Elk Valley Sub-Region

• Conservation, restoration, and enhancement of aquatic habitat.
  • Priority Habitat: Elk River, Tributary streams that support rearing, spawning, overwintering, foraging from valley bottom to upper basin headwaters, Cold water refugia, Lakes and ponds.
  • Priority Species: native fish (Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Bull Trout, Mountain Whitefish), waterbirds (Harlequin Duck, Western Grebe, American Dipper, Cliff Swallow, Black Swift), freshwater mussels, invertebrates.
  • Priority Processes: fish passage, connectivity, water temperature, water quality (nutrients, turbidity), productivity, geomorphological function (erosion, sedimentation, large woody debris, gravel recruitment).

• Protection, enhancement and identification of corridors and linkage areas.
  • Priority: north-south and east-west corridors that link together upland habitats with low elevation riparian-wetland and grassland habitats.
• Conservation and restoration of upland habitats that support species at risk and of conservation concern.
  • Priority Habitat: dry open forests at low to mid-elevation, grasslands (high and low elevation listed ecosystems), old growth forests.
  • Priority Species: mountain caribou, grizzly bear, Rocky Mountain elk, Bighorn sheep, bats, American badger, wolverine, Lewis’ Woodpecker, whitebark pine, huckleberry, other culturally important and rare plants, pollinators and other invertebrates, fungi.
  • Priority Processes: wildlife movement and migration, connectivity, food web interactions (predator-prey, seed dispersal, pollination), natural fire regime.

• Protection and enhancement of Indigenous cultural values.
  • Priority Habitat: cultural use areas.
  • Priority Species: culturally significant species
  • Priority Processes: traditional knowledge, traditional practices.

• Climate Change
• Invasive Species
• Cumulative effects (dams, forestry, recreation, rural/urban development)
• Emergent diseases/pests (White nose syndrome, whirling disease, mountain pine beetle)
• Imminent species/habitat decline
• Wildfire and Fire suppression
• Recreation and access management

Opening forest canopy and promoting vegetation growth are both vital steps in enhancing 296 hectares of forest, grassland and wetland ecosystems at the Big Ranch Conservation Property Complex for Rocky mountain elk and other species. Big Ranch is owned by The Nature Trust of BC and is located between Elkford and Sparwood. The five-year project, led by the Sparwood and District Fish and Wildlife Association, involves activities such as removing trees to allow light to reach the understory, fertilizing grasses and treating invasive weeds. Other steps include creating wildlife trees, repairing a wetland complex and planting trees in some areas to create visual buffers between humans and wildlife.

“Land-use changes and a fragmented landscape have harmed critical habitat required to support thriving wildlife populations in the Elk Valley,” said Matt Huryn, President of the Sparwood and District Fish and Wildlife Association. “This project will help reverse the impacts as the property returns to its natural state as a forest-grassland corridor, increasing winter range and restoring grassland ecosystems for the benefit of elk and species-at-risk.”

A healthy cottonwood forest, and the streams within it, benefit a range of British Columbian species, including grizzly bears, blue herons, rubber boas and westslope cutthroat trout. The Elk River Watershed Alliance is undertaking a four-year project on 47 hectares along the Elk River to plant around 20,000 cottonwood live stakes and 8,000 native understory seedlings. It will also install animal-exclusion fencing to keep out animals like elk and cattle and allow young vegetation to grow.

“The goal is to improve the value of cottonwood habitat, connect floodplain cottonwood ecosystems and mitigate floods in the Elk Valley,” said Chad Hughes, Executive Director. “The project also aims to indirectly improve the functioning of aquatic ecosystems by creating shade to reduce stream temperature, reducing erosion and naturally introducing large woody debris to provide habitat for fish and aquatic wildlife, plus food and building materials for beavers.”