Safety Plan

Al Irvine


Al Irvine
New Graph Environment

250-777-1518
Date: 2022-09-24


Safety Plan - 2022-049-sern-skeena-fish-passage

The latest version of this pdf can be downloaded here.


A zip file which includes kml (google earth) and gpx (garmin) files of the sites to be potentially assessed can be downloaded here. Georeferenced pdf maps can be accessed and downloaded here for Bulkley and Morice, here for Kispiox and here for the Copper.


A summary of sites to be potentially assessed is included as Table 2. The process to shortlist these sites is documented here with a password provided in the email when this plan was originally forwarded. If you require the password again please email .

Accomodations

Al - 2013 Toyota Tundra black w/flatdeck and yellow can-am quad:

Mateo - 2007 Toyota Tacoma - gold with canopy:


Table 1: Crew members details and emergency contacts
name email phone satellite emerg_name emerg_email emerg_phone
Allan Irvine 250-777-1518 Tara Stark 250-505-9854
Dallas Nikal 250-877-3892 – alex nikal 250-877-2873
Vern Joseph 250-842-8204 truck radio equiped to call out Mike Risdale 778-210-0310
Tiesha Pierre 250-877-0849 truck radio equiped to call out Mike Risdale 778-210-0310
Mateo Winterscheidt 672-998-5293 807-790-7943 Felicitas Winterscheidt 519-636-5251
Jesse Olson – – – – –
Austin Green – – – – –

Equipment Checklists

Personal Equipment Checklist
GPS food
Suncreen gloves work
Bugspray glasses safety
Polarized glasses headlamp
Bear Spray hard hat
phone/camera steel toed boots
battery pack booster for phone clinometer
Hat field vest
first aid kit personal note book
Waders Extra clothes
Boots rain gear
Ski poles hand lens
water –


Crew Equipment Checklist
Hand saw pilon x 2
Linesman Gloves x 3 Measuring board
Backroads Mapbook Scale
Locational maps Permits
Background Documents Fish ID book
radio road Site Cards / Field Guide
Inreach Minnow Traps
Field Safety Plan Catfood
first aid kit level 1 Flagging
First Aid binder stocked Laptop w/basecamp
Throw bags GPS cable
polaski Lazer level
shovel Assessment cards fish passage
fire extinguisher backpack UAV
fire extinguisher pressurized Flow meter
Battery booster ATV
Compressor 12V bucket rigid x 2
Rubber boots (no-slip soles) bucket foldable
Small BT Speaker (for bears) clove oil kit w/ instructions
Oakton Multimeter gloves leather
Backpack Electrofisher sharpies
stop nets x 4 ATV gas
salt blocks ATV lock
loose salt UAV battery charger
dip nets x 2 wader disinfectant kit
tape measure hand GPS batteries
tape measure eslon ATV helmets


Nearest Hospitals

Houston Health Centre - 3202 14 St, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0 - 250-845-2294Houston Health Centre - 3202 14 St, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0 - 250-845-2294


my_caption(Smithers) Bulkley Valley District Hospital - 3950 8 Ave, Smithers, BC V0J 2N0 - 250-847-2611


my_captionWrinch Memorial Hospital - Hazelton - 2510 Hwy 62, Hazelton, BC V0J 1Y0 - 250-842-5211

Field Plan

Field work methods will result in products feeding reporting formats such as here for 2020 and here for 2021. Still picking away at 2021 and just updating version IDs as I get through it. and will generally follow procedures in:


Presence/absence of fish, species composition/density and distribution limits can be useful for prioritizing which crossings are a best fit for fish passage restoration and help inform follow up monitoring so electrofishing and minnowtrapping may be conducted. Standard Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory Standard Field Form site cards are used to gather habitat data. Field guide is here


We have PIT tagging equipment so we could consider tagging fish captured at electrofishing sites to help us better understand population sizes and fish movement upstream and downstream of sites over the years.


We are running digital field form tests using a product called Mergin Maps which syncs with QGIS. Crews can access projects with a free account. Please send me your usernames and I can begin to share projects/forms.


A guide to freshwater fish id such as McPhail and Carveth (1993) can be useful and can be downloaded here.


Check In Procedures

Call, text or inreach Tara Stark (2505059854) each morning to share the plan for the day (i.e. name of roads and sites). Check in time is before 7 pm each evening although we regularly check in throughout the day (ex. at arrival to site, 1pm and 4pm) on the inreach or by text and report position/provide updates.


Procedures for Failed Check-In - for Check in person


Procedures are summarized in the following Figure. If phone call or inReach check-in is not received by 7pm send text to inreach units, call or text cell phones of field crew members. If no response please call accommodations then personal emergency contacts to see if they have heard anything. Wait 1 hour and text inreach, text or call cell phones and personal emergency contacts and accomodations again. Repeat after 2 hours (9 pm) - if no response then notify the RCMP of a missing persons in field.


Procedures for failed check-in

















Table 2: Potential sample locations.
id Stream long lat comments
3054 Johnny David Creek -126.4478 54.59474 Sampling could provide insight into how high salmon acsend in this watershed.
8414 Clore -128.0377 54.43099 Modelled 11% gradient upstream for 500m. close to Clore River so potential high values.
8454 Trib to Copper -127.8154 54.80895 BT and DV confirmed. Two SFC priority sites upstream too.
8455 Trib to Copper -127.8114 54.81153 SFC ranked as high priority. BT and DV confirmed.
8465 Trib to Copper -127.7293 54.82940 Fish captured downstream. Smaller potential habitat gain.
8478 Trib to Copper -127.5999 54.76787 DV known kupstream at cascade. Small steeper habitat.
8511 Trib to Copper -127.5744 54.82840 Small watershed. Close to larger stream with salmon though so may have some decent hab values.
8518 Trib to Copper -127.3677 54.76332 Fish sampling already conducted but habitat confirmation may be helpful.
8525 Trib to Copper -127.7396 54.81270 Smaller stream with DV upstream. Outlet drop.
8527 Trib to Copper -127.7213 54.80815 DV confirmed upstream and SFC report indicates large outlet drop. Smaller stream though.
8530 Trib to Copper -127.7129 54.80518 Duplicate. Matched to wrong modelled crossing so corrected in bcfishpass.
8532 Trib to Copper -127.7007 54.81185 Habitat confirmation would be helpful. Fish confirmed here.
8543 Trib to Copper -127.5671 54.78977 Just slightly highe than steelhead model criteria. Close to McDonell Lake with fish upstream
8545 Trib to Copper -127.6451 54.79016 RB confirmed upstream. SFC recomends habitat assessment
8547 Trib to Copper -127.6004 54.79309 CT (and potentially RB) confirmed. Small lake mapped upstream.
8742 – -127.3084 54.04645 Remediated
57793 Vallee Creek -126.8141 54.52438 –
57978 Tributary to Trout Creek -127.4822 54.93291 –
58067 Tributary to Gramophone Creek -127.2858 54.97087 –
58159 McDowell Creek -127.0204 54.67521 Restoration likely forthcoming so sampling could inform monitoring program.
58242 Kathlyn Creek -127.1811 54.79231 –
123377 Thompson Creek -126.8090 54.57223 Would be good to get baseline conditions for species composition and abundance.
123392 Lemieux Creek -126.8540 54.62160 –
123393 Lemieux Creek -126.8549 54.62081 –
123426 Robin Creek -126.8782 54.63903 –
123697 Tributary to Driftwood Creek -126.9875 54.85582 –
123699 Tributary to Driftwood Creek -127.0021 54.84796 –
123794 Tributary to Blunt Creek -127.1806 55.09398 Sampling would provide insight into salmon use but unliley to have time.
123795 Tributary to Blunt Creek -127.1855 55.09473 Sampling could provide insight into salmon use but time limited so unlikely to happen this year.
124500 Helps Creek -127.0228 54.65954 Species compositionupstream and downstream could be insighful for prioritization and baseline if Telkwa Coal helps move this one ahead.
124504 Coffin Creek -126.9195 54.62079 –
195288 Gibson Creek -126.8188 54.59190 –
195290 Gibson Creek -126.8328 54.59318 –
195559 Goathorn Creek -127.1408 54.62009 –
195943 Stock Creek -126.7571 54.44226 –
195944 Tributary to Stock Creek -126.7495 54.44676 –
197360 Riddeck Creek -126.7093 54.05795 Prov engineers may want baseline monitoring data.
197365 Tributary to Owen Creek -126.8005 54.15719 Flow looks good in photos.
197379 Unnamed -126.8398 54.18209 Would be good to know what fish are here. Good site for tagging?
197640 Tributary to Buck Creek -126.6322 54.23614 Design in progress so sampling could inform monitoring program. Unlikley to have time for this this year though.
197653 Perow Creek -126.4428 54.51824 –
197658 Byman Creek -126.4210 54.51926 Not likely to get here due to timeing constraints.
197663 Johnny David Creek -126.3700 54.52177 Backwatering was completed anumber of years ago so samping could inform long term monitoring.
197668 Coffin Creek -126.9193 54.62098 –
197926 Tributary to Morice River -127.3659 54.19188 At Gidimt’en Camp. Maybe best left for another time.
197951 Tributatry to Morice River -127.1586 54.23138 Large lake headed stream with fish observed.
197954 Tributary to Morice River -126.9966 54.22716 Fish upstream. Good flow. Ford downstream.
197962 Peacock Creek -126.7918 54.36065 Site remediated. Long term monitoring required but could wait another year as work was conducted late last summer and we might expect CO moving in this fall..
197967 Taman Creek -126.0352 54.40227 Crossing remediated so samling could help inform long term monitoring.
197974 Watson Creek -126.2159 54.47603 –
197975 Ailport Creek -126.2090 54.47578 Should a remediation plan come together sampling could help infrom long term monitoring. Good candidate for riparian rencing as well as culvert replacement.
198008 Tributary to Nanika River -127.3761 54.01832 Site should be reassessed as we surveyed the wrong upstream channel in 2021.
198016 Tributary to Thautil River -127.3373 54.32459 Hab con conducted. Species presence would be insightful.
198022 Tributary to Tagit Creek -127.2404 54.22487 Small stream with likley beaver activity upstream. Fish points upstream. Upstream culvert has note sof good flow and fish present.
198048 Cesford Creek -126.3062 54.50844 Sampling could help build weight of evidence that no connection exists to Bulkley mainstem.
198049 Cesford Creek -126.2986 54.51141 Here or hwy 16 sampling could help understand downstream connectivity (or likely lack thereof) at railway. If CO get through as fry they may not get back out to mainstem.
198060 Tributary to Owen Creek -126.7967 54.14676 Was passable when assessed in 2021.
198064 Tributary to Lamprey Creek -127.1117 54.13584 Hab con completed. Sampling may be enlightening but habitat not stellar.
198065 Watson Creek -126.2178 54.49038 –
198066 Thompson Creek -126.8311 54.56060 Great candidate for channel redirection and would be good to get idea of baseline species composition/abundance.
1001800067 Perow Creek -126.4427 54.51753 –
1001800255 Stock Creek -126.7483 54.44729 –
1001800403 – -126.3443 54.48465 –
1001800670 Vanderven Creek -126.8799 54.65751 –
1001800865 – -127.3516 54.48459 –
1001801039 – -126.8010 55.12847 –
1001801071 Perow Creek -126.4438 54.52105 –
1001801115 Watson Creek -126.1912 54.49465 –
1001801123 Watson Creek -126.2046 54.49383 –
1001801328 Robin Creek -126.8760 54.65013 –
1001802047 Bulkley River -126.1262 54.42364 –
1001802069 Johnny David Creek -126.4370 54.59094 –
1001802239 – -126.0217 54.14638 –
1001802374 Causqua Creek -127.3052 55.03743 –
1001802482 Vallee Creek -126.8239 54.52943 –
1001802798 Coffin Creek -126.9224 54.60968 –
1001803294 – -127.6018 55.23941 –
1001803607 – -126.6900 55.10620 –
1001804538 – -126.0988 54.45026 –
1001805019 – -126.0716 54.42277 –
1001805507 Stock Creek -126.7647 54.42550 –
1001806259 Maish Creek -126.9413 55.22649 –
1008300001 – -127.6763 55.31842 Very close to Skeena mainstem. On aerial imagery appears as though stream might be difficult to loacate and not a straight forward connection.
1008300023 – -127.6636 55.31161 Private driveway on private land. CO fry observed upstream during salvage (FISS).
1008300024 – -127.6765 55.39932 No fisheries information
1008300095 – -128.0053 55.12911 Phase 1 required. Backwater location. Large stream wtih many species confirmed upstream.
1008300103 – -127.7272 55.45409 Coho upstream with significant amounts of lake and wetland habitat.
1008300104 – -127.7475 55.48778 CO points upstream and downstream.
1008300105 – -127.7614 55.49663 Coho and CT obs immediately downstream of the crossing.
1008300118 – -127.8498 55.48371 Access to Afleck Lake. No fish info.
1008300124 – -128.4618 55.73204 Fish sampling completed by SFC. Confirm if this road has been deactivated.
1008300128 Sterritt Creek -127.6561 55.51102 Downstream gradient models at 10% with potentially tight confinement so some potential for natural barrier downstream.
1008300142 McIntosh Landing Creek -127.7438 55.19779 Road mapped as approaching from either side.
1008300144 – -127.7606 55.18612 Could be difficult surveying due to wetland type terrain.
1008300157 Shandilla Creek -128.0209 55.08814 PK noted upstream and downstream. Rock obstacles noted upstream 400 and 500m in both Shandillas
1008300161 – -127.8117 55.49344 Private loand 200m downstream nd 400m upstream.
1008300162 – -127.8436 55.50858 Provides access to Pentz Lake
1008300163 – -127.9080 55.54445 Wetlands pstream. Not far from Kispiox.
1008300178 – -128.0719 55.27938 Stream network looks all over the place here. May not be straight forward to find channel.
1008300188 – -128.0817 55.28883 Wetland/lake area upstream.
1008300437 – -128.1692 55.40011 Wetland type area. May be difficult to find channel
1008300440 – -128.1704 55.40725 Downstream of SFC Map reference 15. SFC indicate FHAP completed in 2008.
1008300465 – -128.2141 55.40645 SFC references FHAP in 2008. No streamline apparent above the road but SFC report mentions mapping error in imap…
1008300483 – -127.7887 55.50325 Private land. Need to approach landowner about access. May be bridge but difficult to tell. Historic restoration work on this stream by AMEC and McElhanney.
1008300492 Hevenor Creek -127.7372 55.42802 Private land. Difficult to tell if this crossing is present. Seems likely due to amount of buildings on otherside of stream from main farm yard.
1008300849 Hazelton Creek -127.7489 55.26378 Known PK spawning locations downstream.
1008300856 – -127.7501 55.25657 Wetland areas upsteam. Some areas upstream look like gravels from aerial imagery. Streams are tagged as intermittent about 350m upstream.
1008300970 – -127.9172 55.09411 SFC mod priority with cost/benefit noted as required. Surveying upstream crossing could be enlightening. Downstream is private land.
1008301137 Beaverlodge Creek -128.2883 55.66013 CO and PK points in Kispioox just downstream.
1008301242 – -128.3837 55.71050 Road may be deactivated. Suspect difficult surveying due to wetalnd areas.
1008301290 – -127.9975 55.57653 Private land. Road difficult to make out on aerial imagery.
1008301326 – -127.7303 55.43296 Very close to Hevenor Creek with numerous species downstream. PK and CM spawning locations just downstrream of confluence. Private land crossing. Seventeen mile road crossing just upstream.
1008301446 – -128.1221 55.08659 Private land. Need to knock on door for access.
1008301747 – -127.9938 55.67868 SFC work conducted but no formal hab con. Smaller system
1008301754 – -127.9811 55.64290 FISS site notes indicate high value habitat. NFC at upper site. Suspect distribution limit is open wetland area well upstream of second crossing up.
1008301892 – -127.9002 55.63994 Stream may not be located where mapped. Suspect main crossing is futher to the east a bit.
1008301923 – -128.2909 55.33994 Crossing is way up in the mountains. Although there are no sample sites I would think that forestry would have fish info for this area.
1008301994 – -128.2055 55.40990 SFC completed FHAP.CO and CT. Habitat models as 8% upstream.
1008302085 – -127.5850 54.94306 CO not too far downstream. CT upstream. Maybe be bridge.
1008302116 – -128.3780 55.67988 Cascade at road. Decent size lake with CT and MW.
1008302257 Pinenut Creek -127.6258 55.38699 No fisheries information.
1008302324 – -128.3269 55.74628 Small lake upstream. Road deactivated?
1008302371 – -128.0575 55.63136 CO and PK doenstream with CT upsstream.
1008302377 – -128.0884 55.64649 Falls at end of reach 3 on main trib (see FISS sites for details). CT present upstream.
1008302403 – -128.3250 55.65646 Numerous sample sites upsteam with no fish noted. AT 1km upstream gradient noted as 17%.
1008302422 – -127.9222 55.51787 CT and DV downstream. Small lake upstream.
1008302518 – -127.8371 55.47573 Numerous wetlands upstream but stream habitat likely limited. CH spawning noted just downstream in McCully.
1008302758 – -128.0083 55.66285 Difficult to tell if road is there. Suspect backwtered crossing if CBS present.
1008302857 Andi Creek -127.9647 55.09927 Railway. Difficult access.
1008302868 Chicago Creek -127.6735 55.21494 No obvious access tothis site.
1008302869 Gershwin Creek -127.7363 55.18229 Railway crossing. Phase 1 not completed but SFC references work from 2000, and 2015.
1014000009 – -126.7377 54.38009 Design already completed by Steve Andrade. Plugging issues. Dry at time of photos from Steve.
1014000057 – -126.8854 54.32498 Large wetlands upstream and close to Morice mainstem.
1014000255 – -127.2638 54.13167 Phase 1 needed. Larger system with channel visibe in aerial imagery.
1014000571 – -126.9767 54.28765 Heavily logged upstream and many branches upstream are classed as intermittent.
1014000666 – -127.2445 54.05843 SFC site with fish point and lake upstream.
1014000768 – -126.8489 54.23059 Smaller stream with other road just upstream. Should assess but unlikley high value habitaat.
1014000819 – -126.9732 54.19572 Needs phase 1!
1014000855 – -126.8984 54.31800 CT point upstream. Small split watershed with many intermittent tagged streams.
1014001120 – -127.1446 54.23852 Fish noted in outlet pool. Huge outlet drop. Fish points upstream.
1024600895 Silvern Creek -127.4035 54.77358 Silvern Creek. Not yet assessed. Large system.
1024600913 Sandstone Creek -127.7130 54.80526 Duplicate of PSCIS 8530. DV and CT confirmed. SFC recommends habitat confirmation
1024601067 – -127.5223 54.81647 Adjacent to CO points with some lake/wetland upstream.
1024601216 – -127.6873 54.78100 Not associated with mapped stream. Seems unlikely to have significant amounts of high value habitat although could be crossing downstream of 8501 where there are DV known upstream.
1024702220 – -127.2789 54.04956 SFC site with fish known upstream.
1100001493 Coffin Creek -126.9143 54.59003 –

References

Fish Passage Technical Working Group. 2011. “A Checklist for Fish Habitat Confirmation Prior to the Rehabilitation Fo a Stream Crossing.” https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/land-based-investment/forests-for-tomorrow/checklist-for-fish-habitat-confirmation-201112.pdf.
McPhail, J. D., and R Carveth. 1993. “Field Key to the Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia.” https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/nr-laws-policy/risc/field_key_to_freshwater_fishes_of_bc_field_size_water_resistant_version.pdf.
MoE. 2011. “Field Assessment for Determining Fish Passage Status of Closed Bottom Structures.” BC Ministry of Environment (MoE). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/land-based-investment/forests-for-tomorrow/field-assessment-for-determining-fish-passage-status-of-cbs.pdf.