News/Reports
Clanninick Creek ER #75 Purpose Statement
Purpose Statement
Ecological reserves are areas selected to preserve representative and special natural
ecosystems, plant and animal species, features and phenomena. The key role of ecological
reserves is to contribute to the maintenance of biological diversity and the protection of genetic
materials. All consumptive resource uses and the use of motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Research and educational activities may be carried out but only under permit.
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Primary Role
The primary role of Clanninick Creek Ecological Reserve is to preserve a small but exceptional
alluvial growing site for a stand of old growth Sitka spruce. The old growth Sitka spruce trees
reach 2.5 to 3 metres in diameter and 75 metres in height. There are about 35 such large trees
as well as smaller ones. The excellent growth is thought to be as a result of base-rich parent
materials developed from volcanic rocks. The ecological reserve is situated on the floor of a
glaciated creek valley at the western edge of the Vancouver Island Ranges, 2.5 kilometres
inland from the ocean, near Kyuquot Sound.
Clanninick Creek itself has a gravel bottom with occasional large boulders, and the reach
through the ecological reserve is about one kilometre in length, and is a single channel of low
gradient with little meander, frequent shaded pools, and one low waterfall. This shaded creek
provides spawning habitat for small numbers of chi
nook and pink salmon, and significant runs of coho and chum salmon.
Management Issues
Known Management Issues
Impact of adjacent logging surrounding the
ecological reserve, isolating it as a narrow
forested island and resulting in severe blow-
down and possible degraded water quality and
flow regime impacting the spawning salmon
Response:
- Work with Ministry of Forests and industry to
take ecological reserve values into
consideration during forest development.
- Ensure boundary signs are visible.
- Develop a better defined boundary description.
- Monitor effects of adjacent use, patrol to ensure boundary is respected.
- Recruit a volunteer ecological reserve warden and develop a formal monitoring program. Water supply for community adjacent to ecological reserve
- Work with community to ensure activity does not impact the ecological reserves values.
Conservation
Representation
– ecosection
- Clanninick Creek Ecological Reserve makes a very minimal contribution (0.03%) to the representation of the Windward Island Mountains Ecosection (WIM), which is well represented in the protected areas system at 17.4%
– biogeoclimatic subzone/variant
- Very minimal contribution (0.07%) to the representation of CWHvh1, which is well represented at 19.3%
Special Features
- Old growth Sitka spruce, creek habitat for spawning salmon
Rare/Endangered Values
- Chinook and coho salmon are yellow-listed species of conservation concern (S4)
Scientific/Research Opportunities
- Old growth forests, “island” ecology i.e. impact of logging on small remnants.