This project was funded by a fish and wildlife grant from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation with support from Provincial Biologists and Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) LLP.
A resistivity counter was installed in the Upper Shuswap River to enumerate bull trout migrating in and out of Sugar Lake. The Shuswap River watershed contains the only known population of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Okanagan region. Bull Trout in B.C. were listed as a species of special concern by COSEWIC (2012) and populations are thought to be declining in British Columbia.
The goal of this project is to monitor the adfluvial Bull Trout population migration upstream to the spawning grounds as well as the post-spawned and sub-adult Bull Trout migration downstream to Sugar Lake. The resistivity counter will be used to provide independent estimates of spawn timing, duration, and spawner abundance of adult Bull Trout, as well as additional data on the movement patterns of adult and subadult Bull Trout. The resistivity counter offers a more robust estimate and provides less uncertainty than estimates generated through aerial and visual surveys and will complement redd survey data in the years visual and aerial surveys are completed. The resistivity counter and overhead camera system are operated by a remote solar power system to ensure comprehensive data are collected throughout critical migration periods. Remote access to the site and equipment allows the site to be monitored from anywhere. Data from this project will be used by the Province to identify appropriate management options and angling regulations to address conservation concerns and maintain a sustainable quality fishery for Bull Trout in this system.
