Aquatic Species at Risk - Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake Population

Figure 1: Deepwater Sculpin (Illustration credit: J. R. Tomelleri)
Figure 1: Deepwater Sculpin (Illustration credit: J. R. Tomelleri)

Parks Canada is seeking input by March 1, 2027

Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) provides legal protection for wildlife species at risk to conserve biological diversity. It also acknowledges that all Canadians have a role to play in the conservation of wildlife species. Before deciding whether Deepwater Sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii), Waterton Lake population will be added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk as Special Concern, we would like to hear your opinion, comments, and suggestions regarding the possible ecological, cultural, and economic impacts of listing or not listing this species under SARA (go to survey).

Adding a species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk

The process of listing a species under SARA consists of several steps:

  1. Status assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
  2. Public consultations to gather the opinions of Canadians
  3. Government of Canada decision on whether or not to add a species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk

Facts about Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population

The Deepwater Sculpin is a small (adults average <10 cm total length) freshwater fish found in Upper and Middle Waterton Lakes (figure 2), in southwestern Alberta. It is dark grey to brown in color, has small eyes positioned on the top of its head, a relatively large mouth and an elongated body. This fish is commonly found at depths of 50m or deeper, in cold, highly oxygenated lakes. Larval fish may be found in much shallower areas and throughout the water column. Populations of Deepwater Sculpin exist in formerly glaciated regions of Canada and the northern United States, including many cross-border lakes like Upper Waterton Lake.

Who assigned the Special Concern status to Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population?

In 2018, COSEWIC assessed Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population as Special Concern. COSEWIC is an independent committee of experts that assesses which wildlife species are in some danger of disappearing from Canada and assigns a status to these species. It conducts its assessments based on the best available information including scientific data, local ecological knowledge, and Indigenous traditional knowledge.

Under SARA, a special concern species is defined as one that may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.

Why is the Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population at risk?

This population exists within two adjoining lakes in southwestern Alberta, without direct connection to other populations of Deepwater Sculpin. The population's small size and geographic isolation increase its vulnerability to threats like climate change, decline in water quality, and habitat alteration.

If a species is listed under the Species at Risk Act?

If Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population is listed as Special Concern under SARA, existing protections and prohibitions, such as those provided by the Canada National Parks Act, continue to be in force. Immediate protection under SARA such as those that apply to species listed as Extirpated, Endangered, and Threatened do not apply to species listed as Special Concern. Instead, management plans are to be prepared and made available on the Species at Risk Public Registry within three years of a species' addition to the SARA List of Wildlife Species at Risk, allowing for public review and comment.

Management plans include appropriate conservation measures for the species and its habitat. They are prepared in cooperation with the jurisdictions responsible for the management of the species, including Indigenous organizations. Those directly affected by a management plan would also be consulted.

The map in Figure 2 depicts the Waterton Lakes. Both Upper and Middle Waterton Lakes are known to be occupied by Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population.

Figure 2: Distribution of Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population - found in Upper and more recently in Middle Waterton Lake based on gill-netting surveys (Parks Canada unpublished data)
Figure 2: Distribution of Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population - found in Upper and more recently in Middle Waterton Lake based on gill-netting surveys (Parks Canada unpublished data)

Before completing this survey, you may wish to review the following background information found at the links below:

2021 COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Deepwater Sculpin (2017)

Other Information on the species can be found on the species at risk public registry

We would like to receive your comments on the potential impacts of adding or not adding Deepwater Sculpin, Waterton Lake population to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk under SARA designated as Special Concern. Your comments are important. Please fill out the survey: we want to hear from you.

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