The Slocan Valley focal area was added in Year 5 of Kootenay Connect Priority Places. Highlights from Year 5 (2023-24) & Year 6 (2024-25) are listed below.
Year 6 (2024-25)
In Year 6 (2024), the project focused on mapping the riparian and wetlands of the Little Slocan River and Lakes and looking for natural cross-watershed connections. This work resulted in the development of a watershed-based study area that was used to look as new and existing data in a defined area, and to start incorporating Ktunaxa forestry standards into the process. This update report for the 2024 work includes preliminary mapping and assessments of areas in the Slocan River watershed that have been identified as having high conservation opportunities as well as potential connectivity values. The Connectivity Study Area encompasses 34,197 ha starting at the headwaters of Hoder Creek in the northwest (including a small portion of the Valhalla Provincial Park), Little Slocan Lakes, Little Slocan River, the southern half of Perry Ridge and ending at the headwaters of the Winlaw Creek watershed. Over the next year we will continue to focus on inventorying rare/at-risk species and sensitive habitats that rely upon the riparian-wetland and aquatic habitats in the Slocan Watershed.
Year 5 (2023-24)
In 2021, Kootenay Connect identified the Slocan River Valley as a focal area for connectivity in the West Kootenays with wildlife corridors connecting the Southern Selkirk range in the east to the Valhalla Mountains in the west. The Slocan River Valley’s varied topography and microclimates result in a diverse range of ecosystems including floodplains, wetlands, forests, meadows and alpine environments, species, and habitats. Through the efforts of Kootenay Connect, the Slocan Valley is now formally recognized as a Community Nominated Priority Place (CNNP) under the Canada Nature Fund, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Over the next three years, this CNPP funded project will focus on inventorying rare/at-risk species and sensitive habitats that rely upon the riparian-wetland and aquatic habitats in the Slocan River floodplain. The study area for Year 5 is approached from a Slocan Watershed perspective to evaluate and focus on specific study areas within the Slocan River Valley boundaries and tailor the work effort for the remaining two years of this project. This initial planning year covers an in-depth review of existing datasets and current watershed maps to take into account the interconnectivity of all ecosystems, corridor and species movement. This first review has compiled a landscape level view to enable scaling and priority-setting the detailed on-the-ground studies for Year 6 to the unique and biodiversity hotspots within the Slocan River Valley boundaries.
