Balancing Fish Habitat, Marina Design, Shoreline Preservation, and Public Access in High Value Salmon Rearing Habitat on Shuswap Lake

The Shuswap Lake system in the southern interior of British Columbia is facing intense development pressure. The system is also highly productive for Pacific salmon. Salmon fry often need to contend with encroachments from land-based development along their nearshore migration routes. These same areas of productive shallow water provide feed and cover for migrating salmon fry. Anthropogenic perturbations such as docks, wharves, jetties, boat launches, groynes, and beached boats can create obstacles to fry movement. These structures may direct small fish into deep water, where predatory fish lurk, or reduce production of feed by disturbing or shading benthic habitat. Other encroachments can include retaining walls that eliminate shallow transitional zones and community access paths that are often built too close to waterways. The Sicamous Channel is a narrowing between Mara and Shuswap lakes. It is a busy navigation channel with the Town of Sicamous, the self described houseboat capital of Canada, located on its east bank. The channel has been identified as critical rearing and migration habitat for salmon. The houseboat industry has been mooring boats within shallow marinas in this channel for over 35 years. Stakeholders and regulators have agreed on a plan to relocate houseboat moorage to less sensitive areas in the Shuswap Lake system.

The author successfully assisted with environmental assessment, design, and permitting of one houseboat property that was redeveloped to a multifamily development with associated private boat moorage and a community path along the waterfront. The marina development triggered the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act requiring screening from Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Permits were also required from the province of British Columbia and the District of Sicamous. Much like a fry migrating along the shoreline, the author navigated the regulatory process to successfully deliver a solution that was ecologically sustainable. Involvement from multiple agencies resulted in innovative design for the moorage, including a shoreline boat exclusion zone, and a restored riparian area, moving away from gabion walls to sloped riparian plantings and an elevated community pathway. An access management plan meant that restored fish habitat will remain protected from intrusion.