Abstract
The Chilko-Chilcotin River (CCR) system in British Columbia hosts a diverse fauna of resident fishes. Many anadromous fishes also use the CCR system as spawning and rearing grounds, including one of the largest runs of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in North America (Northcote and Larkin 1989). The CCR system flows into the Fraser River which channels the watershed of British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean; its mouth is just south of Vancouver. The climate in the region determines the general temperature and precipitation regimes that fluctuate seasonally. Hydraulic processes interact with the land formation and terrestrial ecosystem to deliver water, nutrients, and sediment to the river. Primary production in Chilko Lake and on the hillslopes of the basin fuels secondary production which supports the diverse assemblage of fishes. Other vertebrates that occupy the system (birds, mammals, and humans) use the CCR and its fishes seasonally as critical resources for their continued survival. This watershed is extremely productive, due, in large part, to feedback mechanisms of massive influxes of marine derived nutrients from annual pacific salmon spawning migrations. The aquatic ecosystem that results from this suite of drivers is a diverse and a valued resource that is worthy of further research and preservation.
