Conservation Projects British Columbia Habitat Restoration for Waterfowl on Lincoln Lake 2010-11
Goals and Objectives
The goal of the project is to repair and upgrade the existing water control structure at the head of Lincoln Lake. The project’s objectives are: 1) To enhance and restore the water levels and wildlife values of Lincoln Lake; 2) To improve waterfowl habitat on Lincoln Lake; and 3) To ensure year-round base flows of water in Lincoln Creek for fish and for the irrigation of hay fields that are also important waterfowl feeding areas.
Activities
The Habitat Restoration for Waterfowl on Lincoln Lake Project will be a one-year project. The following outlines the main activities that will be undertaken.
· Design and drafting of remediation plan
· Project Management
· Mobilization and Demobilization of equipment and materials
· Water control structure upgraded as per remediation plan including replacement of sluice pipe and head gate, removal of vegetation, widening of berm crest, and reshaping the upstream slope of the dam.
· Develop the Operation Maintenance and Surveillance Plan Manual
· On-going monitoring
Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions
Wildlife Habitat Canada’s contribution will directly support the remediation of the water control structure on Lincoln Creek. In so doing, a 16 hectare lake will be stabilized and restored which will provide enhanced habitat for migratory waterfowl.
The current state of the water control structure has greatly affected the water levels within Lincoln Lake. At this time, the headgate is nonfunctional and will not allow the storage of water in the reservoir. If it is not repaired, NCC will be legally obliged (as the responsible party for the structure) to decommission the water control structure which will have adverse effects on the area’s biodiversity. NCC does not wish to take this route as the Lincoln Lake area is a critical component in the wildlife corridor that exists between Chilko and Tatlayoko Lakes and is important for the maintenance of a healthy and vibrant wildlife community in the area.
Further, Lincoln Lake is an important source of water for ranchers in the area, who use it to irrigate hay fields. These hay fields also serve as feeding areas for a variety of wildlife, including some waterfowl. The loss of the reservoir properties of the Lake would again greatly affect the wildlife values of the area.
Lincoln Lake is located in an area that has lower wetland density than other areas in the Chilcotin. It therefore, has an increased importance for the wildlife that live near it or migrate through the area. Restoring the lake to its original capacity will have long-term positive impacts on the area’s wildlife, including a variety of waterfowl species. Wildlife Habitat Canada, by supporting this project, will directly contribute to the health and wellbeing of a diverse ecosystem and protect 16 hectares of otherwise scare waterfowl habitat in the Tatlayoko Valley region.
Benefits to Waterfowl, Wetlands-Associated Species, and/or Other Wildlife
Lincoln Lake is an important stopover for migratory waterfowl in both the spring and fall, with mixed flocks of several hundred birds seen at a time. It is also used by smaller numbers of waterfowl during the breeding season. Two large floating islands, composed of peat that broke off from the bottom of the lake, are especially important as nesting sites for waterfowl. Species that regularly frequent the lake include: Mallard, Bufflehead, Gadwall, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Canada Goose, Northern Shoveller, Pied-billed Grebe, American Widgeon, Northern Pintail, American Coot and Common Loon.
As mentioned above, the creation of the lake in the 1940s led to a "biodiversity” explosion. Along with the waterfowl, beavers and muskrats took up residence. Other animals such as mink, otter, marten, fisher, lynx, wolverine and bobcat were drawn to lakeshore area as a productive hunting ground. Insect life bloomed and species dependent on these such as amphibians, song birds, and bats all had a new source of abundant food. Rainbow Trout were introduced in the 1950s and this allowed bird species such as Osprey and Bald Eagle to thrive.
Lincoln Lake is located in a pass that links the Chilko Valley with the Tatlayoko Valley. This pass is an important wildlife corridor and Lincoln Lake has become a significant element in the connective qualities of the corridor, providing water and a source of food for species such as grizzly bear, black bear, moose and mule deer moving between the two valleys. The Lake also acts to stabilize water flow downstream in Lincoln Creek. Peak flows are lowered and spread over a longer time, thus greatly enhancing the riparian habitat along the creek.
Lincoln Lake, though man made, has become an important keystone in ensuring the stability of a significant amount of habitats and species. The failure to repair the water control system at the head of the lake will result in a shift in habitat structure in the area. This will greatly affect those species, including large numbers of waterfowl, who have become dependent upon the lake.
Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management
Lincoln Lake is the largest of a chain of four lakes situated in Lincoln Pass. It has been widely recognized by many groups as providing critical ecosystem services for biodiversity in the Lincoln Pass area. These groups include the Tatla Resource Association, Alexis Creek Indian Band, Xeni Gwet’in, Eniyud Community Forest Ltd., and several government ministries. These groups have unanimously identified Lincoln Pass as an important wildlife area, as an important recreation/tourism area, and as having high First Nations values.
All of Lincoln Pass has been designated as a no harvest zone, first by the Tatla Tsi Del Del Agreement and subsequently by the Chilcotin Subregional Plan and Eniyud Community Forest Ltd. The Tatla Tsi Del Del Agreement describes and delineates this no harvest zone. This agreement comprises a land use plan developed by the Tatla Resource Association, the Alexis Creek Indian Band and the West Chilcotin Tourism Association and which now forms the basis for resource extraction planning within the Eniyud Community Forest. The success of the Lincoln Lake Water Control project will ensure the continued existence of Lincoln Lake and thereby add significantly to the overall conservation efforts of these groups in Lincoln Pass.
In addition to its conservation values, Lincoln Lake forms an essential agricultural water supply for NCC’s Lincoln Creek Ranch and adjacent properties. The east side of Tatlayoko Valley has few consistent water sources suitable for agricultural purposes, and of these few, Lincoln Creek is the most important. The success of this project will have a direct impact on the consistent availability of water for local agricultural opportunities, which enables long term agriculture management planning.
Lincoln Lake is also important to the community of Tatlayoko Lake as a recreation and tourism resource. This is mainly focused around the excellent fishing for rainbow trout, which is fished throughout the year. The Lincoln Pass area is also actively used by tourism operators for horse packing trips, hunting, wildlife viewing and photography, snowmobiling, hiking, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Lincoln Lake is a key stop for the operators conducting tours through Lincoln Pass. As such, this project has strong support from within the community and from local tourism operators.
NCC’s 80-acre Lincoln Pass property is located 500 meters downstream of Lincoln Lake. Lincoln Creek flows through the center of the property feeding an extensive riparian zone and natural meadow ecosystem. Maintenance of year round water flows through this property is an additional benefit provided by Lincoln Lake and is important to the many birds and other animals that use this area. The restoration of the water control system at the head of Lincoln Lake will further leverage the conservation efforts that NCC is undertaking on the Lincoln Pass Property.
Project Location
The project will take place in British Columbia’s Cariboo Regional District near the community of Tatlayoko Lake. The predominant landscape type around the lake is coniferous forest of the Interior Douglas Fir biogeoclimatic zone. When NCC purchased the Lincoln Creek Ranch for its outstanding conservation value, the organization also obtained water rights to Lincoln Creek, including the responsibility for the water control structure at the head of Lincoln Lake. However, the Lake and Creek are both located within crown land and are open to hunting, fishing and other forms of public recreation.