Accurately evaluating fish and fish habitat are of chief importance for landowners, developers, municipalities and provincial and federal regulatory authorities. Additionally, endangered species, such as the Salish Sucker and Nooksack Dace, are also playing an increasingly important role in land use decisions.

The collection of fish and fish habitat data is an integral component of restoration, compensation and enhancement works, watershed maintenance and management, infrastructure construction and maintenance, integrated stormwater management, hydraulic studies, development feasibility assessments, habitat protection and preservation as well as environmental assessments and environmental impact assessments.

AquaTerra services pertaining to fish and fish habitat include:

• Fish distribution and population estimates;
• Work area isolation and fish salvages (minnow trapping, seining, netting and electro-fishing);
• Habitat Compensation and Habitat Enhancement designs (refer to the Habitat Compensation, Enhancement and Reclamation Design section for additional details);
• Stream Classifications (site cards) / Watercourse Assessments;
• Evaluation of Harmful Alteration, Disruption or Destruction (HADD) under the Fisheries Act;
• Determination of watercourse utilization for fish during the spawning, rearing and migration periods;
• Fish passage /watercourse crossing evaluation;
• Fish passage design and implementation (e.g., baffles, ladders, concrete steps);
• Assessing In-Stream Flow Characteristics in Support of Applications to Dam, Divert of Extract Water; and
• Collection of Fish and Fish Habitat data for Assessing Impacts for Independent Power Projects (IPPs).