Fish Habitat Assessment

Name: Fish Habitat Assessment
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

Each NRTG course includes free, lifetime admission. Enrol once – come back anytime.

Description

The Fish Habitat Assessment course is an intensive two-day review of standard North American fish and fish habitat assessment and evaluation methods. In this course, participants will learn first-hand how to conduct measurements, assessments and evaluations of stream morphology, fish habitat features, substrate, pebble counts, stream impacts and habitat limiting factors.

Program Outcomes

Define, contrast, and develop objectives for a variety of fish habitat assessment programs.
Conduct detailed fish habitat assessments using standard stream habitat field measurements and procedures such as visual, transect, and habitat rating methods.
Operate a variety of fish habitat assessment field equipment and demonstrate proper maintenance procedures.
Conduct a Wolman Pebble Count and identify fish habitat disturbance indicators.
Quantify fish habitat by species and life stage as part of a comprehensive habitat assessment program.

Certification

To successfully complete the Fish Habitat Assessment course, participants must attend the full course and actively participate in all field exercises. Certification is based on demonstrated competency in the required field skills and techniques during hands-on exercises, as evaluated by the instructor.

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites.

Who attends?

Course participants typically include current fisheries field technicians and biologists, other environmental professionals requiring ‘fish and fish habitat’ training, resource workers, individuals new to the industry and graduates of other natural resource-related programs.

How do I attend?

This course is available for individual registration via our website schedule, or by contract to community groups or organizations as a private delivery. To schedule a private delivery, please contact us well in advance of your preferred start date.

What should I bring or supply?

Participants must supply:

Leak-free chest waders with non-slip soles (felt, cleated, or rubber-soled wading boots)
Field binder with waterproof paper
Appropriate field clothing
Bag lunch & refreshments

Please ensure your wading equipment is free of invasives and Whirling disease. More information is found here.

Course Formats

The FHA is now offered in two versions: 1) an in-person instructor-led program delivered over two days in a community or to an organization 2) a blended program delivered with scheduled ‘live’ online theory instruction and a subsequent instructor lead field practicum.

For more information regarding delivery options, or to arrange an EFSP delivery for your community, contact NRTG for further details.  

Frequently Asked Questions

When is this course offered?

We offer this course beginning in February in coastal regions and March in interior regions throughout North America. Please refer to our Schedule page for course timing and locations.

Where can I purchase field gear?

You can purchase chestwaders from Canadian Tire, any flyfishing shop across Canada, Cabela’s, or industry suppliers such as Dynamic Aqua Supply (Surrey, BC), IRL Supplies (Prince George, BC), Winners Edge (Lillooet, BC), Surplus Herby’s (Williams Lake, Kamloops, Vernon BC), Forestry equipment suppliers across Canada, and other outdoor equipment outfitters.

What is the best or most appropriate type of chestwaders?

First, always ensure your chestwaders do not leak! You can do this easily by holding a flashlight (or your phone) in your waders in a dark room. Beams of light coming out in small pinholes might indicate a small hole. Patch using Aqua seal or Shoe Goo.

Neoprene chestwaders are appropriate for spring, fall and winter conditions but may be too warm for summer field work. Nylon chestwaders and Gore-Tex ® or breathable chestwaders are excellent choices for most seasons, where crew members wear warm layers (e.g., fleece, polypropylene) underneath during colder field conditions.

What is the best or most appropriate footwear for fisheries field work?

Felt soles can offer stable footing in most types of stream substrates but may be poor choices when working in areas of extensive clay stream bottoms or snowy banks. Felt soles will provide poor traction on clay and snow will stick to and accumulate on felt-soled wading shoes. Wading shoes with cleats (aluminum or tungsten) will provide stable footing in a variety of substrates (gravels, cobbles, clay, large boulders) and are less likely to transfer invasive species from waterbody to waterbody.

Related Training

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Testimonials

The course was excellent. Dave was a great instructor and conveyed the material in a relatable and meaningful way.

Samuel Dodd