Kootenay Lake, Creston Valley WMA (CVWMA)

Survey Citation:
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area. 2023. Unpublished datta.

• Type
  shore
• Time period
  1982, 2 June 2022
• Source
  Database
• Both Western and Clarks?
  N

Count Type	Range	Max	Year
Max Adults	1 to 100	73	2011
Most Recent Adults	1 to 100	13	2022
Max Nests	1 to 100	4	1982
Most Recent Nests	0	0	2022
Max Chicks	1 to 100	1	2012, 2015
Most Recent Chicks	0	0	2020

Comments:

Database forwarded from Marc-Andre Beaucher, Head of Conservation Programs, Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA) includes Western grebe survey data from 1968 to 2022 of Duck Lake, Kootenay Lake, Leach Lake and CVWMA in general. Surveys from 1968 through 2003 are limited in survey data and are once or twice during the breeding season. Surveys from 2004 through 2022 have more details and are more frequent throughout the breeding season, ranging from once to weekly or almost regularly depending on the year. Some surveys extended beyond the breeding range so restricted scope for this inventory to mid-May through August data. Survey comments often stated that nests and chicks were not mentioned unless there were count numbers for those. If surveys were conducted mid to late breeding season, I assumed nests and chicks were surveyed for but not found if those columns were zero. Conversely, zero for an adult count number at a lake did not necessarily signify zero adults were found. Refer to time surveyed per lake in a given year to see if that lake was surveyed at all, or in the survey dates of that year. Maximum count numbers for that breeding season for that lake was used for this summary. In 2004, though chick count was zero, some could be mixed in with the adult count but that is uncertain. Also, the one chick in 2012 was on Kootenay River as part of Kootenay Lake's entry.

Survey Citation:
Burger, A. E. 1997. Status of the Western Grebe in British Columbia. Wildlife Working Report WR-87, Wildlife Branch, Ministry of the Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

• Type
  shore; boat; air
• Time period
  1982
• Source
  Report
• Both Western and Clarks?
  N

Count Type	Range	Max	Year
Max Adults	1 to 100	8	1982
Most Recent Adults	1 to 100	8	1982
Max Nests	1 to 100	4	1982
Most Recent Nests	1 to 100	4	1982
Max Chicks	N/A	N/A	N/A
Most Recent Chicks	N/A	N/A	N/A

Comments:

There was rare breeding on this lake with 4 nests in 1982 (Forbes 1984 - confirmed and did not reenter this original source) and none recorded in other years. Doubled nest number for adult breeders. Kootenay Lake has 1% of the grebes of the CVWMA complex. Considered the most protected nesting sites in B.C. due to the Creston Valley Wildlife Act. Western grebe research was high priority for the CVWMA but the federal government withdrew funding and no work continued on the grebes since 1990. Infestation of milfoil weed limits open water for foraging. The cause(s) of low breeding success of grebes remains unknown. The 4 nests of 1982 also stated and sourced to Forbes (1984) in Table 10 of Campbell, R. W., Dawe, N. K., McTaggart-Cowan, I., Cooper, J., Kaiser, G. W., McNall, M., & Campbell, R. W. C. W. S. (1992). Nonpasserines : Introduction, loons through waterfowl. UBC Press.