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Locals asked to report sightings of shoal spawning kokanee on Kootenay Lake

Call fish and wildlife at 250.354.6333 to report kokanee numbers and precise location on the lake
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“This is of particular importance in years of peak spawning, which occur every three years, and includes 2021,” advises biologist James Baxter. Photo: Submitted

You are likely familiar with the brilliant red color that the kokanee salmon turn in the fall when they are spawning in creeks and rivers in the area.

Did you know that kokanee can also be found spawning along the beaches of some of our lakes?

These type of kokanee are called “shoal spawners,” and are found scattered throughout the West Arm of Kootenay Lake.

The Columbia Operations Fisheries Advisory Committee or COFAC, is a group that has studied how Kootenay Lake water levels affect the spawning success of these shoal spawning kokanee.

COFAC has representation from provincial and federal fisheries regulators, First Nations, and hydroelectric operators from the Columbia and Kootenay River systems in Canada.

It provides a structured forum for the exchange of information regarding the coordination of activities related to the operation of hydroelectric projects that are relevant to fisheries.

Previous work by COFAC has demonstrated that the implementation of Kootenay Lake operational changes in the fall can reduce the dewatering of shoal spawning kokanee redds, or fish nests, that are created when the fish spawn.

This is of particular importance in years of peak spawning, which occur every three years, and includes 2021.

Additional work by COFAC has found that these West Arm shoal spawning kokanee are “genetically distinct” from West Arm tributary spawning kokanee.

In order to increase the success of these unique fish, hydroelectric system operators draw down the lake levels to 1742 ft at Queen’s Bay for a one-month period.

The lower water level during the mid-September to mid-October spawning period results in the fish depositing their eggs at a lower elevation on the shoals.

The reservoir will then be allowed to fill again for the winter.

In spring, when the kokanee are emerging from their eggs and when the reservoir is drawn down to make room for spring melt, the expectation is that fewer redds will be stranded, resulting in a higher survival rate of the eggs deposited by shoal spawning kokanee.

COFAC is looking for your help in identifying the location of shoal spawning kokanee on Kootenay Lake.

If you see kokanee spawning on the lake shore, call the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch at 250.354.6333 and report approximately how many kokanee you see, and the precise location where you saw them on the lake.

James Baxter,

FortisBC biologist