Cooperative Fisheries Inventory Program 2003 - Summary Report for the Driftwood River, Assineau River, Mooney Creek and Sawridge Creek Drainages
Author(s)
Leanne Osokin
Summary
The Slave Lake area Co-operative Fisheries Inventory Program (CFIP) is a collaborative effort among Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD), Slave Lake Pulp, and Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. (Slave Lake Division). This was the fourth and final season of CFIP operation within industry partner’s Forest Management Agreement (FMA). The Driftwood River, Assineau River, Mooney Creek, and Sawridge Creek were the priority drainages selected for the sampling season (June 10 – October 3, 2003). Slave Lake Pulp pre-selected small tributaries to sample on Assineau River, Mooney and Sawridge Creek drainages making up the majority of the sites sampled: 63%, 73% and 100% respectively. In total, 35 sites were completed on the Driftwood River drainage; Assineau River (n=11), Mooney Creek (n=18) and Sawridge Creek (n=9) drainages made a combined total of 38 sites. Fish were found at 26% of the sites sampled in the Driftwood River drainage, no fish were found in 57% of the sites and 17% of sites were sampled for habitat parameters alone. Sport fish were not captured in the Driftwood River drainage. Fish inventories conducted on the Assineau River sites resulted in fish species found at 9% of sites with no fish were found at 55% of sites. Habitat assessments (n = 4) were completed where fish inventory methods could not be applied. Mooney Creek results were 11% were sampled with fish, no fish were found at 44.5% of the sites and 44.5% were sampled for habitat parameters only. Sampling on the Sawridge tributaries resulted with fish not found at any of the sites; 78% of the sites were electrofished and 22% were sampled for habitat parameters only. The permanent sample plots established in 2000 on the Marten and Sawridge Creeks continued to adhere to the seasonal distribution sample pattern.