North Slocan Bull Trout Conservation Project

Awarded to the Slocan Lake Stewardship Society to protect endangered bull trout in the North Slocan from further population declines through the assessment and development of a management plan to support their recovery through defined conservation efforts

PROPONENT: Slocan Lake Stewardship Society

DESCRIPTION: Bull Trout are provincially blue-listed species and their conservation is a high priority for the province of BC. This proposed project revisits the Bull Trout (BT) spawning habitats in the North Slocan tributaries so that specific conservation actions (e.g., fishing regulatory changes, habitat enhancement) and any related land use decisions can be better targeted to protect this blue listed species in the face of climate change. In addition to being an important sport fishery in the Slocan Lake watershed, BT are a keystone predator and an important ecosystem component of the health of the fish habitat in the lake and its tributaries. This project will provide the foundation for a BT management plan that identifies key aquatic and riparian restoration/enhancement opportunities for the core bull trout spawning habitats on Slocan Lake. As a main predator within Slocan Lake, BT populations provide direct insight into the structure, functioning and overall health of the fish community in Slocan Lake. This project would see this critical research cycle completed to determine current spawner abundance and recommendation for ongoing protection.

The overarching goal of the project is to protect endangered bull trout in the North Slocan from further population declines through the assessment and development of a management plan to support their recovery through defined conservation efforts.

OBJECTIVE: The project is divided into 3 phases with the following objectives:

1. Bull Trout Spawning Assessment: Complete a bull trout spawning assessment which includes an adfluvial redd count to Wilson, Dennis, and Silverton Creeks to estimate spawner distribution and abundance.
2. Site-Specific Temperature Monitoring: Install 4 temperature data loggers to assess temperature in key spawning locations identified by the redd assessment for Wilson, Dennis and Silverton Creeks. This will be an on-the- ground action that will enhance the current monitoring tributary program in place.
3. Bull Trout Conservation Plan for Silverton, Wilson and Dennis Creeks: Based upon the spawning and identified conservation opportunities, develop a Bull Trout Conservation Plan covering the lower reaches of Silverton, Wilson and Dennis Creeks. Report will include any regulatory recommendations needed to be presented to governing bodies.