111752

Three ponds exist in this protected area on the west side of the Exchamsiks River, just north of Highway 16, that are stranding fish and causing mortality. Site 25R is a large pond on the west side of the boat launch access road, fed by a small stream from the north. Site 25B is a small pond across from 25R on the east side of the boat launch access road. Site 25C is a large pond closer to the boat launch on the west side of the access road, north of 25B. Prescriptions were secured in 2022 to provide two-way fish passage and additional spawning and rearing habitat at these sites. When the Skeena River is in freshet in June/July, the pond at Site 25R populates with salmon fry entering through the porous riprap in the CN railway and highway grades. Fry grow well in the pond and reach a smolt size but cannot return to the Skeena River to complete their life cycle. Over the past four years, the Kitsumkalum Band has salvaged more than 10,000 coho and chinook juveniles from Site 25R. This project's proposed activities include diverting the creek from 25R into 25C with the installation of an arch culvert through the boat launch access road, then creating an exit channel from 25C to the Exchamsiks River on the south side of the boat launch. To prevent future stranding of fish in 25R, geotextile fabric will be installed under riprap along the highway bank. This is also a popular recreational area as it functions as a boat launch for sport fisherman and ecotours. As such, the final part of the 25R/25C project will involve building a footbridge (to BC Parks standards) over the created exit channel to the Exchamsiks River, making some trail improvements to the existing BC Parks foot trail, and producing pacific salmon interpretive signage to install on the trail at the 25C pond. The second part of the project includes prevent the stranding of fish at Site 25B. Since this pond does not provide adequate quality fish habitat, the proposed activity will involve filling in the pond. Water quality is a major concern at this site with dissolved oxygen levels measuring below 4.00 mg/L for most of the year, creating lethal conditions for the roughly 100 fish that are salvaged from the site annually. All fish will be salvaged from 25R and 25B prior to works and released at the Exchamsiks River boat launch. Work areas at each end of the 25C pond will be isolated prior to the culvert installation and exit channel works. All habitat restoration works and trail improvements will be completed in 2023. In the next two years (until March 31, 2026), success monitoring will be conducted at the restoration sites with the goals of finding 1) no fish stranded in Site 25R, 2) juvenile salmonids rearing in Site 25C, 3) adult salmonids spawning in the diverted creek upstream from Site 25C, and 4) regular use of the interpretive trail. Success monitoring activities will include minnow trapping, spawning surveys, water quality monitoring, and collecting trail use data.