Culvert ProjectCulvert Project

Fish Passage – Moving Fish Passage – Moving from a focused culvert from a focused culvert evaluation to FREP. evaluation to FREP.

Richard ThompsonRichard Thompson

Senior Habitat BiologistSenior Habitat Biologist

Ministry of EnvironmentMinistry of Environment

• Background• Overview of Process• Field Methods

– Overview– Detailed

• FREP – What’s next.

BACKGROUND

• “Poor culvert design and location can be ranked among the most devastating fish constraints to be found in the Province. The correction of which is vital to the maintenance of present spawning areas and the rehabilitation of areas no longer accessible because of past culvert failures. Until adequate corrective measures are taken, fish populations will continue to be detrimentally affected, and the province will be burdened with the difficult task of replacing dwindling numbers of fish stocks.” That quote was from a 1977 report to a Federal Provincial committee on Fishways and stream crossings.

FREP Question: Are forest road stream crossings or other forestry practices FREP Question: Are forest road stream crossings or other forestry practices maintaining connectivity of fish habitats? maintaining connectivity of fish habitats?

Recent WorkWashington – 9700 culverts surveyed by 2003– 56 % failure rate– 7600 miles of isolated or reduce capacity habitat

BC– MoE Projected focused on high fish values and structures built

since 1995.– Similar high failure rate.– 2000 and 2001 projects by DFO and MoE identified issues with

pre-code structures

Need has been recognized to priorize and fix fish passage issues.

PlanningPlanning

Select watershed(s) using “Fish Value” and 1:50,000 Wshd Atlas Polygons Step 1Step 1

Fish Value

Biodiversity Socio Economic

Salmon EscapementSpecies Richness Red and Blue Lakes Steelhead

Selection process can be at any level i.e. provincial, regional, district etc.

“Fish Value” is a provincial strategic tool used to rank watersheds

Watershed Groups: Prince George Forest DistrictWatershed Groups: Prince George Forest District

Prince George 7 MCGRWSD000012 3.949588 7.05357 141 2832 0.48

Forest District MOE Region

Watershed Code Species Richness

T&E Salmon EscapementLake Value

SH value Fish Value

#

#

#

#

#

#

#Wells

McBride

Quesnel Valemount

Vanderhoof

Prince George

Tumbler Ridge

Fort St. James

Nation River

““Fish Value” Score: PG Forest DistrictFish Value” Score: PG Forest District

Basin Watershed

Avg. Poly

Score # of PolyRank w/i

Basin

Arctic Parsnip Total 0.1638 116 1

Arctic Carp Total selected 0.1452 20 2

Arctic Crooked Total 0.1381 57 3

Arctic Smoky Total 0.1319 9 4

Arctic Murray Total 0.1270 2 5

Arctic Muskeg Total 0.1028 27 6

Pacific Herrick Total 0.1683 40 1

Pacific McGregor Total selected 0.1637 57 2

Pacific Tabor Total 0.1371 46 3

Pacific Morkill Total 0.1333 87 4

Pacific Willow Total 0.1238 40 5

Pacific Lower Chilako Total 0.1227 62 6

Pacific Chilako Total 0.1193 12 7

Pacific Cottonwood Total 0.1185 32 8

Pacific Bowron Total 0.1161 49 9

Pacific Lower Salmon Total 0.1149 44 10

Pacific Blackwater Total 0.1144 8 11

Pacific Stuart Total 0.0982 10 12

Watershed Groups: Prince George Forest Watershed Groups: Prince George Forest DistrictDistrict

Prince George 7 MCGRWSD000012 3.949588 7.05357 141 2832 0.48

Forest District MOE Region

Watershed Code Species Richness

T&E Salmon EscapementLake Value

SH value Fish Value

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

Carp

McGregor

PlanningPlanning

Overlay known fish presence with specific road networksStep 2Step 2

• GIS exercise

• Obtain maps of road network

• Concentrate on intersection of “known” fish streams and road network

ALTERNATE: Random Road Segments tied to Water Quality Assessment

Four Ways to Evaluate Culverts for Fish Four Ways to Evaluate Culverts for Fish PassagePassage

• Experiments/surveys observing actual fish passage success

• Velocity measurements • Hydraulic analysis• Measurement of surrogates

indicative of hydraulic conditions

The Overview and Detailed protocols used are The Overview and Detailed protocols used are surrogate methodssurrogate methods

• Key advantages:– Surrogate measures

can be done with people with little training

– Surrogate protocols can cover more culverts in same amount of time boosting sample size

– Information can be used in hydraulic analysis if right measures taken

Protocols usedProtocols used

• Overview Protocol: Used for quick survey of fish passage based on surrogates.

• Detailed Protocol: Detailed monitoring protocol based on fish passage guidelines like velocity tied back to surrogate measurements. Gives information to evaluate correction alternatives as well as information to determine why a structure has failed. Effectiveness of design, installation.

14. Outlet Drop (cm)

Quick measures with meter stick for overview*

15. Embedded? Yes No Circle (Visual)

16. Embedment Depth (30 cm or 20%)

Yes No Circle (Visual)

17. Culvert Slope (%) (Clinometer)

Clinometer quick measure

18. Culvert Dimensions (cm)x(m)

_____ _____ _____Meter Stick

19. Culvert Condition(circle all)

New Worn DeterioratedVisual

20. Downstream Width (cm)

__________Tape or level rod

21. Backwatering(Circle)

NA; None; Out; Barrel; Inlet Visual

Measurements Measurements in and around in and around outletoutlet

*Measures should take 5-10 minutes

#14. Outlet drop - Residual Pool Measurements#14. Outlet drop - Residual Pool Measurements

• Pool must be close enough for jump to culvert outlet (good distance and angle)

• Base measurements on residual pool surface

Current water surface

Residual water surface

LengthDepth

Embedded Closed Bottom Culverts Non-embedded Closed bottom Culverts

criteria threshold threshold

embedment Min 30 cm or 20% of culvert diameter embedded throughout culvert

 N/A*

slope Stream gradient less than 6% as per guidebook recommendations

less than 1%*

width Equal to or greater than 1X channel width at point of embedment for streams >3% For streams less 3% 0.8x of channel width

equal to or greater than 0.8X channel width

length N/A* less than 30 m

outlet drop N/A less than 15 cm for juveniles

outlet pool N/A minimum of 1.5x of outlet drop

inlet drop N/A Same as outlet drop

minimum depth?

N/Aevidence of backwatering to maintain minimum depth

#26 Fish Passage Status (circle) Yes No Borderline

Summary – FREP What’s Next.Summary – FREP What’s Next.

• Approach developed in Pilot can be applied to any scale in Province

• Systematic approach driven by priority watersheds

• FREP will adapt a randomized sample design.

• Adequate expertise exists for overview assessment – anyone should be able to do the overview after reviewing the protocol and some training.

• Detailed assessment will be done to on a sub-sample of problem structures to help determine exact cause of failure and drive continuous improvement.

• FREP monitoring will allow us to more accurately reflect the scope of the problem. Determine causal agents and improve practices.

• Richard Thompson – MoE – Richard.Thompson@gov.bc.ca