NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Objective(s): To conduct fish and fish habitat inventories in areas potentially affected by the Howard’s Pass road upgrade and usage.

Project Description: The objectives are to conduct fish and fish habitat inventories in areas potentially affected by the Howard’s Pass road upgrade and usage. The inventory will focus on species profiles, distributions, habitat quantity, quality and sensitivities in the context of species assemblages and seasonality. Methods that will be used are non-lethal and non-retention. Fish will be sampled via electrofishing, angling, seining and minnow traps. Sample sites are represented by linear in-stream areas 300 m upstream and 300 m downstream of each road crossing point along the route. Where watercourses parallel the road within 75 m, 300 m sample sites will also be established. Fish captured will be measured for length, weight, identified to species, categorized by life stage and maturity and sex if possible. All specimens will be returned alive and unharmed to the site from which they were captured. Minnow traps will be deployed for 24 hrs. each and set in groups of 5 per site. Electrofishing will be conducted along approximately 300 m upstream and downstream and will sample adequate rearing areas - estimated time per site will be 900 seconds. Any sampling that is conducted in June will focus only on those streams that are likely ephemeral and predicted to be dry later in the summer. Ephemeral streams often provide good seasonal rearing and refuge during and following freshet. There is a possibility of providing field support services if training, safety certifications and knowledge are adequate. A complete stand-alone report will be delivered to the owner, Chihong Mining. This report would be made available and shared with the Northwest Territories and Park authorities and likely interested parties and stakeholders with permission from the owner. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 20, 2014 to August 29, 2014.