The Kawesas Watershed Assessment

VI: Wildlife & Wildlife Habitat

Grant Hazelwood and John Kelson

As pristine systems like the Kawesas become increasingly scarce, so do many species that society values for subsistence, recreation, and aesthetic reasons. This chapter focuses on vertebrates that depend to some degree on all the attributes discussed in the previous chapters - terrain, vegetation, aquatic habitat and salmonids, and indirectly, benthic invertebrates. We focus especially on a few large mammals — bear, moose, deer, and goats — on the recently Red Listed Marbled Murrelet, and on oolichan, one of the foundations of Haisla subsistence and culture.

Most human activities in wild areas have, on balance, negative effects on wildlife; timber harvesting is one such activity. In particular, its negative impacts on wildlife can conflict with other values that wildlife species provide. An assessment of wildlife and wildlife habitat was carried out in the Kawesas to establish baseline information about current wildlife distribution and abundance, so that recommendations regarding human activities could be made, and so that the effects of future activities can be monitored.

Methods

A winter helicopter survey for wildlife species was conducted to establish a baseline of their abundance, use of specific critical ranges, and the "ungulate capability limits" of the drainage based on terrain, climate, and habitat availability. A summer field survey was conducted to evaluate site specific habitats of importance for wild ungulates and other species. These two field assessments during different seasons were the basis for wild ungulate capability mapping of the entire drainage and foreshore of Chief Mathews Bay (Map 7). A species list including observation notes can be found in the KWA Technical Report. A total of 127 species (3 reptiles, 6 amphibians, 81 birds and 37 mammals) were either observed or expected to be present. Four of these are on the provincial "Red List" of endangered or threatened species, and eleven are "Blue Listed" as vulnerable or sensitive. This is a conservative list as more spring and fall field work, on the estuary in particular, would increase the numbers of bird migrants recorded. A list compiled for the Kitlope by Travers (1991) is in close agreement with our observations in the Kawesas.

Observations of species recorded by the authors were augmented with sightings by other observers and supplemented by historical information from generations of family trapline harvesting in the area.

Results

Because of the large number of side channels, cutoff meanders, wetlands, marshes, bogs, and swamps, biodiversity levels are very high all along the valley bottom from the estuary to 26 km upriver where the two upper sources of the Kawesas River emerge from steep canyon walls.

A large marsh area and hotsprings emerge from the west wall of the valley 22 km from the estuary. This combination makes the area a concentration point for amphibians, particularly the western toad. Immature toads in the tens of thousands form windrows on the dry marsh bed between the pond and the river. With this locus of amphibian activity and a river for transport, the central valley floor with its wetlands probably has more amphibian residents than any other drainage on the coast of central British Columbia. Tailed frogs, a cold-water amphibian, were not found in the Kawesas, but the presence of nearby populations suggests that a more extensive survey would detect them.

Riparian areas are well documented for their valuable contribution to biodiversity. The edge areas as well as the dense understory contributes to avian and amphibian habitat. However, the close proximity of glaciers and the narrow north-south alignment of the main valley cools the drainage and allows fewer direct sunlight hours on south aspects of lower slopes. This probably has a negative effect on biological systems and their productivity, as do the shallow veneers of soil on the slopes underneath the old growth forests.

The nearby Kitlope drainage is aligned on a north-south axis with Whidbey Reach and the Gardner Canal, whereas the Kawesas is a blind alley to southbound bird migrants. This means that the bird migrants can funnel south directly into the gentle Kitlope valley and probably do so. Similarly, spring migrants can funnel north up the Dean Channel and gentle Kimsquit Valley and into the Kitlope. The Kawesas may be bypassed by many migrant bird species.

Of particular interest is the resident marbled murrelet population, a Red Listed species in British Columbia. Observations from May through July 1995 and reconnaissance surveys conducted throughout the breeding season in 1991 and periodically in 1992 and 1993 suggest that approximately 30 or more breeding pairs use the Kawesas. As a large percentage of former old-growth forest nesting habitat has been eliminated from this region of the mid-coast, the importance of nesting habitat in the Kawesas has become more significant. More detailed activity surveys using methodology developed by Ralph et al. (1993) should be completed prior to any proposed development.

Mammal species have similar problems in accessing the Kawesas drainage due to glaciers and bare rock in the headwaters of the Kawesas and Cole Creek. Moose and deer must swim or find their way around steep headlands and cliffs along Gardner Canal or swim across Whidbey Reach from the east. A game trail providing access from the Kitlope valley is described in Haisla legends. This would help moose populations moving from the Kimsquit into the Kitlope and then finally into the Kawesas estuary. Black-tail deer would conversely migrate south by way of Barrie Creek headwaters or along the steep slopes of Gardner Canal from more populated areas further north. Historically the Kitlope has had very few deer (Gord Olson - personal communication).

Bears probably scramble over the heights and traverse the steep alder slopes along saltwater access better than ungulates. Food supply is probably the limiting factor, with berries and fish more limited in the Kawesas seasonally than in other large drainages. Black bears are common in the Kawesas, with an estimated resident population of over 60 bears. Black bears were sighted by various team members on mid-slopes, in subalpine areas, around the estuary, and along the mid-river by canoeing observers. Day beds, fresh scats, trails, and cub tracks were also found. There is potential in the Kawesas gene pool for the recessive Kermode gene for white colour phase, due to the close proximity of the Princess Royal Island population.

Grizzly bears (a Blue Listed species) are present in the mid to lower drainage and probably number between 8 and 14 individuals. Individuals as well as a sow and cubs were observed in 1995 (Powell 1995; McCallister 1995). The large population of black bears suggests a low population of grizzlies since they are a regular predator on the smaller black bear species when they are found together. Guided hunting in the lower Kawesas as well as resident hunting likely has depressed this population in the past (Olson, 1995).

Moose, Sitka deer, and mountain goats all inhabit the Kawesas, with the latter being the most common (as many as 100 goats versus perhaps three moose and 10–20 deer). Tracks observed in March 1995 indicated that mountain goats were utilizing snowslide runout areas of hardened snow to access riparian growth along the river. In narrow sections of the valley tracks indicated they actually cross from one side to the other. Summer observations indicate that goats use snowslide areas and upper slopes (at or above 600 m elevation), and that they occasionally use the valley bottom and cross the river. Goat numbers are lowest in mid-summer months due to heat and insects that drive animals up onto snowfields and windy ridges at the highest elevations.

Smaller mammals probably arrived by slow pioneering generations along the Gardner Canal or perhaps by arriving on rafts of Kitlope flood-swept debris piles. Amphibians may have arrived in similar fashion or, as in the case of swimming species swept out into the Gardner Canal, they may have swum on the surface freshwater film overriding the salt layer. Western toads and frog species often cross large lakes in this manner.

Most of these smaller pioneering species must have taken hundreds of generations and a similar number of years to gain access to the geologically young Kawesas drainage. Marine mammals and birds also follow spawning runs of fish into estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers, preying on seasonal concentrations initially, or gleaning scraps from other more efficient predators and, finally, utilizing the loose eggs and spawned out carcasses of the dead and dying fish. Oolichans return to their home rivers in March and April, including the Kawesas River. Chum, pink, and coho salmon return to the Kawesas River in July, August, and September along with chinook salmon. All of these runs attract predators and scavengers to the study area. Since the oolichan seem to "set the table" in terms of attracting other species to many mid-coast rivers, and hold a special importance in Haisla culture, it seems germane to discuss them briefly in this report.

Oolichan in the lands of Haisla

Oolichan (Thaleichthys pacificus) are a member of the smelt family, occurring in coastal waters from Monterey Bay, California to the Bering Sea in Alaska. These small, oily fish have a long history of value to aboriginal peoples along the B. C. coast (Scott and Crossman 1973). Because oolichan spawn in fresh water of tidal rivers, they are more accessible to harvest and to accumulate for purposes of inland trading and bartering with other tribes. The Haisla peoples have utilized this resource for food and for barter for thousands of years as recorded in their oral legends and in archaeological studies of ancient village sites.

Oolichans only use a limited number of rivers for spawning and early life stage development. British Columbia has fifteen known rivers with significant oolichan runs. Haisla territory includes five of these fifteen, from the Kitimat River to the Kitlope drainage. The traditional Haisla oolichan rivers were the Kildala, Kemano, Kawesas, Kitlope, and Kitimat drainages. Harvest data for these five rivers are fragmentary. Declining harvests on the Kitimat have alerted fisheries managers to pollution threats. The Kemano and Kitimat have historically been the top producers, while the Kawesas and Kitlope have only been fished when runs were poor elsewhere. Improved techniques for detecting the presence of eggs, larvae, and adult spawners have resulted in the recent discovery of small populations in other nearby drainages (e.g. Wathl, Bish, and Brim creeks [Kelson 1996]). There are only a few runs without moderate to extensive hydrological and/or industrial disturbance in all of British Columbia, and the Kawesas and Kitlope are the only two of these undisturbed runs of significant size.

Oolichan spawn in slower waters below rapids and in sandy substrate where their eggs can adhere, while avoiding silts which suffocate the eggs. They spawn in March and April, taking advantage of low clear river flows and high neap tides. Large increases in water volumes scour spawning substrate and estuary alike and place the entire lower river ecosystems in flux. Logging apparently discourages oolichan spawning, or reduces spawning success, both because of increased flow and because of increased siltation (egg mortality is far higher on silt than on any other substrate [Shepard and Vroom 1997]).

The Kawesas and Kitlope runs historically have been more modest than the Kitimat and Kemano (Ken Hall - personal communication). Although sampling efforts on the Kawesas in March 1995 indicated a run of only hundreds (Whelpley, 1995), 50 and 17 tons were caught in 1974 and 1975, the last time the Kawesas was fished. Thus the run was probably greater than 30 tons (Pritchard, unpublished data). No concentrations of gulls, sea birds or marine mammals were present at the estuary during spring 1995 that would have indicated the arrival of a healthy prey population. It does not appear that the annual oolichan runs are as constant now as they were historically, or, as some have suggested, that they are not truly faithful to their home river on an annual basis. Three- to five-year-old repeat spawners may be a significant part of some runs (Kelson 1995).

Traditional knowledge had suggested that weak-swimming oolichan spawners could only swim short distances above tidal influence. But recent research on the Kitimat River on larval oolichan presence has found evidence of spawning 18 kilometres upstream of tidal influence (Kelson 1996). This profoundly changes our concepts of oolichan behavior. Recent concerns have also been expressed about the types of fishing gear in use, as dragging nets in fresh water likely destroys much spawn while taking adult spawners. As of 1996, Haisla fishers have changed harvesting techniques to protect spawning habitat (Kemano River Oolichan Management Plan 1996).

In summary, oolichan runs benefit many predatory species including humans. The Kawesas appears to have a modest run of oolichan. Although we need more information to fully assess the significance of this run, its status as one of fifteen sizeable oolichan runs, and one of only two that have not been seriously degraded, underscore the importance of the Kawesas for the long-term viability of this species.

Recreational pressures

Recreational use of the study area is sporadic by river fishermen, as riverboat access extends only about 6 km upriver. The Kitlope offers far greater distances of river travel and a better-quality fishery.

Occasional recreational hunting of geese and ducks takes place in the Kawesas estuary. Grizzly and black bears are hunted here, mainly on the estuary in the spring and again in the fall. Kemano residents are the main users of this resource on an opportunistic basis.

Moose are probably hunted here in the fall and this poses risks to what is at present a locally rare and endangered population of three animals. Blanket regulations do nothing to protect the resource under these conditions. Management options that might sustain moose populations include closures and transplants from the Kimsquit. The black bear and mountain goat populations are the only two mammal species that can sustain a harvest on a regular basis, and their harvest should be limited and monitored on a 5-year cycle.

The terrain and climate are the ultimate limiting factors determining the distribution and abundance of wildlife in the Kawesas. Timber harvesting, and the resulting habitat degradation and increased access for hunting, would pose further risk to some wildlife species. Areas of serious concern are the environmentally sensitive estuary and the adjacent bottomlands upstream to Cole Creek. This wild ungulate complex area includes moose and deer winter ranges that are critical, as well as year-round habitat that is rated as Class 3, the highest in the drainage. In addition to the wild ungulate capability the lower habitats of the river bottom are prime black bear and grizzly bear habitat in spring, summer, and fall. Bird nesting and resting on the estuary and adjacent uplands is also an extremely important use of this critical area. The area of sphagnum bogs adjacent to the upper estuary is an extremely important amphibian source for populations in the lower valley. These reproductive sites allow toads to radiate out into surrounding wetlands and return annually to reproduce.

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