SKEENA AND BULKLEY RIVER ADULT STEELHEAD STUDIES

Bulkley River Steelhead

A yearly mark-recapture study is done in the Bulkley River at the Moricetown Canyon Falls to estimate the number of adult steelhead. Tagging is carried out immediately below the falls and the recapture site is at the top of the falls. In 2009 Kintama deployed several acoustic receivers above and below the falls and a sub-sample of the mark-recapture fish was equipped with sonic tags in addition to the standard anchor tags. Our study found that less than 60% of tagged steelhead were available to recapture and therefore that the mark-recapture abundance estimates would be over-estimated.

Read the report here.

Click on the box in the lower right corner for the full-screen animation

Bulkley River animation 2009


Skeena River Steelhead

A pilot array was designed and deployed in the Skeena and Bulkley River system by Kintama to test the technical feasibility of using acoustic technology in the free-flowing Skeena to determine the survival and migratory behaviour of returning adult steelhead. Fish were collected and tagged at two sites: (a) the Tyee sockeye test fishery near the Skeena River mouth and (b) a site located 300 m below the Moricetown Falls in the Bulkley River canyon.

Read the report here

Click on the box in the lower right corner for the full-screen animation

Skeena River Steelhead animation 2008