Buck Falls - Appendix
Buck falls are located just downstream of the Buck Flats Road bridge on the Buck Creek mainstem - mapped in the freshwater atlas as 46.7km upstream of its confluence with the Bulkley River. The falls have not yet been documented in the FISS database (MoE 2024b) but have been previously noted in A. Gottesfeld and Rabnett (2007), the World Waterfall Database (“Buck Falls, British Columbia, Canada - World Waterfall Database” n.d.), and on the Houston Hikers website (“Buck Falls | Adventures” n.d.). Although rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, kokannee and other non-salmonid resident species have been documented upstream of the falls in the FISS database - no salmon species have been documented upstream (MoE 2024a). However, A. Gottesfeld and Rabnett (2007) report Neelhdzii Teezdlii Ceek as a historic Wet’suwet’en traditional fisheries location, located approximately 24km upstream (by stream length) of Buck Falls at the outlet of Goosly Lake. Species noted as captured upstream of the falls at Neelhdzii Teezdlii Ceek include coho salmon and chinook salmon. An assessment of the falls was conducted on September 19, 2024.
The falls consist of a series of four distinct vertical and cascade sections distributed over approximately 200m of stream. Starting at the downstream end, the lowest feature is a cascade with a ~2m high drop and a ~30% gradient extending over 5m (Figure 5.1). Approximately 25m upstream, the next step comprises a ~1.5m vertical drop with an overlying cascade, exhibiting a ~15% gradient over 1.0m (Figure 5.2). About 75m further upstream, the third falls is a ~3.5m high sheer drop to bedrock with minimal pool depth to facilitate fish passage (Figure 5.3). The uppermost feature, located approximately 25m upstream, is a ~4m high vertical drop that presents a substantial barrier to fish passage (Figure 5.4).
Although the size of the documented drops indicate that it is highly unlikely that any species or life stage of salmon can easily ascend the sequence of drops associated with Buck Falls, documentation of Neelhdzii Teezdlii Ceek as a historic Wet’suwet’en traditional fisheries location upstream of Buck Falls suggests that the falls were passed by salmon in the past and may again ascend in the future (personal communications - Kenny Rabnett - local fisheries biologist and legend).
my_site = "buck_falls"
my_photo1 = fpr::fpr_photo_pull_by_str(str_to_pull = '_falls4')
my_caption1 = paste0("Buck Falls – The downstream most feature is a ~2m high drop with a ~30% gradient extending over a 5 m length. A 2m tall net is included for scale.")
Figure 5.1: Buck Falls – The downstream most feature is a ~2m high drop with a ~30% gradient extending over a 5 m length. A 2m tall net is included for scale.
my_photo2 = fpr::fpr_photo_pull_by_str(str_to_pull = '_falls3')
my_caption2 = paste0("Buck Falls – The second step consisted of a ~1.5 m vertical drop with an overlying cascade, exhibiting a ~15% gradient over a 1.0m height.")
Figure 5.2: Buck Falls – The second step consisted of a ~1.5 m vertical drop with an overlying cascade, exhibiting a ~15% gradient over a 1.0m height.
my_caption <- paste0('Left: ', my_caption1, ' Right: ', my_caption2)
knitr::include_graphics(my_photo1)
knitr::include_graphics("fig/pixel.png")
knitr::include_graphics(my_photo2)my_photo1 = fpr::fpr_photo_pull_by_str(str_to_pull = '_falls2')
my_caption1 = paste0("Buck Falls – The third falls consisted of a ~3.5m high sheer drop to bedrock.")
Figure 5.3: Buck Falls – The third falls consisted of a ~3.5m high sheer drop to bedrock.
my_photo2 = fpr::fpr_photo_pull_by_str(str_to_pull = '_falls1')
my_caption2 = paste0("Buck Falls – The upper falls featured a ~4m high vertical drop. A 2m tall net is included for scale.")
Figure 5.4: Buck Falls – The upper falls featured a ~4m high vertical drop. A 2m tall net is included for scale.
my_caption <- paste0('Left: ', my_caption1, ' Right: ', my_caption2)
knitr::include_graphics(my_photo1)
knitr::include_graphics("fig/pixel.png")
knitr::include_graphics(my_photo2)