MARION creek

Marion Creek is a 36 km2 watershed and is located approximately 5 km north of Canal Flats along the west shore of Columbia Lake, with its headwaters originating from the ridge that includes Mount Marion. The creek is unique in that the only species documented above the Highway 95 barrier is pure strain Westslope Cutthroat Trout (99.3% pure strain genetic population). Marion Creek is one of the smaller priority watersheds and has an extensive history of impacts and change. Much of the watershed exists within private land parcels, many of which have been primarily used for agricultural purposes within the last century. More recently, much of the private lands within the watersheds mid-benchlands have been acquired by Nature Trust BC and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and are now primarily managed for conservation. Marion Creek has highly ranked restoration potential due to the presence of the isolated Westslope Cutthroat Trout population and the presence of numerous local partner groups including Nature Conservancy of Canada, Nature Trust BC, Shuswap Band, and Columbia Lake Ranch Ltd.

Restoration

Riparian/Cattle fencing was installed at restoration site 1 on Marion creek in 2021. This fence will allow vegetation to re-establish and prevent any further impacts from cattle. This work was completed by CHARS, Nature Conservancy Canada, Nature Trust BC, Investment Agriculture Foundation, and Columbia Lake Ranch Ltd. Additional riparian fencing was completed in 2022 at several locations in the Marion Creek Watershed by Nature Conservancy Canada, with funding from the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Both Nature Conservancy Canada and the Shuswap Band have received additional funding to continue restoration work in the Marion Creek Watershed to 2026.

At restoration site 2, an old bridge crossed the stream on a flat meandering section of Marion Creek. The bridge was deteriorating and undersized. It was impacting fish habitat and downstream sediment transport. The failing bridge was replaced with an open bottomed culvert in October of 2023. All disturbed areas were seeded with native grasses to minimize surface erosion. The site will be monitored to determine whether additional riparian planting is required. This will be completed with the ongoing restoration works if required.

CHARS team members are currently providing technical support to Nature Trust BC and Nature Conservancy Canada for the completion of Instream Works (Section 11) permits for construction activities in 2024-2025 for large scale wetland and stream restoration efforts on Marion Creek.

A perched culvert at the highway crossing is a barrier to fish movement and an isolated population of Westslope Cutthroat Trout exists above the highway. It has been identified as the primary isolating feature, and will thus be maintained for conservation efforts.

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

Top right photo: cattle fencing on Marion Creek completed in 2021.

Bottom right photo: New culvert replacing failing bridge on Marion Creek, October 2023.

FISH

Marion Creek was notable for representing the highest catches/densities of Westslope Cutthroat Trout. This was the only species present above the highway culvert barrier and represent a 99.3% pure strain genetic population. In the short reach below the highway (accessible to Columbia Lake), species diversity was moderate with sculpins, suckers, and schools of mountain whitefish fry observed at the confluence; one mountain whitefish juvenile was captured within the creek itself. One Rainbow Trout juvenile was also captured.

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

Photo left: riparian fencing near completed culvert on Marion Creek, 2023.

Environmental data

Hydrometric Monitoring

The flows in Marion Creek is typical of a snowmelt dominated systems with peak discharge occurring during the high elevation snowmelt period in the spring (freshet). Field observations revealed the source of the creek is Taylor Springs, where groundwater is emerging. The maximum instantaneous discharge was missed in 2021 as monitoring began on June 14th of that year, however maximum instantaneous discharge in 2022 occurred on June 26th.

Temperature

Upper Marion Creek water temperatures are representative of a groundwater fed stream. Water temperatures within mid and lower Marion Creek exceed optimum summer rearing conditions for Bull Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Chinook Salmon, Mountain Whitefish and Burbot. The four lowest reaches' mean daily temperatures exceeded the upper incipient lethal temperature for Westslope Cutthroat Trout in 2021 and two of these reaches were very close to these levels in 2022. The upper incipient lethal temperature is a commonly used measure to define the upper boundary to the zone of thermal tolerance above which mortality effects due to temperature can be expected.
Much of Marion Creek is a highly modified stream that flows through and around open cattle fields with little or no riparian vegetation and contains several small, dammed ponds for irrigation.

Photo right: map of Marion Creek with Electrofishing and Temperature logger sites indicated as well as restoration locations.