Aquatic Species at Risk - Pygmy Whitefish, Waterton Lake Population

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 Pygmy Whitefish (Prosopium coulterii), 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 SARA List of Wildlife Species at Risk

Facts about Pygmy Whitefish, Waterton Lake population

The Pygmy Whitefish is a small freshwater fish, with adults averaging 10 to 15 cm total length. It is typically brownish green along the back with silvery sides, a white belly and dark patches along the side and back. The preferred habitat of the Pygmy Whitefish is found in cold, highly oxygenated boreal and montane lakes, usually at depths below 30m but ranging between approximately 5m and 168m depth. Water temperatures are usually below 10 degrees C in oxygen rich water. In other areas of the species range, Pygmy Whitefish can also be found in moderate to fast-moving large rivers like the Athabasca River. Pygmy Whitefish, Waterton Lake population, are known to occur in Upper Waterton Lake and are fully isolated from other populations in Canada and the United States

Who assigned the Special Concern status to Pygmy Whitefish, Waterton Lake population?

In 2018, COSEWIC assessed Pygmy Whitefish, 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 Pygmy Whitefish, Waterton Lake population at risk?

This population exists within a single lake in southwestern Alberta, without direct connection to other populations of Pygmy Whitefish. The relatively small population 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 a Pygmy Whitefish, 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 for 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 Upper Waterton Lake, the lake known to be occupied by Pygmy Whitefish, Waterton Lake population.

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 Pygmy Whitefish (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 Pygmy Whitefish, 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.

Date modified :

2026-09-27