Shuswap creek

Shuswap Creek is a 56 km2 watershed located approximately 3 km north of Invermere along the east side of the Columbia Valley with headwaters originating in Kimpton Pass. The watershed has been impacted by several historical land-use practices such as timber harvest, mineral exploration, flood and erosion control works, livestock grazing, and road, highway and railway development. As a result, there are several potential fish passage barriers and a reduction in riparian area. Shuswap Creek has highly ranked restoration potential due to having a Shuswap Band domestic water licence, reserve land including the pumphouse, the presence of community involvement supporting fish friendly agricultural water supply systems, and the opportunity to work with the Ministry of Transportation on the perched culvert at the highway 93/95 crossing.

restoration

CHARS identified five potential restoration sites on Shuswap Creek during reconnaissance creek walking surveys. Partners and members of the scientific committee (namely a geomorphologist) visited the sites to advise on future actions. Landowner relations and consultations were maintained throughout the process.

Restoration Site 1 is a potential future restoration site on Shuswap Creek, upstream of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway (formerly the Canadian Pacific Railway) crossing, the creek channel had avulsed within the last 10 years and changed course resulting in flow towards the south through a once abandoned channel towards the railway crossing. The construction of a berm at the original avulsion point will aim to guide flow away from the south branch (which is prone to flooding Shuswap Band property) and into the existing northern floodplain. Reconnection to the floodplain at this location will allow for restoration and recovery of riparian vegetation, enabling a more natural, sinuous channel with a dynamically stable channel profile.

Restoration Site 2 is a culvert removal that involves localized planting to stabilize the channel around the Shuswap Band pumphouse. As a result of a clogged culvert, backwatering and flooding of the Shuswap Bands' well site occurred, threatening contamination of Shuswap Bands' potable water. Following consultation with the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Opportunities, Shuswap Band engaged a contractor to remove the culvert and cable to prevent risk of flooding and backwatering, and to prevent further channel erosion at the crossing location. The removal also mitigated risk to the downstream highway culvert and other infrastructure (groundwater well head contamination). Concurrent with the upcoming highway bridge replacement, Shuswap Band will construct an earthen berm above the high-water mark to mitigate the risk of end-cutting and movement of the channel/floodplain into the well site. Further restoration and instream work has been delayed based on zone of influence of the highway crossing and the potential mitigation required.

Restoration Site 3 is a large gravel hole adjacent to the creek that poses a safety hazard. Next to the hole is a pumphouse; the pump has no water license. The hole will be backfilled to reduce the risk of channel avulsion at the site, and riparian restoration/planting to restore natural vegetation and channel stability. This work is slated to be completed in 2024-25.

Restoration Site 4 is approximately 130 meters upstream of Restoration Site 3 where an old dam exists that requires channel mitigation around it. The initial concept was to divert the channel around the old dam which would restore habitat connectivity and fish passage while avoiding the costly endeavor of removing the dam, however this was deemed unfeasible. Moreover, with the construction of a new fish-passable crossing at Highway 93, there may be support for the maintenance of a barrier to protect the resident Westslope Cutthroat Trout population from hybridization-risk.

At Restoration Site 5, weirs that were used as an irrigation system for two landowner’s fields adjacent to Shuswap Creek blew out in spring 2019/2020 because of heavy rains and very high flows. The CHARS has worked closely with the landowners to build an out-of-stream pipe water intake system much like what was constructed on Galena Creek as part of our pilot project in 2020. This novel system will restore sediment transport and fish passage to the upper mainstem and tributaries of Shuswap Creek, while removing barriers to fish movement for the resident Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout populations in the headwaters. All of the materials to allow for irrigation using the existing points of diversion with the skimmer system are in place. The team is currently working with the landowners and provincial permitting staff to review and update the water licenses and determine whether any additional works and associated permitting are required.

Photo top right: Site 2 culvert location following removal in 2020.

Middle: Site 4 dam impeding fish passage in 2019.

Bottom: Site 5 water distribution box following re-installation in 2021.

fish

Four fish species have previously been documented in Shuswap Creek: Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Burbot, Rainbow Trout, and Bull Trout. In our sampling, Shuswap Creek was notable in the high numbers of both Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout, and had moderate species diversity. Shuswap Creek supports large-bodied migratory Bull Trout spawning and rearing below the first upstream migration barrier at the highway culvert and supports an isolated resident population of Bull Trout above the highway culvert barrier. Westslope Cutthroat Trout were also present within all reaches sampled. Genetic introgression of Westslope Cutthroat Trout was low (over 90% genetically pure) but present and Rainbow Trout and Eastern Brook Trout were captured below the highway culvert. Burbot were captured within the Columbia River at and within the vicinity of the Shuswap Creek confluence.

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

Photo left: Shuswap Creek migratory spawning Bull Trout

Environmental data

Hydrometric Monitoring

The flows in Shuswap Creek is typical of a snowmelt dominated system with peak discharge occurring during the high elevation snowmelt period in the spring (freshet). The maximum instantaneous discharge occurred on June 4th in 2021 and on June 11th in 2022.

Temperature

Shuswap 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 Shuswap Creek provide optimum incubation, rearing, migration, and spawning conditions for Bull Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Chinook Salmon, Mountain Whitefish, and Burbot. Higher water temperatures in the lower reach of Shuswap Creek are unique and illustrate thermal warming during the ice-fee period within the wetland present in the lowermost reach. This pattern is representative of an optimum Burbot spawning and larval rearing habitat. Burbot spawn in late January through February within outlet spawning streams with temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius. Upon hatching, larvae drift downstream into calm areas with rapid spring warming and abundant food.

Photo right: Shuswap Creek hydrometric station, 2022.