Standards & Guidelines for Fish & Fish Habitat

Ensuring your project meets provincial government standards will improve data quality and provide consistent information for assessment, planning and management purposes.

Fish & Fish Habitat Inventory Standards

Fish and fish habitat inventories provide information about fish distribution and the condition and capability of supporting habitats. Fish and fish habitat inventories require a number of standards to ensure that information collected meets a desired level of quality.

The Resources Information Standards Committee (RISC) is responsible for establishing standards for fish and fish habitat inventories.

Refer to the RISC Aquatic Ecosystems standards for fish sampling standards, fish habitat sampling standards and associated field forms and waterbodies and location information standards.

Technical notes:

• Rules for Mainstem Designation (PDF)
• Handling Provincial/Federal Borders (PDF)
• Large Channel Morphology (PDF)
• Abney Level (PDF)
• Water Sampling: The Metals Package (PDF)

Provincial Guidelines and Best Management Practices (BMPs):

• Provincial and region specific guidelines and BMPs
• Channel Assessment Procedures Guidebook
• Riparian Management Area Guidebook
• Fish Stream Identification Guidebook (PDF) (for guidance on identifying fish bearing streams )
• Regional Timing Windows