LOC {CASTL} Mb/148767 GV/191.24/W5/N0./1980:4 c. 1 EDMONDSON, GORDON. STREAM IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES :::3'TREAM IMPROVEJYf~NT· TECHNIQUES Wildland· Recreation No •. 271 To: R. Lo.ftus D~ From: Davis G. Edmondson .. Da.te~,. 1'_1ay, ·3.,,, .·.i980 (i) TABLE OF CO NTE?~TS TABLE OF CONTENTS (i) ·LIST. OF ILLUSTRATIONS (iii) INTRODUCTION 1 1'11'1IA T s TREAM IMPROVEMENT rs . 3 'WHY IMPROVEMENT IS DO:NE The Productive Stream 4 4 Man Caused Damage 8 STREAM IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES 12 Sa:rety 12 Dams And Deflectors Darns in General Deflectors in General 13 13 Improvement Approaches 18 Structural Approaches The Boulder Dam Improved Boulder Dam Log And Brush Dam Plank Dam Boulder Deflector Bank Cover Deflector Rip-rap Submerged Shelters Managerial Approaches Vegetation Livestock Fooo Spawning Areas Discussion 15 18 21 ~t 29 31 5i (ii) ( THE EXAMPLE OF BEAVER CREEK 46 47 47 49 Introduction Location Access To Creek Description Of Creek Insects 50 50 Improvement Procedures 51 Planetable Survey 53 Stream Analysis Width And Depth Velocity Pools And Shelter Shade 60 Vegetation 61 61 62 ~tt Bottom 65 Food Richness Creek Improvements Stream Analysis Results Be~ore 69 Improvements Width And Depth Velocity Pools And Shelter Shade Bottom Food.Richness Stream Improvement Sites Site 1 Site 2 Stream Analysis After Improvements 71 71 72 72 ~' 75 75 78 82 Width And Depth 82 Velocity 83 Overview 84 CO:NCLUSIO:n 86 ENDNOTES (iv) BIBLIOGRAPHY (v) (iii) LIST OF ILLUSTR4.,TIONS FIGURE -PAGE 1. FLOODS OVER DEFLECTORS 17 2. BOULDER DAM 20 3. IMPROVED BOULDER DAM 4. LOG AND BRUSH DAM 25 5. PLANK DAM 28 6. BOULDER DEFLECTOR ?O. 7. BANK COVER DEFLECTOR 33 8. RIP-RAP 35 9. SUBMERGED SHELTERS 37 \ 23 10. BEAVER CREEK MAP 48 11. PLANETABLE NA..? 56 12. IMPROVEMENT SECTION :MAP 87 STREAM IMPROVEMENT TECHNTQUES INTRODUCTION The following report is an attempt to simplify and bring together some of the varied info.rma tion concerning the field of stream improvement work. It is not a steadfast manual of stream improvement. It does not contain explanations of how to use the sophisticated equipment developed for stream analysis~ Its purpose is to provide some guidel.ine·s ln the stream improvement field which may be used by the average person, instead of the average. stream biologist. It has become evident that much of the improvement of the streams in this province is attempted by outdoor clubs and organizations, and not by biologists and the Fish and Wildlife Branch. This is because of the ~act that little money or time is available to these government agencies for this purpose. Therefore, groups get the idea to improve their favourite trout stream and often end up wasting their time and money and possiifuly:·e::ven damaging the stream in the process, because they do not -2- know what they are doing. It is toward these people, therefore, that this paper is directed. The following paper explains some of the most common and eff'e.ctive improvement devices used; derived from various sources which are not usually available to the average person. Also included, is an example of a small stream improvement project conducted on a local stream to illustrate what one person can do with no funds and f'ew materials. ·- -3- WHAT STREAM IMPROVEMENT IS Stream improvement is a broad term. It includes all aspects of improving a stream, from picking up a tin can from a stream bank,~ to the most elaborate and exiensive improvement programs. Regardless of what action is taken, the term means: to physically improve the habitat and productive quality of a stream to aid the growth of the organisms inhabiting it. Stream improvement had its beginnings in England near the turn of the century. Before that.time and for many years afterward, most of the streams of England were owned by wealthy land owners. The streams were fished only by the wealthy and were the pride of their owners. It was on these private streams that improvement work first developed, in an attempt to provide .even better fishing. From England, the idea slowly established itself in the United States, and in the 1930's was practiced by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. From that time it has become widely used all over the United States and has become established in Canada. Some of the early improvement techniques are still used today, while some of them have proven ineffective or even damaging. New techniques and designs are being developed still, as the whole concept gains wider .- -~ acceptance. -4- ·wHY IMPROVEMENT IS DONE A stream which is productive (able to support fish ,/,_,CL-- and a myriad of other aquatic life)/;'·' is comprised of ,:__~,,/ pools, ri:f.fles, slack water, shady and sunny spots, deep, shallow and covered areas. A stream with all of this in its conipos i ti on, in the correct proportions, is the nideal" .fish babi tat. However, sometimes these conditions are lacking in a stream, and this results in fe1-ier fish, smaller fish or no fish. T'nis happens either from human interference or by natural occurrences. It is when this is the case~~that stream im- provement is of value .. The Productive Stream The productivity of ~ stream can be described as a stream?_,~ ability to produce fish, plus the food to feed those fish. This means that a stream that is productive supports a large variety and quantity of organisms. The stream's ability to do tnis.!wwever, J depends upon certain physical conditions present there. These conditions are the quality of water, the quantity of water, and the physical charac ter1s tics o:f the stream which provide desirable sites for the feeding, resting and reproduction of the organisms living there. If one or more o~ tbese conditions are not present, or are -5- minim1;1l, then the productivity of the stream is lessened or even destroyed. Water quality refers to the cleanliness of the water itselfo Pollutants and siltation are detrimental to ~ater quality. And this factor alone can cause a stream to. be totally barren o:f life. Water suitable to support a viable stream must also be of the correct temperature. On a hot sum.mer day, the temperature of a stream must be between 9.9°C and 23.9°c. If it is warmer than this for any prolonged leng!th of time, then the trout and. many o:f the insects living there will die. While too warm of' wate:r can harm a stream ; water which is too cold can also be damaging. Cold temperatures retard the growth and development of trout and other o·rganisms. This can occur in the su."l1I!ler as well as the winter, but in the surnmer, it is perhaps more damaging, since it is the time of year durin~ which reproduction and· rapid growth takes place; whereas winter is a time of slowed metabolism. Water temperatures can be changed tbl·rough stream improvement. The addition of trees and shade along stream banks can cool water. can warm the water. Conversely, pollutants can be combated ~by ·t;be removal or control of their source. ~e the removal of shade, Siltation can stopped through bank plantings and bank reinforce- ment;, to reduce the erosion which causes the problem. -6- Water quantity is perhaps the most important of the stream conditionso If a stream dries up or is dried up (by man) for part of the year, then there is littl.e sense in improving it. Conversely, large amounts o:f water during floods can be most damaging to a stream. Spawning areas, feeding grounds, resting pools, cover, and food organisms can all be destroyed by high water. This can also strike a devastating blow to the work of the stream improver.. However, some structures can be built which -will survive such punishment a·nd have a slowing effect on flood water. The physical character of a stream can be very important to. a healthy trout population. A stream is not simply a long stretch of running water; it is comprised of p-ools, riffles; ·eddies, channels, turns, kinks and rapids. Without this varied habitat, a fish \ population cannot thrive. The life of a trout is not· spent entirely in one .. place. Riffles (shallow rocky areas with a rapid current) are ;:;ood food producers. A great number of insects live among the rocks, and trout go to these places to feed. After the trout have fed they usually return to slower moving water. Often deep pools and areas with cover (undercut banks, overhanging brush, large rocks, aquatic plants) harbour large fish. is in these areas trout often feed also, bo~ever It they -7- only respond to food passing by, and usually do not actively search for it, as they do in the riffles. Tbese slow moving areas are where trout rest and find protection from their enemies (birds, other.fish, animals, and man). Often small fish are found in slow areas, but more often, they find protection in areas where the larger fish cannot go. Feeder streams, bacln-Jater areas, shal- lows and brushy spots provide good protection for these small fish. Another area necessary for a trout population, is spawning gravel. Trout require fine to coarse gravel in which to build their nests. It must be loose enough so the fish can work it over, and it must be free of silt and sand which can smother the eggs. A rapid current which percolates through the gravel is also necessary to successful spawning. All ot these conditions must be present to provide the healthy living requirements f'or trouto If' these places are not provided for by nature, there are ways of making them artif'icially through stream improvement. -8"'" Man Caused Damage Sometimes the conditions favourable to a heal thy stream are altered or destroyed either by natural phenomena or more often by human influences. Logging usually has disastrous effects upon a stream. Log jams whlch obstruct fish migrations, the removal of trees and cover resulting in heated wat&r, and siltation from eroding exposed banks are often the results of logging operations. Destructive flooding is also common after logging because the removal of trees allows rain water to pour into streams instead of being trapped by living vegetation. Photo 1 Erosion of stream banks because of the removal of trees. -9- Another human activi t.y harmful to streams, is the practice of dredging and channelization to reduce flood danger and to provide more farm land. This practice causes the loss of much stream leng~h because of channel s tra igh te ning. Pboto 2 Dredging equipment, Note the wide stream ch~nnel and barren banks. -10- T'ne e-quipment used for channelling, digs a smooth stream bed without riffles, boulders, ledges and pools. Many years are required before the stream again develops the natural undulation of a stream course. Photo 3 A channelized river beginning to redevelop its once sinuous course. Pollution, of course, can cause untold damage to streams, and can totally destroy a stream ecosystem. Unfortunately, little can be done to reverse the results of a polluted stream except for the removal of the pollution source, and eventually, attempts to promote stream life after the pollution is flushed from the system. Overall, much can be done to restore and improve -11- the physical habitat of fish and other organisms in streams;~etber the necessity of' s.ucb action be the result of' natural or man caused factors. It is this imnrovement anthan dam it, and (2) They sbo.uld have no protrusions on which drifting debris . may a c cumul a t e .1 Originally, deflectors were designed in a peninsular shape such as that achieved by a single log. It was -16- found however, that during ~lood conditions, the water £.lowed over these devices, and cBused erosion of the bank·adjacent to them. tb~.t The reason for this was the fact water runs over objects at right angles to the last surface touched. For this reason, deflectors took on a triangular shape. ~igure 1. This principle can be seen in With a triangular shape, the water flowing over tne· device will be directed back toward the center of the stream instead of toward the bank. -17- ---------U) a::: 0 I- u w __J - 0) u... u.. w 0 ~ LU > o. U') 0 0 -------- 0- l u... -18- Tr:nprov-a·ment Annroa oh es In t'he .following section, descriptions o.f various improvement devices and stream management considerations are given. These descriptions are of a general nature and since streams and their physical characteristics and needs vary, the .final implication of any of the imp:i;-ovement procedures tp be described must also vary accordingly. Structural Annroaches T'ne Boulder Dam The boulder~,.dam ·should be constructed in streams where there is a good. supply of large boulders. desir~ble It is to choose a site where embedded boulders exist, so that the other ·boulder•s jammed against them will be anchored somewhat. Boulders as large as can be handled by the crew should be moved toward the site. boulde~s are easi~r Incidentally, to move downstream than up. ·when most or all of the boulders are moved, their pLacement based on their size and shape can be decided upon. This should be done so that they fit tightly t0,geth~r. Digging depressions to embed the boulders in tqe stream battom increases their resistance to movement. by the water. Also, when pl a ci.ng the boulders; if the rounder,. smooth sides are kept upstream, there -19- will be less resitance to the water. Boulder dams are usually built directly across the stream, since any curvature would increase the size of the structure along with the possib.ili ties of water damage. Spill~ays are easily included with this type of dam; however it i~ a good idea to place the spillway between deeply embedded boulders so undercutting is minimized. More boulders should be laid at each end on:t.be upstream side of the dam along the bank to stop any erosion. -20- JI.. 0 ..t: CD 0 0 c c: (,l) u.. :::> 0 c::a 0U;J > 0 ~ a.. :?! c. en ~ I f.I) ~ c: / 0 :... $: "O 0 I ~ I ID .... en "O ~ ~ 0I - w u w ~ ~ ---' ~ u.. "'°. w \ ~ ~ ~ O> 0 u.. '§ ~ ::J ~ ~ ~ ~ m 0 0_J CJ) ::::> O> 0 :i.. ~ "~\ ~ ~!~ l\ '.\' ~l~~ n:: W. ca ..J I z ~ I ~ j 1 ~ ~ f'l co -31- Bank Cover Deflector This is from a design in, !!Guidelines for Nan.ageI ment of Trout Stream Ea bi tat in Wisconsintt4- and combines a deflector with bank cover. It is designed mainly for use on fairly deep streams (1 meter plus} with low grassy banks, such a~streams with little through meadows. cove~ flowing Usually tbey are constructed on the outsides of curves where the stream sweeps along the bank. To construct, dig into the bank, where the cover is to be placed, a trench deep enough to be 25 to 35 centimeters below water level, 1 to 2 meters long and about 25 to 30 centimeters wideo Directly out from this, two posts 12 to 15 centimeters in diameter are driven at least 0.5 meters deep in the bottom, in line with the trench. 'I.'heir tops should be a :few centimeters bigber than the trench bottom. The distance between the posts, and between them and the bank will depend on the width of the device wanted. In the bottom of the trench a layer of rocks about 10 to 15 centimeters in size 2.5 centimeters thick (the thicker the better) ·and 10 to 15 should be placed. On this a board at least centimeters wide should be laid. It should be. long enough to lay the length of the trench and out to just past the two posts. This is nailed to the tops of the posts; end boulders are placed on it in the trench. Nslling may be aided by using a short steel bar and a -32..,, ham.mer. Further along the bank the same process is repeated at distances of 1 to 1.5 meters until the length of the cover desired is reached~ Then more boards of the same thickness and of the lengths required are nailed joining the first boards. Then boulders are placed on top of all the boards to a point above the water level, and almost up to ground level. It must be remembered that all of the wood must be under water or it will rot quickly. On these boulders sod should be placed from the surrounding area vegetation, to grow and give the device a natural appearance. The sod cov.ering the trench should end up level with the bank ·soc. If cutting the sod is not desired, then soil can be placed on top of the device and seeded with desired plants. The device and the boulders help to deflect the curr~nt, protect the bank, and give shelter to fish. Small fish can bene.f'it also if tree branches are secured under the cover during construction. a:= 0 ~· u w --' u.. w . 0 Q) en ~ c Ctl I C'l c ;... Q) > 0 (.) a.. ~ w > 0 u ~ z en -1 D 'Q Cl)· II.. Q) "'C. ::::s 0 Cl a)· Ol ..... ro ..J (] D ~ ~ ~ ::::s 0 m \ ~ ~ \\ -38- Managerial ADProaches Vegetation Along some streams, erosion, lack of trout cover, excess shade and other problems are very detrimental to fish populations. Management of the vegetation along these streams could help alleviate these problems. Erosion can be lessened, as mentioned, with the installation of rip-rap along the eroding banks. How- ever in some streams, there are not enough boulders to install rip-rap. Also, above the rip-rap boulders, rains and runoff would still partially erode the banks. In these instances, the planting of vegetation can be of benef'i t. Trou-t; cover can be increased along stream banks much mo~e cheaply through plantings than bybuilding cover devices. Grasses, such as reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), or other grasses native to the area can be used for plantings. The.root systems of grasses capable of living on stream banks bind ~he soil together, and their tops hang over tbe water and into it to provide exceller;:.t . trout c·over. Willows (Salix spp.), are also very usef'ul as bank protectors. Their extensive root systems hold the banks together even under bad flood co:ndi tions, and the roots themselves form many ledges and grooves under water which trout use for cover. -39- Willo~s do require some maintenance, needing basal pruning about once every tfilree years. a dense growth of' saplings. This maintains If .pruning is not done,. the saplings wili grow into larger trees. These trees will eventually grow large enough to shade the area so much that very little will grow there, and the erosion problem will re turn. Shade is a problem with many streams, there can be too much or too little of it. Too much i;ibade (.from tall trees}, can result not only in a lack o.f bank and instream growth, but it can cause excessive cooling of the stream, resulting in temperatures intolerable to tI?Out. Too little shade can result in growth o.f cover along the banks; however some streams become too warm in summer without shade. There.fore, streams must be ex·amined to see i.f such extrem-as exist, and shade re-. moved or added depending upon the situation. The techpical bulletin, ttGuidelines For Management of' Trout Stream Rabi tat in Wisconsin, n states that in streams l~ss than 4.5 meters wide, grasses only should be encouraged as bank cover. On streams from 4.5 meters to 9 meters, very low bushes can be included .for bank cover and protection, howeyer alders should not be present because they grow so high that excessive shading • is -"'""' o~~en ""'h .., t • 5 ~Le resui Naturally, bank vegetation and co·ver varies from stream to. stream, and any particular -40- stream should be examined closely before any decisions are made concerning plant management. Livestock Cattle and other livestock can be very damaging to streams and stream bank vegetation. Livestock can destroy desired stream bank vegetation because many of the plants which grow along streams are wild and of.ten· cannot withstand grazing. Livestock not only eat tbe vegetation, but \tbey trample i t in the process. Often 1 they cave in fish protecting overhangs, and their activities along and through streams can cause a great deal of siltation downstream. While it is true that many streams are adversely affect-ed by lives tock, in most cases it :would take more than that fact •to convince livestock owners to improve tpeir fencing without some sort of aid. At the present time no such incentives are apparently available to property owners. It is only when new fences are being built, that the owners could be asked to co-operate. Possibly·volunteer help in construction would make them consider suggestions. Fencing is often absent or in the wrong place, allowing plant damage. Fences should be built well back rrom the bank (3 to 6 meters), preferably ~bove flood plain so that the posts do not catch debris and the -41- become damaged during floods. Also, by keeping the fences well back, the bank plants will have a chanc~ to grow; keeping in mind the fact that a cow can stretch her head almost a meter through a fence. Another advantage in keeping fenc~s back, especially on the outside of stream bends, is to protect them from being undermined by the stream. Naturally, decisions concerning fencing materials are up to the land owner" However,, aesthetically ~o blend into the area, wood is the most appealing to the eye. Steel posts can be made a little less unattrac- tive.by painting them green or brown. Cattle watering areas should be enclosed,, and made so that they can be moved out of the way during floQds. Crossings can be corq.prised of a few strands of wire strung across the stream. These require little to replace after flood damage. Machinery crossings should be built high enough so that debris during floods will not get caught on them. These few aspects concerning livestock and fencing will benefit streams greatly. Food The food available to trout, as indicated, is comprised of aquatic, terrestrial and airborne organisms. Sometimes, for various reasons, this supply of food is reduced or even obliterated. Sometimes there is just -42- not enough food produced to keep a lar.ger trout population ev·en though there is room for more fish. The causes .for these conditions could be pollution, bad floods or a poor stream configuration. If the problem is pollution, then stopping· it would hopefully cause the food supply to build up again over time. Floods could be contr·olled somewhat by the introduction of deflectors and low dams along the stream to slow down the flow. One way of providing more food, is that. described in the article, nLi ving Gold, tt in nthe Flyfishern magazine,6 where certain food organisms are taken from the :receding waters of' a larger high producing river and transplanted to the stream in question. This however is expensive and time consuming, and could result in transplanted dis-eases, if the insects are from different watersheds. A more natural and·less uncertain way, is simply to provide conditions in the stream wbicb are favourable to the growth of food <" organisms. To. promote food growth, adequate light should reach tbe stream and its banks. Excessive shade can stunt and stop plant growth both in the stream and along its banks·. Plants in the stream harbour many more insects than a bottom of rocks doe Also, low overhanging plants (grasses, shrubs) contain more terrestrial insects than do b-'(.,;;h shrubs and trees. Riffles should be preserved -43and can be produced~ (i~ there· are very few of them), by speeding up slow shallow water with deflectors. ·An impor.tant consideration to keep in mind when aiding the growth of aquatic plants, is the amount of nutrients entering the stream from sewage outlets. The chemicals present in sewage are beneficial to plant growth; like a liquid fertilizer. However, the amounts or this sewage must be low enough to avoid what is called "stream eutrophication~"n This is a condition in which there are so many plant organisms (including algae) living in the stream, that at night the stream's oxygen level is depleted below levels tolerable to fish and .food organisms. After dark, plants use oxygen through raspiration, while during the day, they produce it through photosynthesis. It is not maant here,· that sewage should be deliberately du."n.ped in a stream to aid ~l$nt gro~tb. Sewage may be benficial to plants, but it is not. very beneficial to the fis~ in the same stream. An examination of the stream's condition will aid in food improvement plans. Spawning Areas The artificial improvem~nt or construction of spawning areas in streams is very complicated, and work in this area is c~ly in the developmental stages. At the present time, the only sound management practices -44- concerning spBwning grounds, is simply to preserve gravel beds and to restore those covered by water from dams and log jams. Trout r~quire wapid riffles wi tb a gravel bottom 5,"' snq no silt, in which to spawn. Ways to lmprove and P.reserve existing spawning areas would be to build def1.ectors>;to help the water scour silts and sediments from covered gravel. Remove dams and obstructions whtch cause water flowing over spawning beds to slow and cause siltation. ~g cover -at____the edges of s~;-fr;_ ing areas is advantageous. Since spawning takes place in exposed shallow water, fish often prefer· to take cover at times when spa~ning. Aquatic plants qan give protective cover for fingerlings after batching, and should be promoted near spawning areas. Dis9usslon After work has been completed on a stream, periodic inspections should be conducted to determine damaged areas fdllowed by any repairs necessary. Vegetation plantings should also be inspected to see how they are doing, followed by any maintenance required. A whole program 0£: improvements ·could be a waste of time, effort and money if' tbe work done is not maintained. Inspections should take place after the spring floods have passed; and at the end of the fishing season -45- (chack for damage by anglers). Planted vegetation should be tended, to aid it in establishment, and to control undesired species. Pollution, illegal fishing ana any damage to tbe stream by any means can be determined during inspections, and followed by the necessary actions. If a stream is worth improving once, it is worth keeping it that way. -46THE EXAMPLE OF BEAVER CREEK Introduction As stated earlier, a small section of Beaver Creek was improved, to illustrate some of the straam improvement methods described; as well as to show what can be accornplishad by one person, no funds and little equipment. It is the intent of this small amount of work, to help the reader to re9l·ize that elabo"ra te equipr.ient and expense is not necessary to improve a stream, it requires only the will and energy to do it. Much of ~heliterat-ure concerned with stream improvement (if' it can be acquired) is directed toward the biologist or government employee. Many of the instruction·s contained within these documents deal with var"ious. pieces of survey, and analytical equipment. These· things are often not available to the average person or outdoor group. However, much of the same work can be accomplished by using easily acquired articles. Usually, outdoor groups rarely lack manpower for their projects. However, funds for equipment is often & aeterciining factor. It is because of this that the examnle of Beaver Creek was included. + The structures described earlier, and the methods illustrated in the following sections are for the purpose of aid to the -w-ould-be stream im9rover. -47- Lo.cstlon The section of Beaver Creek in which the improvements were made is approximately 250 meters long. It is approximately 0.4 kilometers above the Beaver Creek Falls, which is about 4.4 kilometers from the stream's mouth. The location of Beaver Creek and the improvement section may be found on Figure 10. .A,ls·o, the stream location may be found on the Department of Energy, ·Mines and Resources Maps: Rossland-Trail 82 F/4 and Salmo 82 F/3, with a 1:50.000 scale. The military grid reference for the improvement area is 58~374. Ac·c'9ss To Creek Access to the improvement section may be achieved by travelling along road 3B toward Salmo from Trail. After r~acbing Beaver Falls, travel for 1.4 kilometers and turn.right down a secondary road (see Figure 10), and park at its end. From here it is a relatively short walk along a trail through private property (Mr. and Mrs. Langergraber - by permission) to a Burlington Northern Railway trestle above the falls. iearls to the creek. From here a trail After donning waders, comes a walk of approximately 200 meters up the creek to· the improve- ment section. • ~ SECONDARY ROAD----- ..r --IMPROVEMENT SECTION ~FALLS Fig. 10 BEAVER CREEK MAP 1:1.00,000 Sea le +' co I . -49-'- Descrinti"o::.1 Of Creek Beaver Creek finds its beginning in a marshy area near Erie Lake, at approximately 716 meters elevationo From that point it travels 28.8 kilometers to its mouth at tbe Columbia River, approximately 7 kilometers eastsouth-east of· Trail. From beginning to end, it drops approximately 300 meters to an elevation of 411 meters. The stream forms a spectacular 24 meter waterfall· located approximately 4.4 kilometers from the stream mouth. From the. fallsodown, brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis} and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri} live. Above the falls, brook trout are the main inhabitants, with very few. rainbow trout.present there. is quickly flowing. Much of the stream The stream bed varies greatly, ranging from sand and mud to large boulders; and the average boulder size is approximately 15-20 centimeters. Sewage effluent is put into the streams at two points. One of these is the sewage treatment lagoons in Fruitvele, and the other is from the sewage treatment racility located in Montrose. It appears that l!ttle damage has resulted from these two facilities, as they have been in operation for several years, and the stream still supports an active fishery. -50- Vegetation The vegetation along both sides of the improvement section of' the stream consists mainly of' sparse forest intermixed with grassy areas. There were several places where the vegetation overhung the stream, however it was mainly comprised of' high bushes and trees (see Figure 12) thereby not affording biding cover for the The following is a list of the main species fish. found in the area: Table 1 i} ii) iii) iv) vl vi} vii) Mounta1n AldeP - Alnus tenuifolia Red Osier Dogwood - Cornus stolonifera RGse - Rosa spp. Willow - Salix spp. Black Cottonwood - Populus trichocarpa Great Mullein - Verbascum tbapsus Grasses There was no vegetation i-n tbe s·tream to speak of, except for a few patches of algae on rocks along the edges of the water. I.nsects A small investigation of the types of insects in the stream was made. The fnsects were gathered by turning over boulders upstream of a f'ine meshed screen. The following is a list of some of the insects present: -51- Table 2 i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) x) xi) Gaddis Fly UymPh - Glossosoma Caddls Fly Nymph - Hesperophylax Caddis Fly Nymph - Mystacides Mayfly Nvmoh - Thraul us Mayfly Nymph - Epeorus Stonefly Nymph - Chloroperla Dragonfly Nymph - Aeschna Aquatic Larvae - Hydropsycbe Fly Larvae - Tabanus Fly Larvae - Chirohomus Fly Larvae-- Psychoda Imnrovement Procedures Naturally, tbe first step in stream improvement· is to decide upon the stream to improve. Beaver Creek was decided upon because of its close proximity to my re.sidence, and of course because there were areas in need of improvement. must be found, sid.ered. However if a stream to improve then various possibilities must be con- After various possible streams are· thought of, each one must be considered for its need to be improve·d, as weli as the possibilities for success. Obviously, i.f & stream is heavily stocked,· and heavily fished, tben improvement would do little to aid a healthy .fish populationo Also if a stream is badly polluted, no amount o.f improvement structures would help very much. If there is some doubt concerning whether or not a stream is suitable, advice .from a local fisheries biologist or.the Fish and Wildli.fe Branch could b.e· -52- b~lpf'u1. Often these people have water analysis data and fish population estimates whicb could help in deciding if a stream is to be improved or rejected. Of· course there bas to be a need for improvement. ff a stream is diverse and varied and fits into the 11 ideal n stream described earlier, then it is a waste of time. to attempt to improve it. In fact, by tampering wit!). ·an already heal thy stream in the name of improvement; damage can actually result. The reason is that improvements making pools and riffles etc., can cause these features to be too frequent and ·too close together, and this can be as distasteful to the trout as if the stream were channelized. pools and riffles 1 ar~ Under natural conditions normally repeated every five to seven channel widths. Therefore by making these f'eatures closer together through improvements, the stream may take on the characteristics of a deep, quiet river, which is better suited to coarse fish. Arter the stream or area is decided upon, the areas in need of improvement should be found.> and possible improvements discussed. A good way to start in an improvement plan, is to obtain a map of the improvement seetion. With Beaver Creek, and most streams, the tcpagrapbical maps available are of too small a scale to. be of much use. drawn uu •. Tberefo.re a workable map must be -53- A relatively accurate map can be obtained by using the planetable survey method. T'~e stream map Figure 12 was drawn in this way. Planetable Survev The following is a list of the materials needed to make a planetable surveyed map: Table 3 - 1 piece plywood 6lcm. x 79cm. x lcm. - 1 tripod (surveyorts op photographic) capable of rising to chest level - an apparatus to attach board flat to top of tripod -. 1 compass (hand-held typ·e) - paper to cover top of board - 1 3 si.ded ruler ( 30cm. long) - 2 long straight pins C5cm~+) - several shorter straight pins - I roll coloured surveyor's tape - 4 wooden stakes (st least this many) - 1 protractor - 1 roll masking tape - pe·ncils and eraser First of all is the setting up of the equipment. The board is attached to the top of the tripod. For this survey, a steel plate was· screwed to the bottom side of the board, and the camera bolt from the tripod was screw~d into a threaded hole in the plate. -54- Photo 4 Tripod and planetable. Note steel plate on bottom of board. The paper was taped to the board. Next the two long pins were secured to the three sided ruler with 'tape (see Pho to 5) • Two grooves were filed in the ruler to help keep the pins in place. The reader•s understanding ·of the following survey method will be aided with reference to Figure 11. Using the compass, a bearing was taken which generally corresponded to the bearing of the stream, in this instance it was N 12°E. A straight line -was then drawn up the -55- middl~- N 12°E. of the paper. This line was to be the bearing Next the scale of the map was decided upon. It was made so the width of the stream (approximately 6 me-te:r>s) was 2 centimeters on the map. ubaseline~' meters was the length of the This 2 cention the map. The baseline is a line directly across the stream perpendicular to the flow. A distance of 6 meters was then mea~ured along this theor.etical baseline, from shore to shore. Often the stream was not exactly 6 meters wide, so for simplicity,. the same distance was left from each end of the 6 meters to the shore, and this distance was indicated on the map. At each end of the 6 meters a stake was driven in the stream bottom. One stake was "An and the other· was "B~" Tbe tripod was ·set up over stake A, levelled, and the long line on the- paper was lined up using the compass along bearing N 12°E. Then using the compass, a bearing to stake B was read from A, in this case N 76° E. Tbe diflference between 76° and 12°was 64°, so a line was drawn on the paper at 64°from tbe bearing line. Since this was the beginning of the map, this line crossed the bearing line. Along that line, a 2 centimeter segment was measured; one end corresponding to stake A and tbe othBr to stBke B. a w 0 Bas.eline 2 N ,.. 2cm.:: 6m. \ \.. ~ ighting Lines ~/~ C1' I ;1,5 m. Baseline 1 Fig. 11 PLA~t~JETABL.E I \f1. MAP -57- Va riou,s pc> tnts along ea ch shore of tbe stream were spotted an¢i remembered (stumps, trees, rocks, roots, etc .• }, surveyor's tape tied to thesa aided in identifica.'.. tion. Then one edge of the ruler with the pins in an upright position was put on point A on the paper. The two pins were aligned and sighted in on the first point on the shore. It was easier to keeo the edge on point A by sticking a pin in the paper at that point. Photo 5 Ruler with pins attached, against point A and lined up with the point on shore. lifo te pins at ea cb end of the baseline to help keep the ruler in place. -58- When the pins and the point were aligned, a line was drawn along the ruler edge from noint A_. le.ngth was at least as long as the ruler. The line This was continued until lines were drawn aligned with each of the points (always using the same edge of the ruler). After that was done, the tripod was moved over stake B. The bearing line was aligned again as before, and baseline AB was lined up with stake A using the compass as a check. 11.Then this was set up, a pin was driven into point:~. Then using the same edge of the ruler as before, the same points were aligned with the pins, and lines drawn. Where the lines crossed Has the corresponding point on the map of the point on the ground. These points when joined yielded quite an accurate map. \ Photo 6 Crossed lines from points A and B. Note the crossed line points joined to show stream shores .. -59- After the first area was finished, a new baseline oi' equal length was set up further up the stream. The distance on the ground from the center of baseline 1 to the center of the stream at the furthest noint or " points survayed from that baseline was measured. Using the map scale, this distance was determined on the map. That spot measured from baseline 1 became baseline number 2. At baseline 2, the tripod was set up over stake A, a new baseline bearing read from A to B and this new baseline was drawn on the map as before, at the distance de.termined above. whole pro~ess The Points were then identified and the rep~ated. resultin~ map was quite accurate, checks were made from the ba~eline stakes to the various points along the shores, and these distances compared very weTl to tho.se shown on the map. This is the most accurate map which can be dra·wn without becoming involved with expensive equipment. _:>'. ' 1 : After the map was drawn~ other features such a.s overhanging bushes, islands, falls, rapids, etc. were measured and drawn in. Maps such as these·,, are beneficial in the planning of' ·an improvement program. It is advisable to identify a!"eas to be. improved and types of' improvements to give an ov~rall impression of the work to come. Bef'ore the -60- improvement work is begun, permission should be aquired from the Fish and Wildlife Branch to allow work to take place. It is for this also, that a map is beneficial, to gi~e the Conservation Officer a good idea of what is intended, and to allow him to make clear suggestions. Stream Analysis After the improvement locations are decided upon, it is often a good idea to do some analysis of the areas before beginning work to give further information on them which could aid in final decisions concerning improvement work. .Some of the readings should also be repeated after the work to give some idea of changes resulting from the improvements. These readings will be explained further on. Wbere the readings are taken depends upon the type of structure to be placed in the stream. A low dam affects the stream above it; whereas a deflector affects the stream below it. Therefore the exact place where before and after readings are taken from should change accordingly. In Beaver Creek, the procedures for tbe readings ·were from a book entitled, °Freshwater Fishery Biology" by Karl F. Lagler. 7 -61- Width And Depth Width was simply determined by using a tap-e to measure from shore to shore at the point where the readings were to be taken from. Depth was measured using a graduated stick, halfway between one shore and the middle of the stream, at the middle and hqlfway between the middle and the other shore.· The average depth was determined by the following formula: READINGS AJ)DED (cm.) trfu-tBER OF READINGS +L = AVERAGE DEPTH (cm.} Adding one· to the number of readings was to allow ' for the zero depth at each shore. These procedures were r.epeated again"after the structure was made to determine how much effect the device had on the stream. Velocity Velocity of the stream was measured by attaching a small .piece of wood (a small fisherman's float may be used) ·to 3 mete:rs of limp mohofilament line. The line should.be less than 0.025 centimeters in diameter to reduce drag. Two pound test line was used for readings with a diameter of 0.015 centimeters. thes~ Tbe wood was then dropped onto the surface of the stream at each of the points used for depth readings and tbe time re·quired for the wood to travel the 3 meters -62- was dete~mined by stopwatch. Each of these three times were put into tbe following formula: LENGTH. (m.) TIMES ADDED (sec.) VELOCITY (m./sec.) NUMBER OF POINTS The resulting velocity was record.ea end the same procedure was repeated after tbe improvement structure was made, to determine how much effect the structure had on the stream. Certainly width, depth and velocity readings depend upon the condition of the stream at the time of recording, and will vary throughout the year. However, if the readings are taken just prior to actual improvement work, then in the time taken to improve that spot and to do the readings again, the stream should not have changed very· much. Pools And Shelter The evaluation of parti,cular pools or a section of stream can be of benefit when trying to determine what types o~ purposes. structures should be used for improvement Pools are judged subjectively with regard to size, type and frequency, and there is little. specific information which can aid in the evaluation of pools. -63- In Lagler!s book,. one system of pool evaluation is suggested: Size 1. Pools having an average wicth or length much greater tban the average width of the stream. 2. Pools having e width or length equal to the average width of the stream. 3.. Pools much narrower or shorter tban the average stream width. Type 1. Deep (0.6 meters or·more) exposed pools containing a great luxuriance of aquatic plants harbouring a rich fauna; or deep pools with abundant shelter (overhanging banks, logs, roots, boulders) much drift or detritus, and shaded by forest cover or shrubs. 2. Pools intermediate in depth, shelter, plant abundance, etc. 3. Shallow exposed pools without shelter and without plants; scouring basins. Frequency 1. 2. 3. More or less continuous poois - about 75~ to 251o ratio of pools to riffles •. Rather close succession of pools and rapids 50% relation. approximately 50% to Pools infrequent with l"on·g stretches of swift, shallow water between - pools waking up 25% or less of the total stream area.~ If a pool or section of stream is number 1 in all of these categories, it would bave the highest r~ting. If it is number 3, it would have the lowest rating. Other combinations would roughly be considered as being -64- interl1J.ediate. It was with the aid of this classification, that the improvement sites were considered. Shade Tbe determination of the amount and type of shade along a stream can help in deciding if shade or cover should be changed.in the improvement program. Shade was subjectively described by Lagler as: Dense - if overhanging brush and trees render the stream unfishable. Partly Shaded - if approximately half of the water is shaded. Open - if little or no shade exists.9 The size and type of shade, brush or trees is often recorded to help in deciding wbat to provide or remove, if observation shows shade managenent is warranted. Bottom The size and type of material making up the stream bed should be conside~ed to determine if conditions for natural spawning are available, and to decide what type of structure if any should be built. If the bottom contains large boulders for instance, then a boulder dam or boulder deflector would give the area a very natural appearance. Another reason that bottom type is an important -65- cons i.d·e·ra t:t :rn, .is f'or the evaluation of productivity~ :tag;Jer sbo-wed the .following types of bottoms :are produc- tive in decreasing amounts as listed: silt, small rubble, coarse gravel, fine gravel and sand. It seems tbat the silt and rubble produce large varieties of water plants. Therefore these types of bottom produce large· amounts of fish food, because most of the food organisms are dependent on the plants for food and shelter. The bottom types for the example area were recorded for the improvement areas only and were expressed in percentages of the differing types. Food Richness Tbe food organisms available to a population of fish should be considered when deciding whether or not to improve a stream. Also this kno~ledge can have a bearing on what types of improvements are to be made, as described in the Managerial Approaches section under "Food." The amount of food can be determined .fairly easily. Estimates of tbe bottom food are often based on square .foot samples made with a net. Where the sample improvements were made, two samples of fish food were taken; one in the middle of the stream and one between the middle and a shore. The sampler was simply nylon window screen, stapled . -66- to two pieces of wood, with a loose mesh cloth funnel s~wn ta a hole in the screen cut 10 centimeters up .from the bottom. Tbe funnel is not absolutely necessary, but it is easier to collect the organisms from the bottom of B funnel than from across a large screen. Another piece of wood was bolted to the tops of the other two pieces to hold the screen open. Photo 7 Sampler screen, Note cloth funnel sewn around hole in screen. Note also the piece of wood across the top to hold screen out. Since I was alone, forked sticks held the sampler upright in the stream, otherwise for two or more people, one person could simply bold the screen in place. The screen was set up and directly upstream of the funnel, -67- a square foot was measured on the bottom. Then all of the i;;tones and sticks within that square were turned over and washed off in front of the net and into it, and then moved out of the measured square. After that, tha bottom within the square was S-tirred up to dislodge the deeper lying organisms. After the bottom debris was replaced in the sample square, the contents of the screen and funnel were washed and placed in a pan. The sticks and debris were removed and the insects were taken out (while being counted) and placed in another container. This was when some of the v·arious species were observe·a. The· eval ua·tion of food richness does not depend upon numbers alone; al though large number·s do increase the possibilities or fish utilization. an irnportant fac·tor. Volume is also A large number of small organisms can have a smalle·r volume than a few very l~rge organisms. The latter however, could presumably produce more fish and would require less energy in obtaining it. However, a sample of large organisms could only reed a few fish, ·since :fish do not share their meals. Therefore volume and numbers are important. To obtain volume (as described by Lagler), the organisms were placed on a folded sheet of paper to d:r·a.tn. The caddis fly nymphs were removed from their cases and only the nymphs were put on the paper. After -68- the organisms drained, they wer·e to be put in a graduated centrifuge tube with a known amount of water. But since one could not be obtained, a large graduated syringe without the plunger and needle and a plug in the small end was used. This was obtained from the waste- basket of a local clinic. The difference between the known. amount of water and the amount after the insects were added was the volume orthe insects in the sample. The volumes of tbe two samples taken at each site were· averaged by adding tbe volumes and dividing by 2. The quantities of the samples were also averaged in the same· way. These became the final results of the sites. Again from Lagler is a list of the standards of richness: Food Grade 1 - (Exceptional richness} volume greeter than 2 cc., number greater than· 50. Food Grade 2 - (Average richness) volume from 1 to 2 cc., mor>e than 50 organisms. Food Grade 3 - (Poor in food} volume less than 1 cc., and (or) fewer than 50 i, organisms.10 To qualify, botb the numerical and volumetric standards must be met .for any one gr>ade. For example, a sample containing 30 :insects with a volume of 2.5 cc. would be graded 3. Similarly, a sample containing 200 insects with a volume of 0.9 cc. would be graded J. -69- Along the sample section of Beaver Creek, four different improvement sites were decided upon. However, of these, only the first two were actually improved (see Figure 12). One weekend it was found that the third site was the new location of a large beaver dam, and the fourth site, upstream of that, was covered with backed up water from the dam. Photo 8 Site number 3. Beavers got to it first. No readings had been taken at either site since work bad not begun there yet. t~rken and There was only one picture that was of site number 4,. before it was covered with water. -70- Photo 9 nBefore" shot of. site number 4. Unfortunately, it was too late in the year to try to.extend the improvement section since a new map would have to have been produced for inclusion in this paper. Before Fall, three beaver dams in all were built i~ the improvement section. Luckily, the first two improvement sites were not affected. The stream analysis procedures were conducted on the improvement sites before the work was done. However, after the improvements, only those features which cban~ed as a result of them were analysed agairi. The following is a section on the results before the improvements, followed by the improvements themselves and followed again by the results of the analysis after the improvement work. -71- \ Stream Analysis Results Before Improvements Width And Depth The wldtbs of the stream at the two improvement sites where readings were taken were: Site 1 - 3.5 m. Site 2 - 8.3 m. The average depth of the two sites were: Site 1 1 7cm~ + 34c!-TI· + 30cm. 20.25cm. 4 Site 2 26cm. + 30cm. + 2lcm. 19.25cm. 4 Velocity The velocities at the improvement sites were found to be the following: Site 1 - 3 m. 8sec. + 6sec. + 6.5sec. 3 . O.LLJ9 m/sec. -72- Site 2 - 3 m. 7.2seb.+ l~.9sec.+J4.6sec. 0.337 m/sec. 3 Pools And Shelter The pools and shelter at each improvement site were evaluated as the following: Site l - Size - 2 - Type - 2 - Frequency - 2 Site 2 - Size - 2 - Type - 3 - Frequency - 3 As can be seen, at both sites, the quality of the p_ools and shelter were not the highest. This was one of the main reasons the sites were chosen for this exampl-e. Shade The shade which existed along tbe stream in the improvement areas was rated as follows: Site 1 - Partly shaded. - Shade was along the west shore only and was- composed of 5-9 me.ter Mountain Alder (Alnus tenuifolia) and 2-3 meter Red Osier Dog-wood ( Cornus stolonifera). Site 2 - Open - The bush end trees grew to withtn one meter of the water, however because of ( their size and the manner in which they grew, the~e was very few overhanging branches affording shade. The species which grew there were 2-3 meter Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolontferal, 6 meter Mountain Alder (Alnus tenuifolia) and 2 meter Rose bushes (Rosa spp.). The shade described at Site 1 and Site 2, was quite high, 2-3 meters was the lowest of the specieso In ve1w of this and the fact that fish often rest and hide under the branches of vegetation growing over the water; low growing vegetation such as grasses and willows could have been of benefit here. Bottom The bottom types in each area as mentioned before, were expressed in percentages as follows: Site 1 - Pool (most of site) - 50~ boulders 20cmo+ - 4ofo rocks 5-19. 9 cm. - Riffle (small part of site) - 10% coarse gravel <5cm. Site 2 - Riffle - 40% boulders 20cm.+ 50% rocks 5-19.9cm. - 10~ coarse gravel <5cm. The types of bottom described here had a bearing on the types of improvements used for tbe stream example, in tba t the large numbers of boulders were us e.d for building materials. -·74·· Foqd R1 chnes s Food richness samples were taken at each of the improvement sites and the results were as follows: Site 1 First sample (stream center) - 1.2 cc. with 68 organisms. Second sample~- 1 cc. with 59 org_anisms. Average - 1.1 cc. with 64 organisms. Site 2 First sample (stream center) - i.4 cc. with 74 organisms. Second sample - 1.3 cc. with 70 organisms. Average - 1.35 cc. with 72 organisms. These results indicate an average richness of food in this section of the stream. As previously indicated, silt and small rubble produce the most in the way of organisms; however these two sites have boulder bottoms. Little plant life grew among these boulders, however they afford excellent hiding areas for the organisms, and trap plant detritus between them to provide food for the insects, ~nd ere therefore rel~tiveli productive. -75- Stream Improvement Sites As mentioned before not all of the improvement work planned for the stream section became a reality. However, the work th8t wa~r accomplished will be examined here .. Site l As seen on Figure 12, this spot was fairly narrow, and was located just downstream of a slight rapid. Ph6to 10 Section of stream a Site 1. Notice in Photo 10 the channel on the left, and the water trickling thI•ough the rocks on the right. It was t.he channel that I wanted to deepen, and it was that wBter trickling through the rocks and into the channel that was going to help. -76- The pl en was. to build a lo'.