News/Reports

Clanninick Creek ER # 75 Overview, Biological and Physical

Posted March 5, 2000 | Categories : 75,Reports,Species List |

ORIGINAL PURPOSE: To preserve a small, exceptional stand of old-growth spruce.

Sitka Spruce needles

 

Physical: The reserve is situated on the floor of a glaciated creek valley at the western edge of the Vancouver Island Ranges, 2.5 km inland from the Pacific Ocean. Adjacent mountains are relatively low (500-800 m) and rounded. Regional bedrock consists of Jurassic intrusives and Triassic volcanics. Surficial materials within the reserve are of alluvial origin, and soils developed on them are poorly developed Regosols. Clanninick Creek has a gravel-cobble bottom with occasional large boulders. The reach through the reserve, about one km in length, is a single channel of low gradient with little meander, frequent shaded pools, and one low waterfall. The climate is moderate and moist.

 

For the complete PDF see: Clanninick Creek ER overview

Biological: This reserve features old-growth Sitka spruce trees reaching 2.5 to three m in diameter and 75 m in height. There are about 35 such large trees in the reserve, plus smaller ones. Excellent growth is thought to be a result of base-rich parent materials developed from volcanic rocks. Western redcedar, amabilis fir, and red alder also occur. The spruce forest understory is dominated by either an association of sword fern and the moss Leucolepis menziesii, or by the moss Stokesiella praelonga. Skunk cabbage is common in wet areas. Stands of mixed spruce and western hemlock have an understory dominated by red huckleberry, sword fern, deer fern, and the moss Isothecium stoloniferum.

Clanninick Creek provides spawning habitat for small numbers of Chinook and Pink salmon, significant Coho Salmon runs (100-5000 fish), and major Chum Salmon escapements (over 25 000 fish). Some spawning occurs in the reach within the reserve.

Cultural:

The ER is fully within the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Chek’tles7et’h’ First Nations territory.

There may be First Nations’ culturally significant sites within this reserve. The reserve may be used for subsistence hunting, fishing, food gathering, botanical harvesting etc.

The ER is one of several protected areas covered by an active memorandum of understanding for collaborative management between BC Parks and the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Chek’tles7et’h’ First Nations.

SIGNIFICANT SPECIES

Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Pink Salmon ,Chum Salmon

SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF SPECIES MENTIONED IN THE CLANNINICK CREEK ER ACCOUNT

Flora

Alder, red (Alnus rubra)
fern, deer (Blechnum spicant)
fern, sword (Polystichum munitum)
fir, amabilis (Abies amabilis)
hemlock, western (Tsuga heterophylla)
huckleberry, red (Vaccinium parvifolium)
moss (Stokesiella praelonga)
moss (Isothecium stoloniferum)
moss (Leucolepis menziesii)
redcedar, western (Thuja plicata)

spruce, Sitka (Picea sitchensis)

Fauna

Salmon, Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha )
Salmon, Chum (Oncorhynchus keta)
Salmon, Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Salmon, Pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)