Crown Range Wetland Enhancement Program 2009-10

Crown Range Wetland Enhancement Program Final Report (PDF).

Goals and Objectives

Measuring the success of the program will require a site evaluation describing the size and current status of the project sites (wetland and upland), the proposed infrastructure to be built, and the anticipated habitat improvements in five years. Short term program goals will be measured by timely, cost effective construction of projects in 2009. The long term success of the program will be monitored with follow up evaluations of the upland and wetland site conditions.

In cooperation with BC Ministry of Forests and Range (MOFR) staff and local ranchers, the Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) program coordinator will identify significant wetlands to be improved under the program.The current habitat conditions will be described for the uplands and wetlands at the project sites. Each project will require a description of the anticipated habitat improvements (upland, wetland) resulting from the project.

In cooperation with staff and ranchers, the program will identify the location for constructing fences. The infrastructure will be identified in a grazing management plan for the area, and the plan must describe how the site will achieve rest from grazing during the growing season; and the habitat improvements expected in the management unit.

In cooperation with MOFR Range Staff and ranchers, locations will be identified for constructing water storage sites for the purpose of improving waterfowl habitat, increasing forage and/or distributing livestock more widely in the landscape. The infrastructure will be identified in a grazing management plan for the area, and the plan must describe the habitat improvements expected within the management unit. For example, water retention will increase the flooded area by 100 hectares for the benefit of waterfowl and to increase forage production.

The success of the projects will be determined by the re-evaluation of the habitat health and site conditions in five years. The well established DUC Project Proposal Sheet will document the biodiversity of the site and the status of the wetlands in the project area. The MOFR Forest and Rangeland Evaluation Protocol (FREP) will also be utilized. The Grasslands Conservation Council Grassland Monitoring Manual for BC – A tool for Ranchers, will describe upland habitat health.

The proposed budget will accommodate construction of up to ten kilometers of fence, two water developments, and one water retention project. The improved grazing management on the three sites will include upland and wetland areas totaling 1000 hectares of habitat.

Activities

The DUC decision support system (DSS) is a GIS database query of established criteria to assist with identifying key wetland habitat areas. The DSS will be used as a tool in discussion with ranchers and Range Staff in the Cariboo Chilcotin (100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Alexis Creek) forest districts, to identify priority wetland areas. The local knowledge of MOFR range staff and range agreement holders will be used to identify sites requiring habitat improvements.

Field visits by range staff, the program coordinator, and DUC biologist will review the project site locations to complete the site specific health assessments. The assessments will document the current habitat conditions at the site and the habitat values to be protected or enhanced as a result of the project.

A project description will be developed to specify the proposed infrastructure, and the details of the construction, including a map of the site, a description of the fence, water trough, or water retention structures.

The project description will include an explanation of the current cattle grazing (numbers dates etc) at the site, and a description of how the proposed infrastructure will change the cattle grazing patterns at the site. The infrastructure projects will either provide a period of rest during the grazing season to allow for habitat improvement, or it will describe exclusion from cattle grazing.

The size of the wetland and upland areas and the species benefitting from a particular project will be documented. Increased water storage during the nesting season is a high priority and increased flooded acres will be recorded. The benefits of the project to the rancher(s) will also be documented; and may include ease of management, increased forage productivity, streambank stability or increased biodiversity.

Once the project description is agreed upon in writing by the project coordinator, the rancher(s) and MOFR, the District Manager will issue a range agreement authorization to construct the infrastructure.

The project coordinator will be responsible to ensure the deliverables are achieved in a timely manner in accordance with the project budget.

DUC will evaluate the project to determine the achievement of project objectives.

DUC and/or MOFR will generally complete a biological inspection and monitor the project site, once every five years.

Examples of Proposed Projects:
Isaac Meadow: Private Land 95 ha wetland, 60 ha crown wetland, 150 ha upland area

Hutchison: 140 ha lake/wetland and 500 ha upland area
Freshwater Lake: 24 ha wetland

Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions

Wildlife Habitat Canada will assist with completing three project sites (i.e. Isaac Meadow,

Hutchison Lake, and Freshwater Lake). The three sites will involve nine kilometers of fence, and at least one water retention project. The projects will enhance the habitat and management of up to 250 ha of wetland and upland habitat.

Benefits to Waterfowl, Wetlands-Associated Species, and/or Other Wildlife

The Cariboo-Chilcotin supports the highest densities of breeding waterfowl in the Canadian Intermountain (CI), and is therefore DUC’s most important landscape in the CI Joint Venture. Based on aerial surveys, DUC estimates that over 135,000 duck pairs breed in the remaining wetlands. The region also serves as an important stop-over area for waterfowl traveling from southern and coastal wintering areas to breeding grounds in other parts of the Intermountain, the northern forests, prairie Canada and the USA. Waterfowl band return data indicate that the Cariboo-Chilcotin contributes primarily to waterfowl production in the Pacific Flyway, and may be particularly important for waterfowl wintering in the Central Valley of California.

Based on recent (2003 and 2006) survey information, we estimate the wetlands within the entire landscape currently support 135,000 breeding pairs of ducks. This is roughly 17% of the CIJV breeding population in an area which represents 6% of its landbase, and it equates to 10 pairs/mi² (3.9 pairs/km²) of total area or 0.76 pairs/ha of wetland (excluding large lakes>1,000 ha, which generally provide limited breeding benefits relative to their size). However, key wetland complexes support much higher densities: an evaluation of nine completed projects in the landscape (Biological Services Group 1990) found pair densities as high as 7.0 pairs/ha of wetland (mean = 2.7 pairs/ha), and brood densities as high as 2.2 broods/ha of wetland (mean = 0.8 broods/ha).

Key production areas are mostly in mid to low elevation wetland complexes, and tend to support notably diverse communities. Twenty-six species of waterfowl have been recorded in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, and more than 20 of those are known to breed there. This list includes the typical "prairie duck” community (mallard, blue- and green-winged teal, northern shoveler, northern pintail, American wigeon, gadwall), plus a number of sea ducks such as bufflehead, Barrow’s goldeneye, and white-winged and surf scoters. Among breeding ducks, mallard, bufflehead, and ring-necked duck account for 57% of the total pairs. Barrow’s goldeneye is also of interest because a significant portion of its continental breeding population (up to 60%) is found in the Canadian Intermountain region, with some of its highest bird densities occurring in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. The landscape is truly "diving duck” country due to the relative prevalence of deepwater ponds and lakes; approximately half of the breeding waterfowl and 60% of the total birds are divers (bay ducks, sea ducks or mergansers).

Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management

For the first time, DUC has recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with BC Ministry of Forests and Range and the BC Cattlemen’s Association to cooperate on the enhancement and conservation of priority wetlands on Crown Land. These agreements ensure support for the stewardship of wetlands and contribute to successful implementation of the BC Conservation Framework, and the BC Water Plan, and address habitat issues identified in "Taking Natures Pulse” the status of biodiversity in BC. In particular, the objective of this program is to improve grazing management in mid-elevation biogeoclimatic zones, where poorly managed grazing has impacted British Columbia’s waterfowl habitat and biodiversity. Habitat for wildlife and waterfowl will be improved by the installation of fencing, stock watering and water storage on wetlands, in accordance with a management plan.

Project Location

The priority delivery area is the Cariboo-Chilcotin region (within the Intermountain Region of British Columbia), with the most central municipality being the city of Williams Lake.

Project Contact

For more information on this project, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Head of British Columbia Agriculture Programs, Ducks Unlimited Canada,Kamloops, British Columbia.