Under the Fisheries Act, highway construction projects that result in harmful disruption or destruction of fish habitat require replacement habitat. At Yukon Highways and Public Works we have developed successful compensation projects together with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and in many cases with the help of consultants. This paper describes three Yukon examples. The first project describes the re-establishment of fish passage through two large culverts that were elevated. This was done back by backwatering the culvert inlets, constructing a riffle, and by installing baffles in one of the culverts. For the second project we will be creating over-wintering habitat for grayling in a small fresh water stream by excavating small side channels. The last project describes how we will be connecting two old gravel pit lakes with a large glacially fed river system. This will provide year-round fish habitat and a refuge for fish in summer to escape from turbid river water. (A) For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E216597.
Abstract