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Warning Signs posted at all lakes
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Much of our work is to ensure the populations of stickleback species pairs remain healthy and vibrant.
One of the greatest threats to stickleback species pairs is the introduction of foreign plant or animal life. In Hadley Lake on Lasqueti Island, the sticklebacks were driven to extinction by the introduction of brown bullhead catfish. In Enos lake on Vancouver island the two species have collapsed into one hybrid swarm. It is thought this was caused by introduced signal crawfish chewing up the lake vegetation and turning the lake waters cloudy - preventing the stickleback species pairs from seeing the visual colour cues needed for mating. It is felt many other foreign species such as european milfoil would likely also drive the species pairs to extinction or species collapse if they were ever introduced to these lakes.
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Correcting high risk road crossing
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Just as signal crawfish probably collapsed the species pair in Enos lake by increasing lake turbidity, it is thought anything else which increases the cloudiness of the lake water is also a threat to stickleback species pairs.
A washout during stickleback breading season could cause a significant hybridization event. Risk analyses have been done. High risk areas within local control have been corrected. Such as the high risk road crossing culvert being repaired here. Texada Quarrying has installed settling ponds upstream.
Core Recovery Strategy and Critical Habitat:
Final Recovery Strategy for Paxton Lake, Enos Lake, and Vananda Creek Stickleback Species Pairs (Gasterosteus spp.) in Canada
(pdf 0.7MB)
Identification of Critical Habitat for Sympatric Stickleback Species Pairs and the Misty Lake Parapatric Stickleback Species Pair
(pdf 1.5MB)
"Critical Habitat Survey for Threespine Stickleback Species Pairs: Aquatic Vegetation Mapping in Priest and Paxton Lakes, Texada Island, BC"
(pdf 5.3MB)
Acroloxus Wetlands Consultancy on behalf of the Texada Stickleback Group
Stickleback Recovery Planning site of Michael Jackson for Acroloxus Wetlands Consultancy - Texada Stickleback Groups Director and one of our main ecological consultants.
Research paper on the signal crawfish in Enos Lake and implications for hybridization of limnetic and benthic stickleback species pairs
An older, but still fairly good Pamphlet from British Columbia Ministry of Environment on sticklebacks and the risks to them.
2004 article in the Mondaq News - Canadian Species At Risk Act (SARA) coming into effect.
Researchers are governed by strict guidelines on collection and use of endangered stickleback species pairs
see: Guidelines for the Collection and In Situ Scientific Study of Stickleback Species Pairs (pdf).
Please do not bring LIVE BAIT onto Texada Island
Please wash all boats and fishing gear
Remove FOREIGN PLANTS and ANIMALS
before entering Priest Lake watershed or Paxton Lake
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