Presentation at Regional District of Alberni Clayoquot meeting., March 24, 1999

Area Streams:

The Beaver Creek Valley drainages are the most significant Coho and Trout streams on the Stamp River. The creeks that rely on water from the Beaufort Mountain Range that are known by name from east to west are:

• Cherry Creek
• Kitsuksis Creek
• Plestid Creek
• Mollet Creek
• Trueman Creek
• Beaver Creek
• Hal Creek
• Deer Creek
• Spaht Creek
• Bear Creek

Further west is Wolf and Lanternman Creek draining into the Ash River. These streams also drain from the Beaufort Mountain Range at the top of Beaver Creek Valley.

Unknown Streams:

These major drainages have many unmapped tributaries on them. A recent DFO inventory of the Log Train Trail found 46 drainage crossings in 8.5 kilometers, only 10 of which were on government maps but incorrectly located. Further inventory is needed to determine all the stream locations and their fish values. There is no historical DFO data available. Currently there is a stream mapping and inventory project in the valley that is now conducting inventory in the area. This group works out of the Regional  Aquatic Management Society/West Coast Sustainability Assocation  office in Port Alberni and is sponsored by the West Coast Sustainability Asssociation, Human Resources Development Canada. and the Alberni Valley Enhancement Association. We do not know that all the streams drain the Beaufort Range where year round flow is provided by delicate groundwater sources located on steep slopes.

Production Estimate:

The total fish production is not known as the creeks have all yet to be measured. Based on my experience in the area, there may be over 100 kilometers of stream length in these drainages, not including Ash River tributaries. An estimate of production can be based on Cherry Creek where the Enhancement Society counted 10,000 smolts in 1998(pers. comm. D. Chitty). The fish accessible area of an estimated 5 kilometers represents 2,000 smolts per kilometer. Given an estimate of 100 kilometers of habitat in the Beaver Creek area there may be up to 200,000 salmon smolts produced annually. An estimated adult fish production of 10% would result in 20,000 fish. Using the range of economic indicators of fish value ($5.00/fish to $100/fish) results in fish values of $100,000 to $2.0 million dollars per year.

Community Involvement:

Salmon Enhancement groups are very active in this watershed area. The Alberni Valley Enhancement Society has stocked coho fry into Kitsucksis Creek. Cherry Creek Enhancement is involved with habitat improvement in Cherry Creek and tributaries. The Deer Creek system has a salmon hatchery producing 10,000 to 40,000 coho fry on Shannon Farms and Beaver Creek and Bear Creek are also involved with them. The Alberni Valley Enhancement Association is building a hatchery and interpretation center on Kitsucksis Creek water supply this year at McClean Mill.

Summary:

More time and studies are needed to protect these drainages before any development takes place. The Beaver creek Valley drainages constitute some of the most sensitive and productive fish streams on Vancouver Island. Unfortunately we do not know very much about their fish presence and location which makes these systems vulnerable to impacts from any land development. The ongoing inventories by DFO and enhancement groups are covering the land up to the Log Train Trail. It is necessary for the upland timber companies to do the same and complete on the ground assessments of fish presence and stream mapping of their land. They then should implement environmental safe guards as outlined at the very least to the level of the Forest Practices Code if we hope to protect this unique resource.

Prepared by David R. Clough, R.P. Bio.