STODDART CREEK

Stoddart Creek is a 25 km2 watershed located approximately 5 km north of Invermere along the east side of the Columbia Valley with headwaters originating in Kimpton Pass. Stoddart Creek has highly ranked restoration potential due to neighbouring Shuswap Band reserve land, Shuswap Band domestic water use, potential concerns over water allocation, the presence of community involvement, and the presence of priority species (Westslope Cutthroat Trout). The presence of an above barrier Westslope Cutthroat Trout population also provides potential collaboration with Parks Canada as part of their Westslope Cutthroat Trout recovery plan. There is also the opportunity to work with the Ministry of Transportation on the perched culvert at the highway 93/95 crossing. Stoddart Creek Watershed is the smallest of the CHARS priority watersheds. Over half of the Stoddart Creek Watershed (15 km2) is within the Kootenay National Park, federally designated protected land within its northern extent. There has historically been some logging activity in the mid watershed however very little of the watershed has been logged in recent years. There is an old sawmill site close to the creek, however there is currently no active industry in the area. Private property in the lower reaches are most typically used for residential and agricultural purposes.

Restoration

Stoddart Creek enters the Columbia River just downstream of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway (formerly the Canadian Pacific Railway) crossing. In the lower reaches of Stoddart Creek there are 4 road crossings, 2 culverts, 2 dams, 2 cascades, and several waterfalls.

About 2 km upstream of the Highway 95 crossing there is a water intake structure slated for restoration works. The Shuswap Band has several concerns regarding the security and efficiency of the intake structure. It is a concrete weir structure on-line with the creek, built an estimated 20-30 years ago. Due to Shuswap Band concerns, priority for upgrades to this site have been slated for 2024. Restoration activities planned to be completed include installation of locks on the concrete weir structure, enhancement of creek-crossing structures upstream of intake, replacement of the metal gate in the weir, and the construction of a fish ladder.

There are also several recreational trails impacting bank stability and a bridge crossings used by mountain bike, ATV, and foot traffic just upstream, creating risks for potential water contamination (e.g., gas and oil spills, increase in silt and sediment) and affecting stream channel stability by causing damage to the bank and increasing sedimentation. To mediate these risks a new ATV bridge will be built further downstream to limit intrusion into the intake and old bridges removed. Additional riparian planting, access control and trail improvements associated with the stream crossings have been finalized and will be constructed once access agreements are in place.

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

Right photo: Existing concrete weir and intake structure on Stoddart Creek, October, 2023.

Fish

No formal historical fish presence data or surveys were available on Stoddart Creek, however Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout are now known to occur in the watershed.

Juvenile Bull Trout ranging were captured during CHARS sampling within lower Stoddart Creek below the Highway 93/95 hanging culvert barrier. The highway 93/95 hanging culvert on Stoddart Creek is an upstream migration barrier that eliminates connectivity between the Columbia River and upstream reaches as well as the risk for introgression to Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout. The genetic sampling of the Westslope Cutthroat Trout upstream of the barrier indicated genetic purity however more samples are needed for conclusive results.

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

Left photo: stock image