Previous Page:
4.2 Tracking the Recovery of Woodland Caribou Habitat
Next Page:
4.4 Species of Conservation Concern

Scroll for more

Getting Started

Navigating this Report

 

This report consists of two companion reports—one for the Northern Operating Area and one for the Southern Operating Area. All the features necessary to navigate within each report as well as switch between reports are included in the bookmark on the left of the screen. These features include:

Main Menu

The main menu is accessed through the hamburger menu in the "bookmark" on the left-hand side of the page. This report is divided into five chapters. From this menu, you can access each of the main chapters and their sections from anywhere in the report.

Tip: The down arrowhead expands when you are viewing a chapter within the hamburger menu. You can quickly navigate to any section within a chapter by making a selection from the expanded menu.

North and South Reports

Click these icons to navigate between the reports for the Northern Operating Area and Southern Operating Area. 

 

Information Guide

Click on the "information" icon in the left menu to access the report navigation guide. You can access this at any time without leaving the page you’re on.

The "page turner" arrows at the bottom left of your screen will sequentially take you through the report, page by page. For example, press the right arrow to move from Section 2.1 to Section 2.2.

Tip: If you’re interested in the full report, we encourage you to start with the Introduction found in Chapter 1, and use the page turner function (arrows on the bottom left of the page) to sequentially navigate through the report.

About This Species

S Shankar
The Arctic Grayling is a cold-water fish species found in the clear, cold, well-oxygenated waters of rivers and sometimes lakes.

Arctic Grayling migrate between three major habitat types throughout their lifespan, moving between: 

  1. Feeding habitat: Adults use larger river habitats during the summer months, feeding on drifting aquatic invertebrates, while young of the year are typically found in shallow areas with low water flow, such as side channels. 
  2. Overwintering habitat: To overwinter, juvenile and adult grayling move to refuge habitats such as river side channels and backwaters, lakes, springs, and tributary streams.
  3. Spawning habitat: As spring spawners, once water temperatures reach 4oC, adult Arctic Grayling migrate from larger rivers to smaller tributary streams with gravel and rock substrates to spawn.
Pat Clayton

Management Concerns

Arctic Grayling populations have declined within many river systems in Alberta, particularly at the southern end of their range. The species is provincially classified as May Be At Risk[1].

Overfishing likely contributed to population declines in the past. However, since 2015, anglers can no longer harvest Arctic Grayling in Alberta. Despite an estimated 70% decline since 1960, the adult grayling population in Alberta is still likely in the hundreds of thousands[2].

Currently, human disturbances (e.g., roads, forestry, seismic lines) in Arctic Grayling watersheds now pose the biggest risk, and can affect grayling habitat in a number of ways:

  • Improper watercourse crossings, like hanging culverts, can block fish passage and disrupt Arctic Grayling migration to upstream habitats.
  • Development near streams increases erosion and sedimentation, reducing water clarity and covering gravel beds used for spawning.
  • Removing forest canopy along streams raises water temperatures. Arctic Grayling prefer cold water and become stressed above 17.2°C, with temperatures over 23°C being lethal. These critical temperatures are sometimes reached in the southern part of its range in Alberta, and may extend farther north as the climate warms.

Status in the Northern Operating Area

Arctic Grayling have been detected in streams and lakes in in the Hay and Peace river drainages in the Northern Operating Area[3].

  • The Government of Alberta’s Arctic Grayling Fish Sustainability Index (FSI) summarizes the species’ abundance and status in all watersheds containing Arctic Grayling in two time periods: historical (pre-1960) and recent (2004–2014).
  • Based on the FSI, Arctic Grayling abundance has declined in watersheds in the Northern Operating Area. The FSI is rated as moderate for 32% of the area, with 23% rated as low. 
  • Declines may be relatively small in the Northern Operating Area because the lower density of roads limits access for fishing and lowers the potential for habitat fragmentation.
  • In part of the Northern Operating Area (forest management units F11 and F14), the goal is to increase protection of streams where risks to Arctic Grayling are identified[4].
  • In the remainder of the Northern Operating Area (forest management unit F26), there are no specific measures in the forest management plan to protect Arctic Grayling populations and their habitat. However, commitments exist to maintain aquatic biodiversity by minimizing the impacts of water crossings, and to minimize the impacts of operations in riparian areas[5].
Use Ctrl + Scroll to zoom the map
Legend
Arctic Grayling Distribution. Arctic Grayling distribution in Tolko’s Northern Operating Area, including: a) rivers and lakes where Arctic Grayling have been detected in northwestern Alberta, and b) map of the Arctic Grayling Fish Sustainability Index.

References

1.

Government of Alberta. 2023. Wild species status search. Available at: https://www.alberta.ca/lookup/wild-species-status-search.aspx [Accessed 4 December 2023]

2.

Alberta Environment and Parks and Alberta Conservation Association. 2015. Status of the Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in Alberta: update 2015. Alberta Environment and Parks. Alberta Wildlife Status Report No. 57 (Update 2015). Edmonton, AB. 96 pp. Available at: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/9781460134528

3.

Government of Alberta. 2022. Fisheries and Wildlife Management Information System: fish inventory data. Available at: https://www.alberta.ca/fisheries-and-wildlife-management-information-system.aspx

4.

Government of Alberta. 2023. Timber harvest planning and operating ground rules—FMA specific addendum.

5.

Tolko Industries Ltd., Norbord Inc., and La Crete Sawmills Ltd. 2017. Forest management plan. Forest management plan submitted to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry December 2017 for FMU26. 375 pp.

We are grateful for the support of the ABMI's delivery partners.

InnoTech Alberta logo.
University of Alberta logo.
University of Calgary logo.