FHAP

Question 1

What are the 3 steps in the Fish Habitat Assessment Procedure (FHAP)? (3)

Answer 1

Overview Assessment (office based) - gather existing information from maps, reports, etc.

Level 1 survey - field reconnaissance, habitat card

Level 2 survey - more detailed, site-specific measurements to clarify objectives for restoration at specific site

Question 2

FHAP Overview Assessment steps (7)

Answer 2

Delineate and ID watershed (name, UTM, region, ownership, stakeholders etc.)

Assemble existing information (fish species/distribution, abundance, habitat use etc.)

Establish stream reaches (maps, aerial photos)

ID target fish species, trends in abundance, map distribution by life stage, ID heavily impacted reaches etc.

Evaluate habitat conditions or sensitivity using existing info and aerial photos

ID areas of special concern (e.g. barriers)

Suggest preliminary rehabilitation strategies (restorative/mitigation measures)

Question 3

What do you do for a FHAP Level 1 Survey? (5)

Answer 3

Objectives: confirm or revise the nature, location, extent, and severity of forest harvest impacts on fish habitat by sampling for 8 different features and comparing them to specific values

If watershed or regional criteria for habitat conditions do not exist, run diagnostic criteria to evaluate conditions in the reach (Poor, Fair, Good FHAP rating table)

Provide sufficient information to identify and prioritize restoration projects

Identify need for Level 2 Assessment

Prepare initial budgets and schedules for restoration projects

Question 4

What are the main habitat features for a Level 1 FHAP? (8)

Answer 4

Adult holding pools
Spawning gravel and quality 
Rearing pool area and frequency 
Cover in pools and riffles
LWD frequency and distribution 
Substrate characteristics of the stream bed
Off-channel habitat 
Nutrient concentrations during the summer growing season

Question 5

What time of year should an FHAP be conducted and why? (2)

Answer 5

Summer base flow conditions, as habitat characteristics may vary with discharge and you want to see what conditions are in low flow

Much safer sampling

Question 6

What are the habitat unit types that the Level 1 FHAP divides each stream reach into? (5)

Answer 6

Pools (both scour and dammed)
Glides 
Riffles
Cascades
Other

Question 7

What are pools?

Answer 7

Areas of relatively slower, deeper water, with a concave bottom and a gradient of 0% that follow minimum dimension guidelines listed in the FHAP

Question 8

What are glides?

Answer 8

Shallow, non-turbulent, fast-flowing water with relatively flat bottoms

Question 9

What are riffles? (2)

Answer 9

Turbulent, fast-flowing water

Gravel or cobble substrates with material projecting above water surface

Question 10

What are cascades? (3)

Answer 10

Higher-gradient riffles
Strep, stepped areas of bedroom or emergent cobble and boulders
Gradient >4%

Question 11

What is considered an “other” habitat unit?

Answer 11

Wetlands complexes that lack an identifiable primary channel, sloughs, lakes, and areas of sub-surface flow, or areas where the channel cannot be observed (e.g. under a log jam)

Question 12

What are the 3 habitat unit categories?

Answer 12

In a FHAP, habitat units should be classified into 3 categories:

Primary habitat units: habitat units in the stream channel that occupy more than 50% of the wetted width

Secondary habitat units: habitat units in minor channels that are isolated from the main channel by a vegetated island (common in braided streams)

Tertiary habitat units: significant, identifiable units within the main channel that meet the minimum size criteria but occupy less than 50% of the wetted width

Question 13

Once reaches have been delineated, what characteristics do we measure for each in the Habitat Survey Data Form? (20)

Answer 13

Length (m) 
Gradient (%)
Mean Wetted Width (m)
Mean Bankfull Width (m) 
Mean Water Depth (m)
Bankfull water depth (m)
Maximum Pool Depth (m)
Riffle-Crest Depth (m)
Residual Pool Depth (m)
Pool Type
Dominant and Sub-Dominant Bed Materials
Presence of Spawning Gravels
Type of Spawning Gravels
LWD Tally
Functional LWD 
Cover Type and percentage (%) 
Off-Channel Habitat
Disturbance Indicators
Riparian Vegetation
Fish Useable Habitat Area

Question 14

Length (m)

Answer 14

Measure the length along the thalwag using surveyors tape or a laser

Question 15

Gradient (%)

Answer 15

Measure the gradient using a Clinometer or an Abney Level

Question 16

Mean Wetted Width (Ww) (m)

Answer 16

Measure the wetted width of the unit as the horizontal distance perpendicular to the channel from the waters edge on one side to the waters edge on the opposite side

Question 17

Mean Bankfull Width (Wb) (m) (3)

Answer 17

Measure as the horizontal distance perpendicular to the channel between the tops of the stream banks on opposite shades of the stream

High flow water level delineated by looking at change in sediment or lack of vegetation

Do not include vegetated islands, but if there are many, you can sum the distances between them at the end

Question 18

Mean Water Depth (m)

Answer 18

Average 3 depths taken at equal intervals across the transect perpendicular to the flow at a “representative” site within the habitat unit (at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4)

Question 19

Bankfull Water Depth (m)

Answer 19

Measure the vertical distance from a horizontal line at the height of the bankfull width to the waters surface and add to average depth calculation

Question 20

Maximum Pool Depth (m)

Answer 20

Measure the depth of the deepest point of the pool

Question 21

Riffle Crest Depth (m)

Answer 21

Measure the depth of the water at the riffle crest (where the pool outlet is)

Question 22

Residual Pool Depth (m)

Answer 22

Subtract the riffle crest depth from the maximum pool depth to get the residual pool depth (the depth of the pool when there is no flow occurring)

Question 23

Pool Type

Answer 23

Classify pool type as S = Scour, D = Dammed, or U = Unknown

Question 24

Dominant and Sub-Dominant Bed Materials

Answer 24

Estimate and record the size-classes of the substrate materials that cover the largest proportion (dominant) and second largest proportion (sub-dominant) of bed materials (e.g. F = sand, silt, clay, SC = small cobble etc.)

Question 25

Presence of Spawning Gravels

Answer 25

Classify area based on presence of suitable spawning gravels

N = no suitable gravels 
L = Little suitable gravels 
H = extensive areas of gravels

Question 26

Type of Spawning Gravels

Answer 26

Classify the spawning gravels present based on their suitability for certain fish species

R = Suitable for resident trout or char 
A = Suitable for anadromous salmon 
RA = suitable for both

Question 27

Large Woody Debris Tally

Answer 27

Tally all LWD having a diameter 10cm or larger and over a minimum of 2m length within the bankfull channel

Question 28

Functional Large Woody Debris

Answer 28

Count as functional LWD only if it influences channel morphology but causing scour or impoundment (three size classes: 10-20cm, 20-50cm, >50cm)

Question 29

Cover Type and Percentage (%) (2)

Answer 29

Structural element within 1m of surface that acts as suitable refugia
Estimated by percentage of total surface area into cover types (e.g. SWD = Small Woody Debris, B = boulders, C = undercut banks etc.)

Question 30

Off-Channel Habitat (3)

Answer 30

Document the off-channel habitat by type (e.g. SC = side channel), fish access (e.g. N = no access), and measure or estimate the length and area of the off-channel habitat unit

Question 31

Disturbance Indicators

Answer 31

Record type and length of disturbance indicators (e.g. extensive areas of scour)

Question 32

Riparian Vegetation (3)

Answer 32

Record the type (dominant vegetation type within 20m of channel)

Record the structure (structural stage of the dominant vegetation type in the riparian area)

Record the canopy closure (percent cover of canopy closure over the stream

Question 33

Fish Useable Habitat Area

Answer 33

Estimate the total usable habitat area within the habitat unit for steelhead fry and parr (width x depth)