Crossing 125231 - Chuchinka-Table FSR - Trib to Table River

Site Location

Crossing 125231 is located on an unnamed tributary to the Table River near the 20km mark of the Chuchinka-Table FSR. The culvert is located 0.7km from the confluence of the Table River on the upstream side of the CN Railway (Table 1). At the time of the field surveys, there was active log hauling on the FSR.


Background Information

At the crossing location, the stream is a 3rd order stream with a watershed area upstream of the road of 4km2. The elevation of the watershed ranges from a maximum of 1400m to 760m at the culvert. One previously unassessed crossing (16603641) is located upstream (450m) and previously unassessed crossing (16603278) is located downstream 210m under the CN Railway.


Provincial records indicate that Rainbow Trout have been captured just upstream of the crossing and Rainbow Trout and Sucker species have captured downstream (MoE 2019; Zemlak and Langston 1995).


Hagen et al. (2015) have identified the Table River watershed and several tributaries as containing critical spawning and juvenile rearing habitat for large body Bull Trout with an estimated minimum spawner abundance of 100 fish.


The Table River (along with the Anzac River) is identified as the primary core of post-Williston Arctic Grayling distribution in the Parsnip River watershed with life history, migration behaviours and critical habitats summarized in Hagen et al. (2015). The mainstem of the Table River contains critical habitats for all life stages of Arctic Grayling with adults observed moving among mainstem locations and tributaries during summer (Hagen et al. 2015).


In 2018, the Table River watershed was designated as a fisheries sensitive watershed under the authority of the Forest and Range Practices Act (FSW identifier f-7-022) due to significant downstream fisheries values and watershed sensitivity (Beaudry 2014). 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 125231 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 habitat (2.4km) with a relatively large channel size (3.3m) and Rainbow Trout documented upstream (Table 2). The habitat confirmation was completed on September 4, 2019 (downstream) and September 05, 2019 (upstream). A map of the watershed including areas surveyed is provided in Attachment 1 – Map 093J120.


Stream Characteristics at Crossing

At the time of the survey, the un-embedded and non-backwatered double (1.2m each) crossing was considered a barrier to upstream fish passage with pipe lengths of 13.5m, a culvert slope of 3.5% and an outlet drop of 0.65m (Table 3, Figure 1). Water temperature was 9\(^\circ\)C and conductivity was 43uS/cm.


Stream Characteristics Downstream

The stream was surveyed downstream from the culvert for 350m to within the floodplain of the Table River. Overall, total cover amount was rated as moderate with overhanging vegetation dominant (Figures 2 - 3). Cover was also present as small woody debris and undercut banks. Gravels suitable for spawning were abundant throughout the area surveyed. The average channel width was 3.1m, the average wetted width was 2.5m and the average gradient was 5.2% (Table 4). Habitat value downstream of the crossing was rated as high.


Stream Characteristics Upstream

The stream was surveyed upstream from the culvert for 600m to 100m above the location of a newly installed bridge (modeled crossing 16603641, Figure 5). The average channel width was 4m, the average wetted width was 3.5m and the average gradient was 6.3% (Table 4). Riparian vegetation was comprised of a mature coniferous forest and instream cover quantity was rated as moderate. The dominant cover form of cover was deep pools with small woody debris, large woody debris, boulders, undercut banks, and overhanging vegetation also available. Gravels suitable for spawning were present intermittently throughout the area surveyed (Figures 6 - 7). Although there were no permanent barriers, some debris steps from 30 - 70 cms high were located throughout. Habitat value upstream of the crossing was rated as high.


Conclusion

There is approximately 2.2km of mainstem habitat upstream of crossing 125231 modeled as less than 22% gradient. Habitat surveyed was rated as high value for salmonids with Rainbow Trout presence confirmed upstream of the crossing (Triton Environmental Consultants Ltd. 1999). Bull Trout is known to utilize adjacent streams of similiar size and topography within the vicinity of this stream and the watershed is designated as Fisheries Sensitive with critical habitat for Bull Trout and Arctic Grayling spawning as well as critical rearing habitat for Bull Trout juveniles and Arctic Grayling fry known in the Table River system. The forest licensees in the area are Sinclar Group and Canfor and the road tenure holder is the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development. Overall, the crossing located on the Chuchinka-Table FSR 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
125231 Trib to Table River Chuchinka-Table FSR FLNRORD 5506 08 0 549976 6065139 RB 2.4 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
093J120 2.4
3.3 RB Low High Larger stream with fish present upstream. Assess upstream modelled crossing 16603641.


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
125231 1.2 13.5 no no 1 0.6 0.4 3.8 Barrier


Table 4: Summary of habitat details
Site Location Length Surveyed (m) Channel Width (m) Wetted Width (m) Pool depth (m) Gradient (%) Habitat Value
125231 Downstream 350 3.1 2.5 0.4 5.2 High
125231 Upstream 600 4 3.5 0.4 6.3 High


Outlet of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549976 6065139).

Figure 1: Outlet of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549976 6065139).


Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549976 6065139).

Figure 2: Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549976 6065139).


Passable railway culvert (modeled crossing 16603278) located downstream of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549788 6065094).

Figure 3: Passable railway culvert (modeled crossing 16603278) located downstream of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549788 6065094).


Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549786 6065066).

Figure 4: Habitat downstream of PSCIS crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549786 6065066).


View of bridge (modeled crossing 16603641) located upstream of crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 550099 6065555).

Figure 5: View of bridge (modeled crossing 16603641) located upstream of crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 550099 6065555).


View of habitat upstream of crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549975 6065209).

Figure 6: View of habitat upstream of crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 549975 6065209).


View of habitat upstream of crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 550041 6065348).

Figure 7: View of habitat upstream of crossing 125231 (UTM: 10N 550041 6065348).



References

Beaudry, Pierre G. 2014. “Assessment and Assignment of Sensitivity Ratings to Sub-Basins of the Table Watershed in Parsnip Drainage – Ominieca Region. Contract Number: GS15823011.” Report. http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/acat/public/viewReport.do?reportId=51634.

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.”

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.

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

Zemlak, R. J., and A. R. Langston. 1995. “Fish Species Presence and Abundance of the Table River, 1995.” Peace/Williston Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program.