Update on Recovery Planning for Redside Dace

Shawn K. Staton Species at Risk Program

Fisheries and Oceans CanadaBurlington, Ontario

Presentation Overview

• Redside Dace – species information• Recovery Planning and Protection• Population and Distribution Objectives• Habitat Regulation (ESA)• Critical Habitat Identification (SARA)

• Geospatial• Biophysical

• Summary

RSD – a unique aquatic SAR

• Habitat found in headwaters and low order watercourses

• Particularly dependent on adjacent habitat (i.e. riparian zone and meander belt)

• “Cool water” species that is sensitive to high water temperatures and turbidity

• Distribution overlaps with areas of intensive urban development within the GTA (predominant threat)

• Distribution generally doesn't overlap with other aquatic SAR fish and mussels

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Redside Dace – Ontario Distribution

* Extant in 17 watersheds; Considered extirpated in 8 watersheds

Redside Dace – insect capture

5Credit: David Lawrie (TRCA) and Jeff McNeice

RSD Recovery & Protection

• Listed as END under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since 2009; provides protection to the species and its habitat

• Listed as Special Concern under SARA, but under consideration for up-listing to END

• Provincial RS completed in early 2010• Habitat Regulation in place since 2011• Currently updating the provincial RS to the

federal template for a combined RS/AP• Seeking consistency between the Habitat

Regulation and Critical Habitat identification for a harmonized approach to habitat protection (under ESA/SARA)

RS/AP – additional sections required• Recovery feasibility summary• Species description• Population and distribution objectives• Critical habitat identification

• Information and methods• ID of CH (functions/features/attributes)• ID of CH (geospatial)• Activities likely to result in destruction• Proposed measures to protect CH

• Socio-economic evaluation of the AP* in addition, the federal RS template requires more detail on threat and population status

Population & Distribution Objectives

• Specify quantitatively how recovery is to be interpreted to allow for the evaluation of success

• Scientifically and biologically sound and technically realistic

• Informed through COSEWIC criteria (as a minimum, P&DO’s should support down-listing to Special Concern)

• Drive the identification of Critical Habitat

COSEWIC Criteria - RSD

• Endangered status• Meets B2a and B2B (i,ii,iii,iv,v)

• Fragmented populations• Continuing decline observed in:

• The extent of occurrence and occupancy• Extent and quality of habitat• Number of locations and • Number of mature individuals

Population & Distribution Objectives• Return or maintain self-sustaining populations in the

17 watersheds where live animals currently exist:• Lake Huron (Two Tree, Saugeen, Gully, South Gully)• Lake Erie (Irvine Creek)• Lake Ontario (Spencer, Bronte, 14 Mile, 16 Mile, Credit,

Humber, Don, Rouge, Duffins, Carruther’s, Lynde and Holland River)

• Pop’s considered recovered when recruitment is occurring throughout their distribution in each watershed + pop is stable or increasing• Includes the establishment of pops within currently

unoccupied ‘recovery habitats’• Threats reduced to ‘low’

Population & Distribution Objectives• 8 watersheds where RSD are considered extirpated

have not been included (e.g. Mimico, Etobicoke, Clarkson)• In these locations the over-riding effects of urbanization

is likely irreversible for RSD (e.g. highly modified stream channels, high level of basin imperviousness, etc)

• Some locations could be reconsidered for inclusion within P&DOs if supported by new data/research

Critical Habitat (CH) - Definition

“the habitat necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species”

SARA S. 2(1)

SARA defines habitat for aquatic SAR as:

“… spawning grounds and nursery, rearing, food supply, migration and any other areas on which aquatic species depend directly or indirectly in order to carry out their life processes, or areas where aquatic species formerly occurred and have the potential to be reintroduced.”

* SARA requires ID of CH - to the extent possible, based on the best available information.

“Bounding Box” Method: the species area of occupancy associated with a description of a defined feature whose location may or may not be known.

Critical Habitat ID – Overall Method

Features (biophysical)

Geo-spatial extent of CH

Habitat Regulation (ESA)

Habitat Regulation for RSD (simplified)Protects elements of direct habitat including:• stream reaches with suitable habitat where the

species has been recorded within the past 20 years • formerly occupied stream reaches in occupied or

adjacent sub-watersheds (i.e. recovery habitat) where there is a reasonable likelihood of successful stream corridor rehabilitation and natural recolonization.

Habitat Regulation (ESA)Protects elements of indirect habitat including:• the associated meander belt width plus 30 meter

buffer for each occupied or recovery stream reach• streams, headwaters drainage features, groundwater

discharge areas or wetlands that augment or maintain baseflows, coarse sediment supply and surface water quality to occupied or recovery reaches*

* Presents a mapping challenge

Source: www.geoscienceworld.org

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ESA Regulated Habitat (Fourteen Mile Creek)

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Proposed Critical Habitat (Fourteen Mile Creek)

RSD – Critical Habitat

Considerations for CH identification:• Aquatic Resource Areas (ARA) stream segment

approach• Classification based on physical and biological characters

• Incredibly complex CH segments (~ 1 order of magnitude > any other SAR); 17 watersheds

• Meander belt-width and riparian zone wont be mapped but will be included in the functions/features/attributes

• Some very small, isolated Regulated Habitat fragments may not be included as they would not be supported by P&DO’s

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Proposed Critical Habitat – Humber River

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Proposed Critical Habitat – Sixteen Mile Creek

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Proposed Critical Habitat – Two Tree River

Essential functions, features and attributes of Critical Habitatfor life stages of the Redside Dace

Life stage Function Feature(s) Attribute(s) Spawn to hatch (~May)

SpawningCoverNursery

Reaches of streams containing both pools and riffles

Riffle areas with gravel substrates (D84% <6cm) Typically spawn over nests constructed by Creek Chub

and/or Common Shiner Spawning occurs when temperatures reach 16-18C Flow present

Adult FeedingCover

As above Low, overhanging riparian vegetation (e.g. grasses, forbes and shrubs)

Preference for undercut banks and in-stream cover such as boulders and large woody debris

Summer wetted stream widths up to 10 m Substrates include boulders, sand, clay, silt, mud and

detritus but most often associated with gravel Preference for clear waters Preferred summer water temperatures less than 24C Preferred dissolved oxygen >7mg/L Overwintering occurs in deep pools with little current Adequate supply prey species (terrestrial insects –

especially adult flies) Natural flow regime

Essential functions and features of Critical Habitatfor all life stages of the Redside Dace (indirect)

Life stage

Function Feature(s) Rationale

All All Meander belt (of identified reaches) plus vegetated areas within 30m of meander belt

Recognizes the naturally dynamic nature of low order riverine systems over time

Importance of riparian areas in providing food as well as maintaining in-stream habitat

Source: www.geoscienceworld.org

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Proposed Critical Habitat – Spencer Creek

CH vs Regulated Habitat (RH)

• CH identification relies heavily on habitat functions, features and attributes for site-specific assessments

• Adopting RH as the CH ‘bounding box’ allows for general spatial consistency for occupied and recovery habitat, but does not currently cover:• Some supporting habitat features (e.g. headwaters

drainage features, groundwater discharge areas or wetlands) that have yet to be mapped

• These supporting habitat features will likely be part of the ‘schedule of studies’ to further refine CH

Summary• For a complex headwater species (that occurs within

urban areas), additional time preparing/updating a RS and identifying CH is essential

• Alignment of habitat identification under ESA/SARA is preferred for consistency; this is possible with a strong collaboration between agencies and focus on science

• Ongoing DFO/OMNRF collaboration will help ensure consistency in protection approaches and process with ESA/SARA coordination

• Draft federal RS/AP is a ‘work in progress’ but after additional agency/RT input, it will be circulated for jurisdictional review with a target date of January 2015

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Acknowledgements:• Mark Heaton and Aurora district staff from OMNRF• Graham Buck and Jessica Sicoly (OMNRF)• Members of the Redside Dace Implementation Team• Andrew Geraghty (DFO GIS)

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Questions?