All Resources

Alberta native trout science workshop proceedings : February 1-3, 2023

Description

This report is a compilation of abstracts, extended abstracts and papers presented at the Alberta Native Trout Science Workshop on February 1-3, 2023. The workshop was jointly sponsored by the... More ≫

Description

This report is a compilation of abstracts, extended abstracts and papers presented at the Alberta Native Trout Science Workshop on February 1-3, 2023. The workshop was jointly sponsored by the Office of the Chief Scientist (Environment and Protected Areas) and fRI Research (non-governmental organization).

Tags

Rocky Creek bull trout cumulative effects model and threat summary

Description

Alberta's fisheries cumulative effects modelling approach (Joe model) was used to assess the threats to bull trout in four Clearwater River watersheds (Rocky, Elk, Cutoff and Limestone creeks).... More ≫

Description

Alberta's fisheries cumulative effects modelling approach (Joe model) was used to assess the threats to bull trout in four Clearwater River watersheds (Rocky, Elk, Cutoff and Limestone creeks). The bull trout Joe model is a semi-quantitative cumulative effects model that combines 18 different threats and was populated with data specific for each of the four watersheds. This report documents the rationale for the relationship between the modelled stressors and predicted bull trout system capacity (stressor-response curves), describes the data used to populate the stressor input values, and provides a short summary of stressors and model outputs for each of the four study watersheds.

Tags

Quirk Creek fisheries data series : summary and analysis

Description

Brook trout have become established in the Quirk Creek watershed, raising concern about native, Threatened westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout. Several partners established the brook trout... More ≫

Description

Brook trout have become established in the Quirk Creek watershed, raising concern about native, Threatened westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout. Several partners established the brook trout suppression project, running from 1998 to 2015, to test the efficacy of selective harvest in controlling brook trout and promoting recovery of the threatened trout. Westslope cutthroat trout recruitment was negatively affected by brook trout; native trout have not recovered despite the suppression of brook trout. This report explores several potential mechanisms to explain the lack of recovery and provides recommendations for management of this fishery.

Tags

Watershed assessment : North Central Native Trout

Description

Presents results of watershed assessments conducted in areas covered by the North Central Native Trout Recovery Program, which include the Kakwa River, Berland River, North Saskatchewan River,... More ≫

Description

Presents results of watershed assessments conducted in areas covered by the North Central Native Trout Recovery Program, which include the Kakwa River, Berland River, North Saskatchewan River, Clearwater River, and Upper Red Deer River watersheds. Watershed assessments provide information used to set appropriate fishing regulations, to understand and correct problems with fish habitat and to guard against invasive species.

Tags

Land use, climate change and ecological responses in the Upper North Saskatchewan and Red Deer River Basins : a scientific assessment

Description

To inform future land use planning in the Eastern Slopes of west-central Alberta, a review was conducted of key land use stressors and expected ecological responses. Altered fire regimes, forest... More ≫

Description

To inform future land use planning in the Eastern Slopes of west-central Alberta, a review was conducted of key land use stressors and expected ecological responses. Altered fire regimes, forest harvesting, and linear disturbances are key stressors that, along with climate, and other environmental drivers, affect wildlife, hydrology, and other valued ecosystem attributes. The current status of each stressor in the study area was characterized from geospatial and other environmental datasets, expected ecological responses were summarized from reviews of the published literature, and future research and monitoring priorities were identified.

Tags

Status of the bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in Alberta : update 2009

Description

This wildlife status report looks at the bull trout, a char species native to western North America, including the major drainages of the eastern slopes of Alberta. Since the early 1900s the... More ≫

Description

This wildlife status report looks at the bull trout, a char species native to western North America, including the major drainages of the eastern slopes of Alberta. Since the early 1900s the species has declined in both distribution and abundance due to the impact of human activities, and it listed as a species of special concern in Alberta. This report is part of the Alberta Wildlife Status Report series, which provides comprehensive summaries of selected wildlife species intended to be useful to those managing populations of species and their habitats, and to help identify species that may be formally designated as endangered or threatened.

Tags

Selenium concentrations in the tissues of fish from the Upper McLeod and Upper Smoky River systems

Description

The present study compared selenium in fish tissues from flowing water systems near three west-central Alberta mountain cola mines in the upper McLeod and Smoky River systems to the toxicity... More ≫

Description

The present study compared selenium in fish tissues from flowing water systems near three west-central Alberta mountain cola mines in the upper McLeod and Smoky River systems to the toxicity effects thresholds developed by Lemly (1996). Overall, data for fish tissues collected in 2000 and 2001 by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development showed that selenium concentrations in rainbow and brook trout were usually greater than toxicity effects thresholds in the exposed streams compared to reference streams, particularly in the tissues of fish collected from waters draining the Luscar and Gregg River mines. General patterns for selenium concentrations int he remaining fish species sampled (bull trout, mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling, and longnose sucker) compared to effects thresholds were not always as apparent. This was to some extent due to the potential influences of spawning migrations of mountain whitefish and bull trout among the exposed and reference sampling locations, and...

Tags

Fish diet analysis McLeod and Smoky River Drainages

Description

The primary objective of the study was to provide a summary of the diet data and any major patterns in the diet of fish from waterbodies within the study area. The analysis included the three diet... More ≫

Description

The primary objective of the study was to provide a summary of the diet data and any major patterns in the diet of fish from waterbodies within the study area. The analysis included the three diet content methods used (frequency of occurrence, percent composition by count, and percent composition by weight; see Section2.1 for details) and presentation of temporal (years and where appropriate months) and spatial patterns for the fish species among the river systems.

Tags

Status of the bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in Alberta [2002]

Description

This wildlife status report looks at the bull trout, a char species native to western North America, including the major drainages of the eastern slopes of Alberta. Since the early 1900s the... More ≫

Description

This wildlife status report looks at the bull trout, a char species native to western North America, including the major drainages of the eastern slopes of Alberta. Since the early 1900s the species has declined in both distribution and abundance due to the impact of human activities, and its status is listed as Sensitive in Alberta. This report is part of the Alberta Wildlife Status Report series, which provides comprehensive summaries of selected wildlife species intended to be useful to those managing populations of species and their habitats, and to help identify species that may be formally designated as endangered or threatened.

Tags

Characteristics of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) spawning sites in five tributaries of the Upper Clearwater River, Alberta

Description

Presents findings of a survey of five bull trout spawning tributaries of the upper Clearwater River to describe the physical characteristics of the spawning sites, and determine if environmental... More ≫

Description

Presents findings of a survey of five bull trout spawning tributaries of the upper Clearwater River to describe the physical characteristics of the spawning sites, and determine if environmental conditions were limiting to egg and alevin survival at these sites. A previous study had showed that these spring streams, characterized by stable water flows and stable water temperatures, provide 90 per cent of the known spawning areas for bull trout in the Clearwater River.

Tags