FRALING (GALENA) CREEK

Fraling (Galena) Creek is one of the smaller priority watersheds and much of it is very remote, undisturbed, and inaccessible, primarily within the headwater reaches. It is a 32.5 km2 watershed located on the east side of the Columbia Valley near Spillimacheen and originates in the Beaverfoot Range of the Rocky Mountains. Almost no logging has been known to occur within the watersheds crown lands, and subsequently very few roads exist in the upper reaches. Impacts were identified within the first several reaches of the watershed. These reaches support some of the most critical habitat for many target species, and importantly, adfluvial populations of these fish species.

Restoration

Cattle fencing and livestock access control to minimize riparian disturbance to Fraling Creek, adjacent wetlands, and the Columbia River were completed in 2021 by the landowner with funding from the Investment Agriculture Foundation and technical support from the CHARS team.

At two different restoration sites, the replacement of diversion dams were a shelf-ready project. The concept was developed by the local landowners through the Windermere District Farmers Institute and adjacent landowners along Fraling Creek, supported by some initial discussions with Farmland Advantage (now directed by the Investment Agriculture Foundation). As a result, design, construction, and installation of novel “out-of-creek” irrigation systems occurred at two locations in 2020, replacing both dams and weirs which were previously barriers to fish movement. Technical support (i.e. engineering design) was provided through the University of Saskatchewan Engineering Department. The design, construction, and operation of the irrigation systems as a pilot project allowed CHARS (as a partnership) to demonstrate how local landowners, First Nations, and other governments could work together to develop and implement restoration strategies while also meeting individual landowners needs. This successfully installed system enables landowners to control the protection of infrastructure in case of major weather events and high floods and increases water efficiency and conservation.

Only a few hundred meters up Fraling Creek from the Columbia Rriver confluence is a Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (formerly the Canadian Pacific Railway) bridge crossing. This is not a target restoration site for this project, however monitoring data found high species diversity and density at the crossing which is also a location of future restoration opportunity as maintenance activities deteriorate important fish habitat. Only several hundred meters up from the bridge is the Highway 95 crossing. In 2022-23, the highway culvert was replaced with a bridge by the BC Ministry of Transportation and infrastructure, further improving fish passage into and within Fraling Creek.

For more detailed information on the restoration of our selected Creeks, visit our reports page.

Right photo: New water skimmer intake suspended by cables on Galena Creek, summer 2020.

Fish

Fraling Creek was notable as the stream tied with Luxor Creek for the highest species diversity and supports juvenile rearing for many of these species within reach 1 (below the highway culvert). Bull Trout captures were the second highest among streams (tied with Luxor Creek) and this stream also supports large-bodied migratory Bull Trout spawning and rearing. Fraling Creek Bull Trout densities were as high as 12.7 fish/100 m2.

Fraling Creek had the highest catches of rearing Rocky Mountain Whitefish within the lower reaches. Rainbow Trout and Eastern Brook Trout were also captured within reach 1 below the highway culvert. Fraling Creek supported high densities of young-of-the-year Mountain Whitefish within Reach 1. These results combined with the documented water temperatures and gravel-cobble reaches upstream would also suggest Fraling Creek supports whitefish spawning.

Westslope Cutthroat Trout were unexpectedly present in Fraling (Galena) Creek. All samples sequenced were noted as Rainbow Trout in the field and were subsequently identified as approximately 93% genetically pure Westslope Cutthroat Trout.

These findings make Fraling Creek important habitat for SARA-listed species (Westslope Cutthroat Trout), provincially Blue-listed species (Bull Trout), species of Interest (Burbot, Rocky Mountain Whitesfish), as well as native species such as Sculpins, Shiners, and Dace.

For more detailed information on the fish of Fraling Creek go to the Restoration Report link on the Reports page.

Left photo: View upstream of Fraling (Galena) Creek. Note the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway crossing and unstable creek channel associated with substrate removal to protect this infrastructure.

Environmental Data

Hydrometric Monitoring

The flows in Fraling Creek are all typical of snowmelt dominated systems with peak discharge occurring during the high elevation snowmelt period in the spring (freshet). Fraling Creek had a mean relative error of 36% for calculated discharge likely due to high turbulence at the station site, the location of the staff gauge, and changes in the cross-sectional profile of the stream at the hydrometric station. The hydrometric monitoring station will thus be moved to a more suitable location for ongoing monitoring. In 2020, the maximum instantaneous discharge for Fraling Creek occurred on June 21st, in 2021 on June 3rd, and in 2022 on June 13th.

Temperature

Fraling Creek water temperatures are representative of a groundwater fed stream with a spring freshet hydrograph dominated by snowmelt. In the summer the water temperatures are colder, on average, as one moves up the watershed with altitude. In the winter, the reverse is true, and the upper groundwater influenced sites are warmer than the lower sites. Water temperatures within Fraling Creek provide optimum incubation, rearing, migration and spawning conditions for Bull Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Chinook Salmon, and Mountain Whitefish. Fraling Creek provides optimum spawning and incubation temperatures for Burbot.

Right photo: Fraling (Galena) Creek Hydrometric station September 29th, 2022. View looking upstream.