Bringing the Trout Back to Trout Creek

by | Mar 31, 2021 | News | 0 comments

Bringing the Trout Back to Trout Creek

Excavating the upper portion of the channel to redirect flows into the historic channel

Bringing the Trout Back to Trout Creek:  The headwaters and tributaries of Alberta’s Trout Creek meander their way through the Porcupine Hills Public Land Use Zone (PLUZ) south of Calgary, where they have historically provided habitat for at-risk Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi). One tributary, Kingbolt Creek, likely still supports genetically “near-pure” Westslopes. These populations are rare and important to protect since interbreeding with introduced Rainbow Trout has occurred widely throughout the Westslope Cutthroat Trout’s range. Additionally, the east-flowing streams in the Porcupine Hills represent some of the eastern-most populations within Westslope range and represent a special opportunity for recovery. In recent years, much of Trout Creek has been degraded by severe flooding, the effects of which have been exacerbated by land use within the watershed. The area has been impacted by forestry, road building, off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation, and livestock grazing. And although efforts have been underway to improve conditions at trout creek (installation of off-stream stock watering systems, the creation of a designated OHV trail system and installation of OHV bridges, efforts to limit illegal vehicle access), there is much work to be done to improve conditions within the system. Recent TUC fish surveys have revealed that some reaches of Trout Creek which previously held healthy trout populations are now devoid of fish or support only a few individuals! In some places, the stream has been forced out of its natural channel to areas that offer little or no quality fish habitat, such as along roads and trails.

At one such spot along Trout Creek, past assessment work by environmental consultant Matrix Solutions explored options for reconnecting the stream to its native channel or enhancing the newer channel (a former road/trail segment). The resulting recommendation suggested that the stream be returned to the original channel since it already had desirable habitat features.

Bringing Back Trout to Trout Creek

Roads and trails located within the floodplains of a creek often end up “capturing” flow (photo credit AJM Environmental)

The reconnection funding opportunity came from a partnership with TC Energy who was looking for a habitat offset project related to projects elsewhere, and construction work began in September 2020. This phase of work not only consisted of returning the stream to its original channel, reconnecting nearly half a kilometer of stream, but also adding natural stream features and stabilizing the banks along the desired channel. These treatments will boost the amount of quality habitat available in Trout Creek and also leave it more resilient to future flooding events. Banks and disturbed areas were planted with live willow stakes and native plant seed mixes to control erosion.

Since past flooding and land use has also damaged other reaches of the creek system, many more restoration opportunities exist in other reaches of Trout Creek and its tributaries. Modeling using the Road Erosion and Delivery Index (READI) suggests sedimentation is a major issue within the Trout Creek watershed. Sedimentation refers to the contribution of excess mud and dirt into the creek which can be lethal to fish and also impact their habitat.

In 2020, TUC contracted AJM Environmental to assess the major streams within the Trout Creek watershed portion of the PLUZ. More than 40 sites were identified and prioritized for potential rehabilitation and TUC is currently working through the logistics to implement the reclamation recommendations provided by AJM. This includes some riparian restoration, in-channel work, and overdue attention for the OHV trail system (potentially including trail realignment and bridge installation). Repairs and improvements to the trail system will not only limit unnecessary access to the stream by OHVs and sediment run-off into the creek but also increase sustainable riding opportunities for trail users.

Work will continue along Trout Creek in 2021 so please stay tuned for volunteer opportunities there and elsewhere across Canada! Join the Oldman River Chapter of TUC or sign up for our mailing list for more information on why reconnecting fragmented stream habitat is important to us, and for other ways to get involved.

Bringing the Trout Back to Trout Creek

Roads and trails located within the floodplains of a creek often end up “capturing” flow (photo credit AJM Environmental)

This project is being undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.

Trout Unlimited Canada is a nonprofit, charitable organization. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.