Ian Maxwell, April 2006

Lakelse Watershed Society

Sustaining Lakelse Sustaining Lakelse LakeLake

OutlineOutline• The importanceThe importance of the lake of the lake• Eight identified changesEight identified changes• Support for Kalum LRMPSupport for Kalum LRMP• QuestionsQuestions

Lakelse MusselsLakelse Mussels

Western Pearlside

Western Floater

Lakelse Freshwater Mussels

High Recreational ValuesHigh Recreational ValuesRecreation value- parks•25% of shoreline•200,000 visitors annually

Very high fisheries valuesVery high fisheries values

Fisheries • strong part of cultural & community values• major producer of sockeye, coho & pinks• premier sports fishery for steelhead & trout

Property ValuesProperty Values

• • 304 304 Recreational/residential Recreational/residential • • Hotsprings resortHotsprings resort• Marina & cabinsMarina & cabins• Float plane baseFloat plane base

The Overall The Overall ValueValue

$101 million $101 million annualannual benefit benefit W. Sinclair 1974W. Sinclair 1974 (in year 2000 (in year 2000

dollars)dollars)

Previous StudiesPrevious Studies• 1950 Brett: Physical Limnology of Lakelse 1950 Brett: Physical Limnology of Lakelse • 1965 Coburn: Scully & Williams sockeye1965 Coburn: Scully & Williams sockeye• 1968 Foerster: The Sockeye Salmon1968 Foerster: The Sockeye Salmon• 1974 Sinclair: Socio-Economics of Lakelse1974 Sinclair: Socio-Economics of Lakelse• 1976 Abelson: Lakelse Lake Water Quality 1976 Abelson: Lakelse Lake Water Quality • 1978 Cleugh: Chem/Bio/Physics of Lakelse1978 Cleugh: Chem/Bio/Physics of Lakelse• 1984 Greater Terrace Settlement Plan1984 Greater Terrace Settlement Plan• 1986 Warrington: Lakelse Aquatic Vegetation1986 Warrington: Lakelse Aquatic Vegetation• 1986 McKean: Lakelse Water Quality 1986 McKean: Lakelse Water Quality • 1994 Shortreed: Study of Skeena sockeye 1994 Shortreed: Study of Skeena sockeye

lakeslakes• 2003 Gottesfeld: Conserving Lakelse Fish.2003 Gottesfeld: Conserving Lakelse Fish.• 2003 Kokelj: Lakelse Management Plan2003 Kokelj: Lakelse Management Plan

Concern 1 Elodea

Windblown Elodea

• Fine sedimentsFine sediments• IronIron• PhosphorusPhosphorus

Key growth factorsKey growth factors

Elodea mapping with GPS & grapple

• Lake fry down by 78% since 1994Lake fry down by 78% since 1994• Adult returns down by 92% Adult returns down by 92%

Concern 2 - SockeyeConcern 2 - Sockeye

Recovery Plan Recovery Plan StakeholdersStakeholders

• Kitselas First nationsKitselas First nations• Terrace Salmon Enhancement SocietyTerrace Salmon Enhancement Society• Lakelse Watershed SocietyLakelse Watershed Society• Ministry of EnvironmentMinistry of Environment• DFODFO• Ministry of Forests/BC Timber SalesMinistry of Forests/BC Timber Sales

• Sockeye counts Sockeye counts • Disease sampling Disease sampling • Egg survival testsEgg survival tests• Hatchery Creek Hatchery Creek

restorationrestoration• Scully Creek flowScully Creek flow

Recovery Recovery ActivitiesActivities

Concern 3 - Sediment

•Disturbed east-side Creeks

•Shoreline changes•Wave action

Deep-site Sediment Core

Sediment GaugeSediment GaugeSediment Gauge

Concern 4 - Water QualityConcern 4 - Water Quality

•Metals•Nutrients•Bacteria

Max. Av.Eel Creek 34 25Prov. Park Creek 28 23Mountain Creek 18 12Williams Creek 17 11Whalen Creek 14 6

(Micrograms/L; BC Guideline is 10)

Phosphorus inputs to Lake

Concern 5Concern 5 ScullyScully CreekCreek

August 2005

Scully main flow - Lower Hotsprings section

Scully Main-flow - Upper Hotsprings section

Scully - impactsScully - impacts

•Sockeye loss in original creek due to:-Sockeye loss in original creek due to:-– Low water in AugustLow water in August– More beaver damsMore beaver dams– More bear predationMore bear predation

•Poor egg survival in main flowPoor egg survival in main flow•Less flushing action in original creekLess flushing action in original creek•Heavy lake silting from bank failuresHeavy lake silting from bank failures

Concern 6Concern 6 – Further – Further LoggingLogging

•Unstable fans on Williams & Unstable fans on Williams & ScullyScully

•Additional sediment, iron or Additional sediment, iron or phosphorus to lakephosphorus to lake

• Increasingly difficult terrainIncreasingly difficult terrain•Adverse hydrological impactsAdverse hydrological impacts•Cumulative impactsCumulative impacts

Tough Terrain in Williams

Tough Terrain in ScullyTough Terrain in Scully

Tough Terrain in Scully

Inter-agency Inter-agency cooperationcooperation

• MOF part of Sockeye recovery planMOF part of Sockeye recovery plan

• Detailed further sediment studies on Detailed further sediment studies on Williams completedWilliams completed

• MOE sediment transport study on MOE sediment transport study on major creeks plannedmajor creeks planned

Concern 7 - Shoreline changes from vegetation loss & erosion

Estimated loss of natural vegetation5 kilometers (20%)

Shoreline ErosionShoreline Erosion

Shoreline Shoreline erosionerosion

Concern 8Concern 8 - Climate - Climate changes?changes?

Winter Temps: +1.4 oC in Winter Temps: +1.4 oC in 100years100yearsSummer Temps: No trendSummer Temps: No trendPrecipitation: +2% in 100 yearsPrecipitation: +2% in 100 yearsSnow depth: -6% per decadeSnow depth: -6% per decade

What has been What has been achieved?achieved?

• Good understanding of ElodeaGood understanding of Elodea• Comprehensive Water Quality dataComprehensive Water Quality data• Lake Management Plan (2003)Lake Management Plan (2003)• Sockeye Recovery Plan (2005)Sockeye Recovery Plan (2005)• RDKS Sewage Studies (2004-2006)RDKS Sewage Studies (2004-2006)• Sediment studies on Williams (2005/06)Sediment studies on Williams (2005/06)• Input to KLRMP (May, 2006)Input to KLRMP (May, 2006)

If we always do what we always If we always do what we always did,did,we’ll always get what we always we’ll always get what we always got!got!