Rocky Mountains’ eastern slopes priority place (AB)
Location
This area encompasses the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta. The eastern slopes extends from the high alpine slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains down to the foothills and into the transition into the Prairies ecozone. This area forms the headwaters of the Saskatchewan - Nelson Rivers drainage basin, which flows from Alberta into Saskatchewan and Manitoba emptying into Hudson’s Bay and the headwaters of the Peace-Athabasca River drainage basin, which flows into the McKenzie River and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.
Key threats
Changes in water quality, quantity, habitat loss, fragmentation, introduced species (hybridization and introgression, interspecific competition for resources and access to habitat), climate warming, changes to the landscape and altered flow regimes are significant threats for species at risk in Alberta. Declines in water quality, quantity, water delivery timing regimes and habitat loss in Alberta result from the oil and gas industry, forestry, agriculture, mining, water management issues (fragmentation and withdrawals) and recreational land use (off highway recreational vehicle). Mortality from recreational fishing (catch and release) and research, other invasive species and pathogens, such as Zebra mussel and whirling disease, are also threats to native trout.
Aquatic SARA Schedule 1-listed species at risk found in the Rocky Mountains’ eastern slopes priority place
| Priority Places and Marine Threats | Species, Population | SARA status |
|---|
Examples of recovery activities that DFO is seeking to support in the Rocky Mountains’ eastern slopes priority place
- Habitat improvement or mitigation of threats to habitat (i.e. improve riparian habitat, remove anthropogenic barriers, install bridges/other structures to keep anthropogenic activities out of the water, install fencing/off-site watering stations to keep animals out of the water, etc.)
- Identification of local threats to species and habitats (i.e. surveys, inventories, monitoring)
- Management and reduction of the footprint of anthropogenic activities (i.e. manage effects of resource extraction, land and water use)
- Protection, recovery and re-establishment of native trout species at risk from non-native trout (i.e. targeted removal or suppression of non-native trout, installation of barriers to prevent non-native trout access)
- Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions
- Targeted outreach to improve awareness and increase opportunity for stewardship/partnership activities (e.g. presentations to environmental non-government organizations, recreational fishers, Indigenous groups, etc.)
- Activities that assist with recovery of populations within their historical range (i.e. re-establish populations, increase current population levels, distribution and connectivity)
Learn more about projects in this area
Alberta Native Trout Recovery Initiative
Alberta Native Trout Recovery Initiative
Recipient: Alberta Environment and Parks
Project goal: The Alberta’s Native Trout Recovery Initiative is a four-year fish conservation initiative aimed at recovering populations of native trout in the Eastern Slopes of Alberta.
The program includes a range of activities including the restoration and rehabilitation of aquatic species at risk habitats and assessment work to inform how best to mitigate threats to the species at risk in those areas. Activities also include the construction and development of measures to minimize and mitigate threats to species at risk, and include monitoring and reporting on the outcomes of the work.
Through this initiative, the partnerships between government and non-government organizations is expanding to include Indigenous partners, municipalities, industry, and others. The goal is to align and support recovery actions for aquatic species at risk across multiple agencies with an interest in these landscapes.
Fund Allocation: $4,909,536
Time Frame: 4 years
Species that benefit from this project:
Engaging farmers and ranchers to improve ecosystems for aquatic species at risk in the Southern Prairies
Engaging farmers and ranchers to improve ecosystems for aquatic species at risk in the Southern Prairies
Recipient: ALUS Canada
Project goal: The objective of this four-year project is to increase stewardship and recovery actions for aquatic species at risk in the Southern Prairies Priority Area, within the South Saskatchewan River and the Assiniboine River watershed basins. The project aims to partner with farmers and ranchers where the agricultural landscape intersects with key freshwater aquatic habitats for aquatic species at risk.
The project involves partnering with farmers to promote restoration or enhancement of waterbodies and waterways. This includes the establishment of riparian buffers and the construction of wetland areas.
Project activities are reducing agricultural runoff and sedimentation thereby improving aquatic habitat downstream and immediately adjacent to project actions. Project actions are enabling an entire suite of ecosystem services, including additional wildlife habitat, clean water and carbon sequestration.
Educational resources are being developed through collaboration with community Partnership Advisory Committees and technical advisory groups. The resources emphasize the impacts of agriculture and need to apply Beneficial Management Practices to reduce and reverse the adverse effects of agriculture on aquatic species at risk.
Fund Allocation: $983,000
Time Frame: 4 years
Species that benefit from this project:
Media announcement:
The Government of Canada Takes Action to Protect Aquatic Species at Risk in the Southern Prairie
Bridging research and management to reduce invasive species threats to aquatic species at risk
Bridging research and management to reduce invasive species threats to aquatic species at risk
Recipient: Invasive Species Centre
Project goal:This four-year project supports invasive species prevention and management activities in the Southern Prairies Priority Area across the three Prairie provincial partners, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, that will benefit aquatic species at risk. Activities include (1) working to identify needs and opportunities in invasive species risk assessment, management, and communications with a view to aligning with species at risk recovery actions; (2) providing risk assessment and analysis, impact assessment, screening level risk assessment and socio-economic analysis support to inform management approaches for priority species at risk; (3) supporting invasive species prevention and monitoring programs to increase frequency of sampling and program capacity; and (4) reviewing communications to enhance messaging effectiveness and increase outreach.
As the project progresses and needs are further identified by the participating Provinces, new tools will be developed and existing tools will be enhanced. These will include consideration of (1) support for training and communications on freshwater mussel identification, species at risk identification, invasive species identification, mussel control methods, reporting and mapping tools, citizen science and invasive species prevention; (2) liaisons that provide most recent, relevant evidence-based information to partners; and (3) support for dissemination of a toolkit of templates, instructions and tools for future use beyond the four year scope of this project.
Fund Allocation: $983,000
Time Frame: 4 years
Species that benefit from this project:
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