ID | 1243 |
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Citation | McGrath, E, Wei, A and Nichol, C. 2010. Salmonid distribution in relation to stream temperatures in Fortune Creek, British Columbia: The influence of surface water and groundwater interactions. Submitted to the Pacific Salmon Foundation. |
Organization | UBCO |
URL | http://www.thinksalmon.com/reports/FSWP_09_D_24_Final_Report_Appendix_A_-_Fish.pdf |
Abstract/Description or Keywords | Streamsᅠthroughoutᅠtheᅠsemi?aridᅠsouthernᅠinterior ofᅠBritishᅠColumbiaᅠ(BC)ᅠareᅠparticularlyᅠsusceptibleᅠ toᅠhighᅠwaterᅠtemperaturesᅠdueᅠto aᅠwarmᅠsummerᅠclimate,ᅠnaturallyᅠlowᅠsummerᅠflows,ᅠandᅠprolongedᅠ droughtᅠperiodsᅠinᅠ theᅠsummerᅠ (Walthersᅠ&ᅠNener,ᅠ2000). Extensiveᅠagriculturalᅠactivityᅠinᅠ theᅠvalleys andᅠanᅠincreasingᅠpopulationᅠbaseᅠresultᅠinᅠhighᅠwaterᅠdemandᅠonᅠstreams,ᅠthat frequentlyᅠleadsᅠtoᅠlowᅠ streamflowᅠvolumes. Waterᅠdemandᅠisᅠhighᅠforᅠirrigationᅠofᅠagriculturalᅠfieldsᅠandᅠorchards,ᅠwateringᅠofᅠlivestock,ᅠasᅠwellᅠasᅠ forᅠ industrialᅠ andᅠ domesticᅠ purposes.ᅠ Waterᅠ usersᅠ impactᅠ streamsᅠ throughᅠ directᅠ surfaceᅠ waterᅠ withdrawalᅠ andᅠpotentiallyᅠ alsoᅠ byᅠ groundwaterᅠ pumping,ᅠ whichᅠ canᅠ leadᅠ toᅠ aᅠ loweringᅠ ofᅠ theᅠ waterᅠ tableᅠandᅠaᅠsubsequentᅠreductionᅠinᅠstreamᅠbaseflows. SummerᅠwaterᅠtemperaturesᅠinᅠstreamsᅠthroughoutᅠtheᅠsouthernᅠinteriorᅠofᅠBCᅠfrequentlyᅠapproachᅠtheᅠ upperᅠthermalᅠlimitsᅠofᅠtheᅠsalmonidᅠspeciesᅠinhabitingᅠthemᅠ (Mathewsᅠetᅠal.,ᅠ2007). Thereᅠisᅠconcernᅠ forᅠ theᅠ sustainedᅠexistenceᅠofᅠsomeᅠ salmonidᅠpopulationsᅠinᅠ thisᅠ regionᅠandᅠhighᅠwaterᅠ temperaturesᅠ areᅠthoughtᅠtoᅠbeᅠaᅠlimitingᅠfactorᅠ(Walthersᅠ&ᅠNener,ᅠ2000). Inᅠlightᅠofᅠthisᅠissue,ᅠvariousᅠmanagementᅠ strategiesᅠhaveᅠbeenᅠconsideredᅠtoᅠensureᅠsummerᅠstreamᅠtemperaturesᅠremainᅠwithinᅠrangesᅠthatᅠcanᅠ beᅠtoleratedᅠbyᅠsalmonids.ᅠ Aᅠ commonᅠstrategyᅠisᅠ theᅠ re?vegetationᅠ ofᅠ streamᅠ banksᅠ toᅠincreaseᅠshadeᅠandᅠ reduceᅠ theᅠ solarᅠload reachingᅠtheᅠstreamᅠsurface. Anotherᅠisᅠtheᅠreleaseᅠofᅠwaterᅠfromᅠupstreamᅠreservoirs,ᅠwhichᅠhasᅠbeenᅠ demonstratedᅠtoᅠleadᅠtoᅠdownstreamᅠcoolingᅠ(Guᅠetᅠal.,ᅠ1998). However,ᅠthisᅠoptionᅠcanᅠbeᅠdifficultᅠtoᅠ implement.ᅠ Waterᅠdemandᅠisᅠhighᅠandᅠwaterᅠlicensesᅠonᅠmanyᅠinteriorᅠstreamsᅠareᅠfullyᅠallocatedᅠ(BCᅠ MinistryᅠofᅠWater,ᅠLandᅠandᅠAirᅠProtection,ᅠ2002). Additionalᅠwaterᅠduringᅠtheᅠlowᅠflowᅠseasonᅠcomesᅠ fromᅠ storageᅠ inᅠ reservoirs,ᅠ whichᅠ wereᅠ constructedᅠ toᅠ provideᅠ waterᅠ forᅠ anthropogenicᅠ purposes. Consequently,ᅠusingᅠstoredᅠwaterᅠfor conservationᅠpurposesᅠcanᅠconflictᅠwithᅠhumanᅠwaterᅠusesᅠwhereᅠ littleᅠwaterᅠisᅠavailable.ᅠᅠ Mostᅠ ofᅠ theᅠ waterᅠ flowingᅠ inᅠ streamsᅠ originatesᅠ fromᅠ groundwaterᅠ duringᅠ baseflowᅠ conditions.ᅠ Groundwaterᅠintrusionᅠthroughᅠtheᅠstreamᅠbedᅠprovidesᅠareasᅠofᅠstableᅠtemperatureᅠregimeᅠinᅠsummerᅠ andᅠwinter,ᅠensuresᅠstreamᅠbaseflows,ᅠprovidesᅠice?freeᅠhabitatᅠinᅠwinter,ᅠandᅠprovidesᅠnutrientᅠinputᅠtoᅠ streamsᅠ (Powerᅠ etᅠ al.,ᅠ 1999). Consequently,ᅠ groundwaterᅠ playsᅠ severalᅠ importantᅠ rolesᅠ inᅠ theᅠ maintenanceᅠofᅠfishᅠpopulationsᅠinᅠmanyᅠstreams. Theᅠ roleᅠ ofᅠ groundwaterᅠ seepsᅠ inᅠmoderatingᅠ streamᅠ temperaturesᅠ andᅠ providingᅠ thermalᅠ refugeᅠ forᅠ temperatureᅠ stressedᅠ salmonidsᅠ hasᅠ beenᅠ discussedᅠ inᅠ theᅠ contextᅠ ofᅠ salmonidsᅠ persistingᅠ inᅠ streamsᅠ consideredᅠunsuitablyᅠwarmᅠ(Ebersoleᅠetᅠal.,ᅠ2001;ᅠNielsenᅠetᅠal.,ᅠ1994;ᅠBairdᅠ&ᅠKrueger,ᅠ2003;ᅠTobias,ᅠ 2006).ᅠInᅠ theᅠBCᅠinterior,ᅠgroundwaterᅠandᅠsurfaceᅠwaterᅠinteractionsᅠandᅠ theirᅠimpactᅠonᅠ fishᅠhabitatᅠ haveᅠ beenᅠ identifiedᅠ asᅠ anᅠ importantᅠ knowledgeᅠ gapᅠforᅠ understandingᅠ howᅠ theᅠendangeredᅠInteriorᅠ FraserᅠCohoᅠsalmonᅠuseᅠtheirᅠavailableᅠhabitatᅠandᅠwhatᅠmayᅠbeᅠtheᅠcauseᅠofᅠdeclineᅠinᅠtheirᅠabundanceᅠ (InteriorᅠFraserᅠCohoᅠRecoveryᅠTeam,ᅠ2006). Theᅠ Pacificᅠ Salmonᅠ Foundationᅠ hasᅠ expressedᅠ concernᅠ overᅠ theᅠ persistenceᅠ ofᅠ salmonidsᅠ inᅠ Fortuneᅠ Creek,ᅠ aᅠ smallᅠ streamᅠ inᅠ BC'sᅠ southernᅠ interior.ᅠ Fortuneᅠ Creekᅠ isᅠ aᅠ regulatedᅠsystemᅠ thatᅠservesᅠ asᅠ aᅠ2 waterᅠsupplyᅠforᅠapproximatelyᅠ4,500ᅠresidences andᅠvariousᅠirrigationᅠusersᅠfromᅠtheᅠCityᅠofᅠArmstrongᅠ andᅠ Townshipᅠ ofᅠ Spallumcheenᅠ inᅠ theᅠ Northᅠ Okanagan.ᅠ Theᅠ creekᅠ providesᅠ importantᅠ habitatᅠ forᅠ residentᅠ rainbowᅠ trout (Oncorhynchusᅠ mykiss),ᅠ juvenileᅠ cohoᅠ (Oncorhynchusᅠ kisutch)ᅠ andᅠ Chinookᅠ salmonᅠ (Oncorhynchusᅠ tshawytscha).ᅠ Lowᅠ flows,ᅠ high waterᅠ temperatures,ᅠ andᅠ declinesᅠ inᅠ salmonidᅠ numbersᅠhaveᅠ beenᅠ documentedᅠinᅠ theᅠ creek,ᅠandᅠwaterᅠmanagementᅠinᅠ theᅠwatershedᅠ hasᅠ becomeᅠ increasinglyᅠ difficultᅠ (Seebacherᅠ etᅠ al.,ᅠ 2007).ᅠ Aᅠ scopingᅠ studyᅠ hasᅠ identifiedᅠ surfaceᅠ waterᅠ andᅠ groundwaterᅠ interactionsᅠ asᅠ theᅠ highestᅠ priorityᅠ issueᅠ toᅠ beᅠ examinedᅠ inᅠ theᅠ creek,ᅠ followedᅠ byᅠ highᅠ waterᅠ temperaturesᅠ andᅠ lowᅠ streamflowsᅠ (Seebacherᅠ etᅠ al.,ᅠ 2007). Theseᅠ conditionsᅠ makeᅠ Fortuneᅠ Creekᅠsuitableᅠforᅠstudyingᅠtheᅠinfluenceᅠofᅠgroundwaterᅠandᅠsurfaceᅠwaterᅠinteractionsᅠonᅠfishᅠhabitatᅠandᅠtheᅠpotentialᅠforᅠgroundwaterᅠtoᅠprovideᅠthermalᅠreliefᅠtoᅠsalmonids.ᅠᅠ |
Information Type | report |
Regional Watershed | Shuswap |
Sub-watershed if known | Fortune Creek |
Aquifer # | |
Comments | |
Project status | complete |
Contact Name | Adam Wei |
Contact Email | [email protected] |