Crossing 125128 - Unnamed Road - Trib to Missinka River

Site Location

Crossing 125128 is located on an unnamed tributary to the Missinka River near the 1289.2km mark of an unnamed road. The road is accessed from the Chuckinka-Missinka FSR and is located on the south side of the Missinka River. The culvert is located 1.2km from the confluence of the stream and the Missinka River (Table 1). At the time of the field surveys, there appeared to be no active log hauling and extended sections of the road were overgrown with shrubs. The site was accessed by ATV.


Background Information

At the crossing location, the stream is a 3rd order stream with a watershed area upstream of the road of approximately 1.6km2. Although upstream tributaries are not mapped below 1000m, the elevation of the watershed ranges from a maximum of 1560m to 920m at the culvert. No other crossings were modeled upstream.


Provincial records indicate that Rainbow Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Sculpin, and Burbot have been captured in the subject stream approximately 400m downstream of the crossing (MoE 2019; Triton Environmental Consultants Ltd. 1999). Review of Triton Environmental Consultants Ltd. (1999) maps indicates that no fish were captured at a sample site located approximately 700m upstream of the crossing within a small tributary to a wetland area.


Hagen et al. (2015) have identified the Missinka River watershed as containing critical spawning habitat for large body adult Bull Trout with potentially less than 50 spawners utilizing the watershed. Critical juvenile rearing habitat is also noted as present (Hagen et al. 2015). Additionally, the Missinka River watershed is utilized by a possibly genetically distinct, self-sustaining Arctic Grayling population with the mainstem of the river providing critical habitat for fry and adult fish (Shrimpton, Roberts, and Clarke 2012; Hagen et al. 2015).


In 2018, the Missinka River watershed was designated as a fisheries sensitive watershed under the authority of the Forest and Range Practices Act due to significant downstream fisheries values and watershed sensitivity (Beaudry 2013). Special management is required in the crossing’s watershed to protect habitat for Bull Trout and Arctic Grayling and includes measures (among others) to limit equivalent clearcut area, reduce impacts to natural stream channel morphology, retain old growth attributes and maintain fish habitat/movement (Forest and Range Practices Act 2018).


Following office review, PSCIS stream crossing 125128 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 modeled instream (1.9km) and wetland (7.1ha) habitat and due to a past habitat value rating assessed as medium by Hooft (2014). Review of historic fisheries information also indicated a 1.9m wide channel located well upstream of the crossing (Table 2). The habitat confirmation was completed on September 02, 2018. A map of the watershed including areas surveyed is provided in Attachment 1 – Map 093I116.


Stream Characteristics at Crossing

At the time of the survey, the un-embedded and non-backwatered 1.2m diameter crossing was considered a barrier to upstream fish passage with a pipe length of 15m and a culvert slope of 2% (Table 3, Figure 1). Water temperature was 14\(^\circ\)C and conductivity was 168uS/cm.


Stream Characteristics Downstream

The stream was surveyed downstream from the culvert for 75m to below a 5m high cascade (10 m long at 50% gradient) and a subsequent 12m long cascade with gradients of 32% (Figure 2). Overall, total cover amount was rated as moderate with undercut banks dominant (Figures 3). Cover was also present as small woody debris, boulders, and overhanging vegetation. The average channel width was 2.1m, the average wetted width was 2m and the average gradient was 5.3% (Table 4). Habitat downstream of the crossing was rated as medium value with moderate rearing potential for Burbot, Bull Trout, Rainbow Trout and other salmonid species.


Stream Characteristics Upstream

The stream was surveyed upstream from the culvert for 50m to where an extensive wetland area began (Figure 4. The average channel width before the wetland was 11.3m, the average wetted width was 11.3m and the average gradient was 0.8% (Table 4). Overall, total cover amount was rated as moderate with the dominant cover form deep pools and overhanging vegetation and instream vegetation also available. Habitat value upstream of the crossing was rated as low as there was no suitable spawning habitat present for salmonids and low rearing potential due to the assumed shallow typical depth of the wetland.


Conclusion

There is approximately 0.7km of mainstem habitat within an extensive wetland area upstream of crossing 125128. However, large bodied Bull Trout are likely the only species potentially capable of getting over the steep cascade sections located just downstream of the road. Additionally, the likely shallow depths present in the wetland and a likely absence of habitat suitable for rearing or spawning upstream of the wetland areas (due to the small size of tributary watersheds) are likely not conducive to Bull Trout spawning and rearing. The forest licensee in the area are Sinclar Group and the road tenure holder is the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development. Overall, the crossing was ranked as a low priority for rehabilitation.


Table 1: Overview of stream crossing.
Site Stream Road Tenure UTM (10N) Fish Species Habitat Gain (km) Priority
125128 Trib to Missinka River Unnamed FLNRORD 5506 25 583454 6051827
1 Low


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
093I116 1.9
7.1 1.7
Medium High Assessment comments indicate good habitat upstream. Inventory site well upstream has channel width = 1.9 m.


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
125128 1.2 15 no no 1 0 0.2 1.8 Barrier


Table 4: Summary of habitat details
Site Location Length Surveyed (m) Channel Width (m) Wetted Width (m) Pool depth (m) Gradient (%) Habitat Value
125128 Upstream 50 11.3 11.3
0.8 Low
125128 Downstream 75 2.1 2
5.3 Low


Outlet of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583454 6051827).

Figure 1: Outlet of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583454 6051827).


Cascade (32% gradient) downstream of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583434 6051814).

Figure 2: Cascade (32% gradient) downstream of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583434 6051814).


Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583406 6051809).

Figure 3: Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583406 6051809).


View of habitat upstream of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583493 6051822).

Figure 4: View of habitat upstream of PSCIS crossing 125128 (UTM: 10N 583493 6051822).


References

Beaudry, Pierre G. 2013. “Assessment and Assignment of Sensitivity Ratings to Sub-Basins of the Missinka Watershed in Parsnp Drainage – Ominieca Region. Contract Number: GS14FWH-006.” Report. P. Beaudry; Associates Ltd. http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/acat/public/viewReport.do?reportId=51631.

Forest and Range Practices Act. 2018. “Order - Fisheries Sensitive Watershed Prince George Forest District.” http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frpa/fsw/approved.html.

Hagen, John, Susanne Williamson, Mike Stamford, and Ray Pillipow. 2015. “Critical Habitats for Bull Trout and Arctic Grayling Within the Parsnip River and Pack River Watersheds.”

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.

Shrimpton, J. M., S. L. Roberts, and A. D. Clarke. 2012. “Genetic Analysis of Arctic Grayling Population Structure in the Williston Watershedcfe3011493.Pdf.” http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/acat/documents/r38246/Report_311_GR_genetics_2012_1379090176074_c3e946726980918f9466d47b59978ad28ded2b969041dd7fe53b83cfe3011493.pdf.

Triton Environmental Consultants Ltd. 1999. “Reconnaissance (1:20,000) Fish and Fish Habitat Inventory of the Missinka River Watershed WSC: 236-614900.”