Crossing 57681 - Chuchinka-Colbourne FSR and CN Railway - Trib to Parsnip River

Site Location

Crossing 57681 is located on an unnamed tributary to the Parsnip River under the CN Railway and Chuchinka-Colbourne FSR and CN Railway immediately upstream of the confluence with the Parsnip River and approximately 2.5 km north-east of Tacheeda Lakes (Table 1). At the time of the field surveys, the FSR had heavy traffic associated with the Gaslink Pipeline construction project. A remote camp for the pipeline project was located approximately 1.5 km up the FSR from the crossing location.


Background Information

At the crossing location, the stream is a 4th order stream with a watershed area upstream of the crossing of 24.6km2. The stream drains Goose Lake with Burbot, Sculpin, Lake Chub, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Redside Shiner and Suckers recorded upstream (MoE 2019). Goose Lake is located on the west side of the Parsnip River, is approximately 75ha in area, sits at an elevation of approximately 800m and drains tributary watersheds with elevations reaching near 1000m. Goose Lake was stocked with Rainbow Trout on eight occasions since 1982, with the last stocking event occurring in 2002 (“Fish Inventories Data Queries” 2020). Stocking was discontinued in 2002 as the lake was thought to be more suitably managed as a wild fishery and because the risks associated with possible genetic introgressions with native stocks were assessed as outweighing the likely benefits of the stocking program (Clarke 2005). There are no other crossing barriers on the mainstem of the stream between the FSR and Goose Lake which is located 7 km upstream of the culverts. PSCIS crossing 57676 is located between Goose Lake and an upstream lake/wetland area and although it was assessed as a barrier in 2012, PSCIS data indicates low value habitat upstream with “no further action” recommended in recorded contractor comments (Gollner, Cain, and Russell 2013; Hooft 2014).


Following office review, PSCIS stream crossing 57681 was ranked as a high priority for follow up with habitat confirmation due to the potential for rehabilitation of the crossing to provide access to upstream lake (89.5ha), wetland (48ha) and instream (49.2km) habitat. Additionally, it was known as fish bearing upstream of the crossing and ranked by Gollner, Cain, and Russell (2013) as a high priority for follow up (Table 2). The habitat confirmation was completed on September 06, 2019. A map of the watershed including areas surveyed is provided in Attachment 1 – Map 093J119.


Stream Characteristics at Crossing

At the time of the survey, the 1.5m diameter culvert under the CN Railway and the Chuchinka-Colbourne FSR was considered a barrier to upstream fish passage with a length of 50m, an average depth of fill on top of the culvert of 2.5m and an outlet drop of 0.5m (Table 3, Figure 1). Water temperature was 11\(^\circ\)C and conductivity was 271uS/cm.


Stream Characteristics Downstream

The stream joins the Parsnip River immediately downstream from the culvert . Minnow traps were set overnight below the crossing with one Burbot (81mm fork length) and two Rainbow Trout (52mm) captured (Figures 2 - 3).


Stream Characteristics Upstream

Upstream of the crossing a 550m site was surveyed. No obstacles to fish passage were observed and numerous young of year and parr salmonids (suspect Rainbow Trout) were observed. Wetland type habitat was present for the first approximately 100m upstream of the crossing and the average channel width was 4.5m, the average wetted width was 2.9m and the average gradient was 1.3% (Table 4, Figures 4 - 6). Small woody debris, overhanging vegetation and undercut banks were abundant throughout the surveyed area and occasional pockets of gravels were present suitable for spawning small bodied salmonids. Minnow trapping was conducted upstream of the crossing with four Rainbow Trout parr captured (45 - 54mm). Overall the habitat upstream of the crossing was considered medium.


Conclusion

There is over 7km of low gradient mainstem habitat upstream of crossing 57681 as well as a modeled 77.7ha of confirmed fish bearing lake. Multiple species have been confirmed upstream of the crossing including a self-sustaining population of Rainbow Trout with genetics likely influenced by historic stocking programs. Habitat surveyed was rated as medium value for salmonids due to relatively low elevation of the watershed, the prevalence of wetland type habitats and the likely lack of upstream spawning areas suitable for migratory large bodied Bull Trout and downstream Arctic Grayling populations. Although Canadian Forest Products Ltd. and BCTS use the road to access their operations areas, the forest licensee directly adjacent to the crossing is Sinclar Group. The road tenure holder is the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development (FLNRORD) and the operator of the railway is CN Rail. Replacement of the crossing will require a collaboration between FLNRORD and CN Rail with relatively high replacement costs expected due to the length of the structure, the presence of the railway and the large amount of fill over the culvert. Overall, the crossing was ranked as a high priority for rehabilitation.


Table 1: Overview of stream crossing.
Site Stream Road Tenure UTM (10N) Fish Species Habitat Gain (km) Priority
57681 Trib to Parsnip River Chuchinka-Colbourne FSR and CN Railway FLNRORD 5506 04 and CN Rail 533218 6067620 BB, CC, LKC, MW, RB, RSC, SU 7 High


Table 2: Field map, Fish Habitat Model outputs, historic PSCIS details and prioritization for follow up with fish habitat confirmation rank/comments.
Map 50k Instream (km) Lake (ha) Wetland (ha) Channel Width (m) Fish Upstream Habitat Value Rank Comments
093J119 49.2 137.5 48 2.9 BB, CC, LKC, MW, RB, RSC, SU High High Prioritized in Gollner et al. (2013).


Table 3: Summary of culvert fish passage assessment.
Site Diameter (m) Length (m) Embedded Backwatered Fill Depth (m) Outlet Drop (m) Outlet Pool Depth (m) Stream Width Ratio Barrier Result
57681 1.5 50 no no 2.5 0.5 1.5 3.3 Barrier


Table 4: Summary of habitat details
Site Location Length Surveyed (m) Channel Width (m) Wetted Width (m) Pool depth (m) Gradient (%) Habitat Value
57681 Upstream 550 4.5 2.9 0.4 1.3 Medium


Outlet of PSCIS crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 533218 6067620).

Figure 1: Outlet of PSCIS crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 533218 6067620).


Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 533218 6067620).

Figure 2: Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 533218 6067620).


Set minnow traps and habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 537612 6064559).

Figure 3: Set minnow traps and habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 537612 6064559).



View of habitat upstream of crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 533202 6067612).

Figure 4: View of habitat upstream of crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 533202 6067612).


View of habitat upstream of crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 532803 6067727).

Figure 5: View of habitat upstream of crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 532803 6067727).


View of habitat upstream of crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 532816 6067712).

Figure 6: View of habitat upstream of crossing 57681 (UTM: 10N 532816 6067712).



References

Clarke, A. 2005. “Omineca Region Stocked Lake Assessment Report - Goose Lake,” 7.

“Fish Inventories Data Queries.” 2020. BC Ministry of Environment Fish Inventories Data Queries. http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/fidq/welcome.do.

Gollner, M C, Robijn Cain, and Krista Russell. 2013. “FISH PASSAGE CULVERT INVESTIGATIONS - Prince George Timber Sales Business Area - CONTRACT # PD13TGB001.” MarLim Ecological Consulting Ltd.

Hooft, Jason. 2014. “Prince George Forest District: Parsnip Watershed 468 Locations Contract: PD14TGB003,” 25.

MoE. 2019. “Known Bc Fish Observations and Bc Fish Distributions.” Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy - Knowledge Management. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/known-bc-fish-observations-and-bc-fish-distributions.