KANANASKIS COUNTRY – A new field study commissioned by an environmental group outlines at-risk bull trout are present in the Highwood River area where logging is set to take place this winter.
The study, commissioned by Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), found bull trout were in the Loomis Creek area where Spray Lakes Sawmills (SLS) – now owned by West Fraser Timber Company Limited – plans to clearcut 1,100 hectares of forest in the Upper Highwood area, including 26 kilometres along the river, and near Loomis and McPhail creeks.
In the past, anecdotal information had bull trout in the area, but the study confirmed they are present and spawning in a much larger area than previously assumed.
“There’s a lot of concern from a lot of different folks about the logging plans and the impact on those lands if they go ahead, and one issue is the bull trout," said Josh Killeen, the conservation science and programs manager at CPAWS.
“And we know the Highwood River is really important for bull trout – it’s well documented it’s an important area for spawning. ... But what we didn’t know was the importance of Loomis Creek. It flows into the Highwood (River), and is one of the places that would be most impacted because logging is planned along both sides of the creek, so we wanted to find out whether the bull trout were using Loomis Creek,” he said.
The area in question has been designated as “critical habitat” for bull trout by the federal government's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), which is still investigating SLS for building a bridge over the Highwood River prior to receiving any authorization.
“Critical habitat doesn’t necessarily mean that the species is present, so we wanted to find out they were actually present,” Killeen said.
The result means they now know the bull trout is much more widely dispersed throughout the area than previously known.
Although they still don’t have any specific data on population numbers – which would require a more detailed study – Killeen said they now are better informed about trout activity in the clearcut area.
“There are likely bull trout using this area throughout the year, through all their life stages, they’re resident. And they’re doing that throughout a significant portion of the length of the creek, as far as 3.2 kilometres from the Highwood, and we think further upstream as well.”
The forest management plan for the Highwood River area – which includes Loomis Creek – states they are going to clearcut in the area in the winters of 2023-24 and 2024-25. To date, no logging has started, as the new owners of the Cochrane-based sawmill have said they want to meet with stakeholders and review their plans.
The Highwood River and adjacent riparian zone is identified as potential critical habitat for bull trout. Protesters and other opponents were encouraged to see the results of the Environmental DNA study, as it confirms the presence of bull trout upstream from the confluence of the Loomis Creek and Highwood River.
The study was completed by Matt Coombs at Fintegrate Fisheries & Watershed Consulting Ltd. and funding was provided by Bow River Trout Foundation (BRTF). CPAWS released the study to SLS, DFO, and Alberta's Ministry of Forestry and Parks Friday afternoon.
West Fraser was not immediately available for comment Friday (Jan. 26). The story will be updated when it is received.
Killeen said non-profits shouldn’t have to be funding these types of studies.
“We really appreciate the Bow River Trout Foundation funding it, but ultimately it should be part of the planning that goes into where logging should and shouldn’t occur either by the company or the government.”
Logging companies submit their plans to the province for approval. Critics have called for a review of existing legislation covering forestry activities in Alberta. CPAWS has requested interviews with Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen.
“He said no. He said he was busy,” Killeen said.
“There needs to be a much more fulsome assessment of this area and its importance.”
SLS has agreed to meet with CPAWS in early February.
DFO is investigating SLS building a bridge to access logging areas in Kananaskis Country after it failed to obtain a permit to build the crossing, aware of the presence of threatened bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in the Highwood River below.
When activities and infrastructure building are planned that could damage critical habitat for a threatened species – federally listed and subject to protections and recovery strategies under the Species at Risk Act – a company must apply to the DFO for a permit.
An email from Great West Media to DFO asking for an update to their investigation into SLS’s activities surrounding the construction of the bridge was not immediately answered Jan. 26. The investigation began last year when DFO confirmed it was underway, but would not explain why they had launched it, or provide any other details.
Protesters met at the bridge site in late November and letter campaigns were launched by environmental groups last fall. The mayors of Okotoks and High River also wrote letters to the province asking for a pause to logging plans in light of the negative effects of clearcutting in the watershed, and an anticipated drought this spring.
To view the study, go to: https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CPAWS_Loomis_Creek_Bull_Trout_eDNA_survey_final_report.pdf.
– With files from Jessica Lee, Rocky Mountain Outlook
