Wapiti Watershed Study Final Report 2002
Author(s)
John Tchir, Al Wideman and Paul Hvenegaard
Summary
Habitats, critical to bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the Wapiti River watershed were determined to provide land use and resource development planners information to make informed decisions with respect to risk of habitat loss and degradation. Fish inventory data collections provided insight into sport fish population structure and relative abundance. Telemetry findings indicated Arctic grayling spawning areas were located in the Redwillow River, Pinto and Nose Creeks. Arctic grayling were not found in the Beaverlodge River at any time during the study. Bull trout spawning locations were not found in the Alberta portion of the Wapiti drainage. However, telemetry results indicated a high likelihood of bull trout spawning in the Upper Narraway River in British Columbia. Young of the Year bull trout were found in Hanington Creek a tributary to the Narraway River in British Columbia. Bull trout and Arctic grayling over-wintered primarily in the main stem Wapiti River at confluence areas and in close proximity to the Weyerhaeuser mill effluent discharge.