Fish Passage Technical Direction
Last updated on January 31, 2024The four phase delivery of the fish passage program involves fish passage assessments, habitat confirmation, design and construction to remediate the stream crossing. Guidance is provided on the following pages respecting procedures and data collection standards for each phase.
On this page
The most common barrier to fish is improperly designed and installed closed bottom structures such as culverts. Remediation of these structures often involves replacing these barriers with properly designed embedded structures or open bottom structures such as bridges.
Planning and delivery
The Fish Passage Technical Working Group (FPTWG) oversees the strategic planning and delivery of the LBI fish passage program, working closely with BC Timber Sales and other licensees as needed. Program operations are delivered in four phases:
- Phase 1: Fish Passage Assessment (PDF, 28KB)
- Conduct field assessments to identify sites that impede fish passage
- Phase 2: Habitat Confirmation (PDF, 28KB)
- Confirm quantity and quality of habitat to be gained at the site
- Phase 3: Design (PDF, 27KB)
- Commission a site plan and design
- Phase 4: Remediation (PDF, 20KB)
- Carry out construction to remediate stream crossing and reconnect fish habitat
Delivery of the fish passage program is an ongoing process with phases occurring concurrently at different locations. Timing of each phase is dependent upon the correct time for working in the field (snow free and/or during the fish timing window).
Activity standards
- General FIA Standards (FS 1001)(PDF, 263KB)
- Land Based Investment First Nations Information Sharing Guidelines (PDF, 13MB)
Data submission process
The Provincial Stream Crossing Inventory System (PSCIS) is the custom database which has been built to house all culvert related data. There are four distinct phases in the PSCIS data submission process. These phases align with the operational phases outlined above:
Assessment
An Assessment is an on-site evaluation of whether a given crossing represents a barrier to fish migration. It constitutes the first time that data pertaining to a given stream crossing is collected to Ministry standards and submitted to the PSCIS system. Collection and submission is done through an MS Excel spreadsheet-based process. For further information see Assessment Projects.
Habitat Confirmation
Having assessed a stream crossing and identified it as a possible candidate for remediation, the next phase is to carry out a Habitat Confirmation. This exercise quantifies the amount of habitat and qualifies the type of habitat which stands to be regained if a given crossing is remediated. As of 2014, collection and submission of data related to Habitat Confirmation is handled by the PSCIS Web Application. For further information, see Habitat Confirmation Projects.
Design
Having confirmed the value of remediating a given stream crossing, the next phase is to upload details of potential designs for remediating a stream crossing. As of 2014, collection and submission of data related to Design is handled by the PSCIS Web Application. For further information, see Design Projects.
Remediation
Once a design for remediating a stream crossing has been approved and the work has been completed, the remediation submission records the specifics of the work that was done. As of 2014, collection and submission of data related to Remediation is handled by the PSCIS Web Application. For further information, see Remediation Projects.
The PSCIS user guide contains technical details on how to perform each submission type:
All current PSCIS data can be viewed spatially through iMapBC. Read this guide for instructions on how to view the data: