadromous reaches of the river with the decreased pool area, increase
in fines in the substrate and visible channel aggradation. These effects increase as you
travel upstream and are more apparent in reach 5 than in the lower reaches. Unhealthy
riparian areas further compromise fish habitat by offering poor bank protection, leading
to areas of erosion, and are functionally inadequate to provide cover, shade and a
healthy recruitment source of large woody debris.
Off-channel habitat appears to be sufficient in the lower Atleo River. Several short,
active and accessible channels were observed during the assessment. John Ebell
(2001) also noted the presence of functioning channels that offered summer rearing
habitat for coho and trout. These channels offer good quality over-wintering habitat and
refuge from predators for these species during peak winter flows. Chum and coho would
likely be attracted to these areas for spawning. The construction of off-channel habitat
should not be a priority at this time because of the availability of suitable off-channel
habitat observed during this assessment. From this assessment we recommend the following:
 We recommend the Upslope Risk Assessment (Wise and Leslie, 2003) be
followed up with a site level prescription and reactivation and /or deactivation
plan. Stabilization of landslides in the upper Atleo would likely reduce sediment
input to the mainstem, improving water levels and slowing the loss of pool
habitat.
 A riparian restoration prescription has been written and approved for the Atleo
River (Poulin and Simmons, 1999). This prescription in addition to the results and
riparian recommendations in this assessment should be a priority project.
 Restoration in reach 5 should be a priority given the habitat conditions observed
during the assessment. An assessment of the upslope area with a site level
prescription as well as the removal of debris from the logjams and stabilization of
the bank would improve fish habitat.
 In reach 2, the combination of debris jams adjacent to overstocked conifer
plantations suppressed by overstory alder (RVT 3) has resulted in erosion on the
left bank that is over 70 m in length. The erosion is occurring between jams 3 and
4 (0+456 m to 0+529 m) as the energy of the river is being redistributed to the left
bank. The presence of the two debris jams, overstory red alder with suppressed
overstocked conifer plantation and the severe bank erosion makes this particular
location an excellent opportunity for instream and riparian restoration activities.
In addition to the restoration opportunities, a program to reintroduce pink salmon to the
Atleo River could be initiated, as they are an important source of nutrients for stream
and forest environments and food for many species. Prior to 1950, there were large
enough pink salmon runs to sustain an even and odd year commercial fishery.
Unfortunately, the runs were extirpated due to over fishing and the last time pink salmon
were documented in the Atleo River was 38 years ago, when a meager 75 were noted.
Mainstream has the expertise and technology to implement this type of program.
Information Type report
Regional Watershed Vancouver Island South, Vancouver Island North
Sub-watershed if known
Aquifer #
Comments
Project status complete
Contact Name
Contact Email