Slocan Lake Limnological Assessment $21,350

Mysid shrimp were introduced into Slocan Lake as well as many other large lakes in the Kootenay and Okanagan regions by the Ministry of Environment in the early 1970's. Many years after the introductions of the shrimp it is now known that mysids feed on the same zooplankton as kokanee and therefore have become efficient competitors with kokanee for food. Over the last few years kokanee spawner escapements into tributary streams appears to be on the decline. Although there has been some impact on tributary stream spawning habitat from logging activities and human settlement, there is still adequate spawning habitat for kokanee. There is suspicion that mysid abundance in the lake has increased to a point where they could be out-competing and impacting kokanee survival much the same as has occurred in many other large lakes in the Pacific Northwest and Europe. The project objectives are as follows:

1. Investigate mysid abundance at two selected sites in the lake and compare with documented mysid abundance in Kootenay Lake and Arrow Reservoir;
2. Investigate zooplankton species abundance to determine food availability of the preferred zooplankton species for kokanee and mysids;
3. Measure phytoplankton abundance as a relative measure of lake productivity which could be the determining factor in zooplankton production.
4. Conduct fall spawner escapement counts in tributary steams such as Bonanza, Wilson, Carpenter and Silverton creeks.

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