Upper Duncan River Bull Trout Migration Monitoring
Author: Golder Associates Ltd., Okanagan Nation Alliance
The main objective of the study is to determine whether the Bull Trout transfer program facilitates the recruitment of Bull Trout above and/or below Duncan Dam (BC Hydro 2008). The objectives outlined in the terms of reference are to: 1. Estimate the proportion of Bull Trout entering the Duncan Reservoir that originate from the Duncan Reservoir system; 2. Document the life histories of Bull Trout sampled from the Kootenay and Duncan systems; and 3. Identify differences in life histories between systems that may be associated with migration between systems.
The results indicate that 60% of adult Bull Trout captured in the flip bucket were from one of the three tributaries of the Duncan watershed. This suggests that a large proportion of adults transferred upstream by the flip bucket at Duncan Dam were spawned and reared in the Duncan watershed, migrated downstream to Kootenay Lake, and later returned to the Duncan watershed, possibly to spawn. Because of the uncertainties in this analysis, a precise estimate of the contribution of spawning areas upstream of Duncan Dam to the Bull Trout population in Kootenay Lake and Duncan Reservoir is not possible. However, the results support the idea that the transfer program contributes to recruitment by allowing access to spawning and rearing habitats in the Upper Duncan watershed to Bull Trout residing downstream of the Duncan Dam as adults.
The results indicate that 60% of adult Bull Trout captured in the flip bucket were from one of the three tributaries of the Duncan watershed. This suggests that a large proportion of adults transferred upstream by the flip bucket at Duncan Dam were spawned and reared in the Duncan watershed, migrated downstream to Kootenay Lake, and later returned to the Duncan watershed, possibly to spawn. Because of the uncertainties in this analysis, a precise estimate of the contribution of spawning areas upstream of Duncan Dam to the Bull Trout population in Kootenay Lake and Duncan Reservoir is not possible. However, the results support the idea that the transfer program contributes to recruitment by allowing access to spawning and rearing habitats in the Upper Duncan watershed to Bull Trout residing downstream of the Duncan Dam as adults.
Resources Data:
Name: DDMMON-5-YR10-2018-05-23
Format: PDF
URL: https://www.bchydro.com/content/dam/BCHydro/customer-portal/documents/corporate/environment-sustainability/water-use-planning/southern-interior/ddmmon-5-yr10-2018-05-23.pdf
Additional Info
Study Years: 2017, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2008
Published: 2018
Upper Duncan River Bull Trout Migration Monitoring
Author: Golder Associates Ltd., Okanagan Nation Alliance
Tags: Bull Trout, DDMMON5, Duncan Dam, Fish Weir, Flow, Juvenile, Kootenay Lake, Lower Duncan River, Movements, Operational Recommendations, Reservoir Operations, Salvelinus Confluentus, Transfer Program, Tributary, Upper Duncan River, WLR
The main objective of the study is to determine whether the Bull Trout transfer program facilitates the recruitment of Bull Trout above and/or below Duncan Dam (BC Hydro 2008). The objectives outlined in the terms of reference are to:
1. Estimate the proportion of Bull Trout entering the Duncan Reservoir that originate from the Duncan Reservoir system;
2. Document the life histories of Bull Trout sampled from the Kootenay and Duncan systems; and
3. Identify differences in life histories between systems that may be associated with migration between systems.
Summary
The results indicate that 60% of adult Bull Trout captured in the flip bucket were from one of the three tributaries of the Duncan watershed. This suggests that a large proportion of adults transferred upstream by the flip bucket at Duncan Dam were spawned and reared in the Duncan watershed, migrated downstream to Kootenay Lake, and later returned to the Duncan watershed, possibly to spawn. Because of the uncertainties in this analysis, a precise estimate of the contribution of spawning areas upstream of Duncan Dam to the Bull Trout population in Kootenay Lake and Duncan Reservoir is not possible. However, the results support the idea that the transfer program contributes to recruitment by allowing access to spawning and rearing habitats in the Upper Duncan watershed to Bull Trout residing downstream of the Duncan Dam as adults.