Data Download and Methods

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Connectivity Status Assessment Methods

The connectivity status assessment for anadromous salmonids in the Bulkley River watershed builds on existing connectivity modelling work undertaken by the BC Fish Passage Technical Working Group, resulting in a flexible, customizable open-source spatial model called “bcfishpass”. The model spatially locates known and modelled barriers to fish passage, identifies potential spawning and rearing habitat for focal species, and estimates the amount of habitat that is currently accessible to focal species. The model uses an adapted version of the Intrinsic Potential (IP) fish habitat modelling framework (see Sheer et al. (2009) for an overview of the IP framework). The habitat model uses two geomorphic characteristics of the stream network — channel gradient and mean annual discharge — to identify potential spawning habitat and rearing habitat for each focal species. The habitat model does not attempt to definitively map each habitat type nor estimate habitat quality, but rather identifies stream segments that have high potential to support spawning or rearing habitat for each species based on the geomorphic characteristics of the segment. For more details on the connectivity and habitat model structure and parameters, please see Mazany-Wright et al. (2021a). The variables and thresholds used to model potential spawning and rearing habitat for each focal species are summarized in Table 1. The quantity of modelled habitat for each species was aggregated for each habitat type and represents a linear measure of potential habitat. To recognize the rearing value provided by features represented by polygons for certain species (e.g., wetlands for Coho Salmon and lakes for Sockeye Salmon) a multiplier of 1.5x the length of the stream segments flowing through the polygons was applied.

Table 1:

Parameters and thresholds used to inform the Intrinsic Potential habitat model for spawning and rearing habitat for each focal species in the Bulkley River watershed.

Species	Channel Gradient (%) (Naturally Accessible Waterbodies)	Channel Gradient (%) (Spawning Habitat)	Mean annual discharge (m3/s) (Spawning Habitat)	Channel Gradient (%) (Rearing Habitat)	Mean annual discharge (m3/s) (Rearing Habitat)	Minimum Lake area (ha) (Rearing Habitat)	Multiplier (1.5x) (Rearing Habitat)
Chinook Salmon	0-15	0-3 [1] [2]	0.46-322.5 [3][4][5][6][7]	0-5 [5][8]	0.28-100 [9]
Coho Salmon	0-15	0-5 [6][10]	0.164-59.15 [3][4][5][10][11]	0-5 [8][12]	0.03-40 [9][13]		Wetland
Sockeye Salmon	0-15	0-2 [14][15]	0.175-65 [3][4][5][6]			200 [5]	Lake
Steelhead	0-20	0-4 [2][16]	0.447-75 [3][4][6]	0-7.4 [8]	0.02-60 [9][13]

References: [1] Busch et al. (2011). [2] Cooney and Holzer (2006). [3] Bjornn and Reiser (1991). [4] Neuman and Newcombe (1977). [5] Woll, Albert, and Whited (2017). [6] Roberge et al. (2002). [7] Raleigh and Miller (1986). [8] Porter et al. (2008). [9] Agrawal et al. (2005). [10] Sloat, Reeves, and Christiansen (2017). [11] Mcmahon (1983). [12] Rosenfeld, Porter, and Parkinson (2000). [13] Burnett et al. (2007). [14] Lake (1999). [15] Hoopes (1972).

Other tables

Table 2:

Non-Actionable structres

Barrier Id	Modelled Crossing Id	Watercourse Name	Road Name	Structure Type	Reason	Notes	Supporting Links
123375	1800131	Tributary to Thompson Creek	Hihgway 16	Stream crossing - CBS	Crossing is upstream of major tributary with limited flows and poor substrates/habitat quality lacking suitable rearing and spawning habitat. Farther upstream from farm is medium quality habitat but short habitat gain.		https://www.newgraphenvironment.com/fish_passage_skeena_2021_reporting/thompson-creek---198066-123377-123375---appendix.html

Table 3:

Excluded structures

Barrier Id	Modelled Crossing Id	Watercourse Name	Road Name	Structure Type	Reason For Exclusion	Method Of Exclusion	Reason	Notes	Supporting Links
1001800752	1800752	Tributary to Elwin Lake	Unnamed	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Imagery review	Ford visible on satellite imagery. Could not be reached in the field.
123776	24703647	Corya Creek	Highway 16	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	Bridge, fairly recent replacement
197657	1800067	Perow Creek	Highway 16	Stream crossing - CBS	Passable	Field assessment	Fully backwatered, scores as passable
197900	1805532	Crow Creek	Railway	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	Bridge
197902		Tributary to Bulkley River	Rose Lake Cutoff Road	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Low quality habitat, dry at time of assessment	very small channel (1.5 m width), no modeled key habitat upstream, likely due to low discharge values.
197903	1800180	Tributary to Bulkley River	Rose Lake Cutoff Road	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Low quality habitat, dry at time of assessment	very small channel (1.5 m width), no modeled key habitat upstream, likely due to low discharge values.
197904	1800372	Tributary to Bulkley River	Crow Creek Road	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Low quality habitat, dry with dredged channel at time of assessment	No modeled key habitat upstream
197905	1803682	Crow Creek	Maxan Creek FSR	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	Bridge
197906	1803706	Tributary to Maxan Creek	Maxan Creek FSR	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Low quality habitat, small channel, dry at time of assessment	No modeled key habitat upstream
197908	1803697	Tributary to Maxan Creek	Maxan Creek FSR	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Low quality habitat, very small channel, dry at time of assessment	No modeled key habitat upstream
197910	1804694	Trib to Maxan Lake	Spur 30	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	Bridge
197913	1802088	Robert Hatch Creek	Unnamed	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	Ford. No passage issues but intense cattle-related impacts.
197914	1802089	Johnny David Creek	Unnamed	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	Ford. No passage issues but intense cattle-related impacts.
197955	1800422	Ailport Creek	Transmission line	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	Ford
197956	1801133	Tributary to Bulkley River	Spur	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	No crossing present at this location. Private land access.
197957	1801969	Tributary to Bulkley River	Spur	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	ATV bridge over historic culverts that have been washed out. No fish passage issues.
197963	1805531	Tributary to Bulkley River	Railway	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Low quality habitat, no modeled key habitat upstream.	Beavers have clogged both inlets (double barrel). Significant sized marsh ~40m upstream with beaver dam 1.5 - 2m high on outlet of wetland.
197964	1805529	Bulkley River	Railway	Stream crossing - CBS	Passable	Field assessment	Embedded and backwatered structure. Not likely causing any fish passage issues. Wetland-type area.
197969	1800583	Bulkley River	Raymond Road	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	Bridge
197970	1803813	Tributary to Broman Lake	Broman Lake FSR	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Low quality habitat. Channel dry with small amount of water downstream. No modeled key habitat upstream
197972	1802040	Tributary to Broman Lake	Transmission line	Stream crossing - CBS	No key upstream habitat	Field assessment	Stream dry upstream and downstream except small outlet pool. No modeled key habitat upstream
198041	1802760	Deep Creek	Spur	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	Bridge
198042	1805553	Glass Creek	Railway	Stream crossing - CBS	Passable	Field assessment	Likely closed-bottom structures (concrete boxes) but look like bridges. Deep channel with lake upstream. Not likely presenting much of barrier due to deep, slow flows.
198047	1801773	Boulder Creek	Unnamed	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	Structure does not exist; road deactivated
198109	1801071	Perow Creek	Transmission line	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	Ford
198111	1802798	Coffin Creek	Spur	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	Ford. No signs of obstruction visible.		https://www.newgraphenvironment.com/fish_passage_bulkley_2022_reporting/appendix---phase-1-fish-passage-assessment-data-and-photos.html
198113	1802069	Johnny David Creek	Spur	Stream crossing - Ford	Passable	Field assessment	Ford	Beaver dam in old road location. No obstructions noted.
1001802820		Deep Creek	Unnamed	None	No structure	Field assessment	No structure. Private land access with permission from landowner.
1001805665		Canyon Creek	Private	None	No structure	Local knowledge	Adjacent landowner confirmed that crossing does not exist.
1001802482		Vallee Creek	Unnamed	None	No structure	Local knowledge	Landlord reports that there is no structure here.
1001802044		Ailport Creek	Unnamed	Stream crossing - OBS	Passable	Field assessment	Bridge on private land
1001802374		Causqua Creek		None	No structure	Field assessment	Structure does not exist

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Hoopes, D. Y. 1972. Selection of Spawning Sites by Sockeye Salmon in Small Streams. Fishery Bulletin.

Lake, R. G. 1999. Activity and Spawning Behaviour in Spawning Sockeye Salmon. Thesis. UBC.

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Raleigh, R. F., and W. J. Miller. 1986. Habitat Suitability Index Models and Instream Flow Suitability Curves: Chinook Salmon. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Reports 82. USFW.

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Rosenfeld, Jordan, Marc Porter, and Eric Parkinson. 2000. “Habitat Factors Affecting the Abundance and Distribution of Juvenile Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus Clarki) and Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch).” Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 57 (4): 766–74.

Sheer, M. B., D. S. Busch, E. Gilbert, J. M. Bayer, S. Lanigan, J. L. Schei, K. M. Burnett, and D. Miller. 2009. Development and Management of Fish Intrinsic Potential Data and Methodologies: State of the IP 2008 Summary Report. Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership Series 2009—4, 56 pp.

Sloat, Matthew R., Gordon H. Reeves, and Kelly R. Christiansen. 2017. “Stream Network Geomorphology Mediates Predicted Vulnerability of Anadromous Fish Habitat to Hydrologic Change in Southeast Alaska.” Glob. Chang. Biol. 23 (2): 604–20.

Woll, C., D. Albert, and D. Whited. 2017. A Preliminary Classification and Mapping of Salmon Ecological Systems in the Nushagak and Kvichak Watersheds. Alaska: The Nature Conservancy.