Refinement of Fish Habitat Pre-Disturbance Models – prepared for Fisheries Sustainable Habitat Committee

In order to offset impacts of oil sands resource development on fish habitat in northeast Alberta, a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model was developed, capable of quantifying level of disturbance using a scientifically-defensible and repeatable measurement of habitat. The model was constructed in two phases: during Phase 1, pre-disturbance stream habitat data from major industry players was consolidated to create a standardized relational database; datasets included habitat observations, population data, and water quality measurements. During Phase 2, new habitat data was gathered to fill data gaps identified in Phase 1, especially for underrepresented species; refinement and validation of the models will happen in the future.

Successful development of the model allows flexible querying to be used in analysis of specific habitats, driving specific conclusions based on inputs from the user. The researchers also compiled a list of specific recommendations around next steps, including: obtaining more data from large streams to improve modelling for large-bodied fish, separating modelling of sucker fish based on size, standardization of electrofishing effort, and analyzing Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) and presence-absence data to improve the model. Conclusions and recommendations can be found on p. 122 of the Phase 2 report.