Merritt TSR Data Package - 2014
FRPA Section 8(8) (x)(x)
GAR Section 15 – Temperature Sensitive Streams
FPPR Section 53 – Temperature Sensitive Streams
Factor xx – Temperature Sensitive Streams
Christian St-Pierre
Part 1 Factor Description
Description:

Stream temperature conditions are critical for fish, and temperature shifts associated with
climate change are predicted to be an important factor in various physical and biological
watershed processes (Pike et al. 2010a). It is envisioned that, by implementing existing and
proposed regulations that help mitigate stream temperature sensitivity and by ensuring that
appropriate management strategies are used at the operational level, maintaining riparian
thermal buffering functions will help mitigate the predicted impacts of climate change.

In British Columbia, riparian areas are protected from adverse effects of forest harvesting by
applying mandatory no-harvest reserves to all fish-bearing streams > 1.5 m wide. However,
there is no regulatory requirement for riparian reserves on small fish-bearing streams (< 1.5 m
channel width) and on all non-fish-bearing streams regardless of channel width.

Section 15 of the B.C. Government Action Regulations (GAR) 1 provides for the use a
regulatory tool that allows forest managers to designate “Temperature Sensitive Streams”
(TSS) to protect critical fish-bearing streams that could be altered by stream heating. A TSS
designation applies to all riparian class but particularly to S4, S5, or S6 streams2 which, by
definition, do not have mandatory riparian reserves under the Forest and Range Practices Act.

Section 53 of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation enhance protection by stipulating:
An authorized person who fells, modifies or removes trees in a riparian management area
adjacent to a temperature sensitive stream, or a stream that is a direct tributary to a temperature
sensitive stream, must retain either or both of the following in an amount sufficient to prevent
the temperature of the temperature sensitive stream from increasing to an extent that would
have a material adverse impact on fish:
(a) streamside trees whose crowns provide shade to the stream;
(b) understory vegetation that provides shade to the stream.
Forest and Range Practices Act – Government Actions Regulation – Temperature Sensitive Streams.
Available at: http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/reg/F/ForRangPrac/582_2004.htm#section15
1
2
S4 = fish-bearing streams (< 1.5 m wide); S5 = non-fish-bearing streams (> 3 m wide); S6 = non-fish
bearing streams (< 3 m wide)
Merritt TSR Data Package - 2014

Spatial extent of stream network requiring management (Excerpt from Reese-Hansen 2012)
Section 53 of the FPPR requires the following practice:
“An authorized person…must retain…[riparian vegetation] sufficient to prevent the temperature of the
temperature sensitive stream from increasing to an extent that would have a material adverse impact
on fish”.
To determine the spatial extent of the protection several key definitions described in the FPPR, and that
apply to both the GAR and FPPR, must be understood. The first is “fish stream” as used in the GAR. The
FPPR defines a fish stream in one of two ways; a watercourse that:
“(a) is frequented by any of the following species of fish:
(i) anadromous salmonids;
(ii) rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brown trout, bull trout, Dolly Varden char,
lake trout, brook trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, mountain
whitefish, lake whitefish, arctic grayling, burbot, white sturgeon, black crappie,
yellow perch, walleye or northern pike;
(iii) a species identified as a species at risk;
(iv) a species identified as regionally important wildlife, or
(b) has a slope gradient of less than 20%, unless the watercourse
(i) does not contain any of the species of fish referred to in paragraph (a),
(ii) is located upstream of a barrier to fish passage and all reaches upstream of
the barrier are simultaneously dry at any time during the year, or is located
upstream of a barrier to fish passage and no perennial fish habitat exists
upstream of the barrier”.
Therefore, the spatial extent of the designation is first defined in GAR (s.15) by both, the known
distribution of fish, or the physical parameters that restrict the movement of fish throughout a stream
network. The FPPR classifies fish streams as one of four possible stream classes (S1, S2, S3, or S4) and, by
way of the GAR designation, requires retention of stream side vegetation. Because the FPPR clearly
requires riparian retention on all S1 through S3 streams, regardless of the stream’s temperature
sensitivity, these streams receive riparian buffering by default. However, the GAR extends this buffering
requirement to S4 streams.
Like an S4 stream, normally, the remaining stream classes (S5 and S6) do not necessarily require
streamside vegetation retention as the option is provided to a Forest Act agreement holder to retain an
amount along these streams between 0% and 100%. Under TSS management requirements however, it
is along S5 and S6 streams that the practice requirements are also increased (see Table 9). The FPPR
(section 53) does this by additionally requiring forest management activities to retain stream side
Merritt TSR Data Package - 2014
vegetation along “direct tributary” streams to a TSS (i.e. a S1 to S4 stream). To understand how this
would be translated to the stream network the term direct tributary requires examination. The FPPR
defines this term as a portion of a tributary stream that:
“(a) is a minimum of 100 m in length, and
(b) has the same stream order as the most downstream reach of the tributary”
In this way, the spatial distribution of the stream network is limited to fish streams and direct tributaries
and accordingly in many cases headwater streams will be omitted. Table 9 helps describe the
interpretation of the TSS stream-network using the FPPR defined term “direct tributary”. Figures 7
illustrates the application of GAR s.15 and the FPPR s.53 to a stream network. Note that in all examples
below, if the direct tributary were less than 100m long, it would not require any additional
management.
Table 9. FPPR base-case riparian management versus TSS management (From Reese-Hansen 2012)
Merritt TSR Data Package - 2014
Figure 7. Application of GAR s.15 and the FPPR s.53 to three different stream networks in three similar sized
watersheds (From Reese-Hansen 2012)
TSS
Gross land base (ha)
Nicola Watershed
780 000
Other Details:

Won’t be part of base case but will be a binder factor, as decision has not been made to
approve TSS GAR Order at time of data package. Do a sensitivity based on the modelling
instructions below. Andrew to assist with developing the sensitivity.
How Modelled:


The FPPR s.47 – Stream riparian classes, stipulate the minimum riparian management
width, riparian reserve zone width and riparian management zone width on each side of the
stream.
Within the Nicola watershed boundary and where FRPA applies, every fish bearing streams
(S1-S4) and every direct tributary (S5-S6) to a fish bearing stream will be buffered to the
Riparian Management Area width.
Merritt TSR Data Package - 2014
Sources:


Contacts:



Christian St-Pierre, Ecosystems Section, MFLNRO, Kamloops. christian.stpierre@gov.bc.ca
Lars Reese-Hansen, Watershed/Ecosystems Planning Biologist, MFLNRO, Victoria.
Lars.ReeseHansen@gov.bc.ca
Alison Peatt, Biologist, Bearfoot Resources Ltd, bearfootresources@shaw.ca
Author:

Christian St-Pierre, Ecosystems Section, MFLNRO, Kamloops. christian.stpierre@gov.bc.ca
References:
 Reese-Hansen, Lars, Marc Nelitz, and Eric Parkinson. 2012. Designating Temperature
Sensitive Streams (TSS) in British Columbia: a discussion paper exploring the science,
policy and climate change considerations associated with a TSS designation procedure.
Ministry of Environment, Fisheries Management Report RD# 123. Victoria, BC. 71pp.
Status:


Assessment of the conservation value, completed April 2013
Update Date:

April 8, 2014
Appendices:
Part 2 - Data Set Description (part 2 may not be needed for each factor)
Description
Source File
Metadata:
Currency Date:
Primary Fields of Interest:
TSA summary of data set:
Author:
Update Date:
File Tracking:
Merritt TSR Data Package - 2014
Appendices: