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Coastal Restoration Fund: Projects in British Columbia

Tom Berry gravel pit: Restoration and recovery for Fraser River chinook and Pacific salmon off-channel habitat

Recipient: Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition

Project achievements: The project team completed the construction of a permanent outlet channel from the Tom Berry pit to Bristol Slough. This channel restores:

The completed spillway has now increased the available water baseline levels for overwintering habitat by 54% for juvenile salmon.

In collaboration with partners, the project removed a 2,886 m2 area of targeted invasive species (Sweet white clover and Canada thistle) at key locations of the restoration area.

A total of 1,853 native trees and shrubs were planted encompassing a total restoration of 2,130 m2.

Fund allocation: $776,524 over 4 years

Partners:

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Cowichan/Koksilah watershed to sea - Protecting and restoring Canada's wild river heritage as an integral link to the Salish Sea

Recipient: Cowichan Tribes

Project achievements: Restoration team work improved:

These improvements support chinook productivity, extending these benefits to southern resident killer whales, First Nations' fisheries, the Georgia Strait ecosystem, and the Cowichan/Koksilah coastal watersheds.

In collaboration with partners, the project restored over 500,000 m2 of estuary habitat, over which 9,600 m2 was restored by the planting of eelgrass shoots within the region.

Fund allocation: $2,677,742 over 5 years

Partners:

Cowichan estuary survey crew collecting baseline information at the planned breach site for fish presence and utilization.

Cowichan estuary survey crew collecting baseline information at the planned breach site for fish presence and utilization.

Map of planned breach to improve connectivity between Koksilah and Cowichan River estuaries.

Map of planned breach to improve connectivity between Koksilah and Cowichan River estuaries.

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Restoring estuary connectivity on the delta of the Fraser River estuary

Recipient: Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Project achievements: The project team improved Fraser estuary habitat connectivity through the Steveston Jetty. To do so, they build 3, 50-meter-wide, linear breaches (where previously there were impassable barriers due to historically constructed flow control structures). These breaches directly benefit juvenile chinook and other Pacific salmon species (from populations originating throughout the Fraser Watershed), which rely on the estuary habitat.

Fund allocation: $2,658,217 over 5 years

Partners:

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes a significant coastal restoration fund investment in Fraser River Estuary in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Restoration of estuary and intertidal areas within Barkley Sound and Kyuquot Sound/Checleset Bay on the West Coast of Vancouver Island

Recipient: Maa-nulth Treaty Society

Project achievements: The project team restored a causeway isolating the southern portion of the Sarita River estuary in Treaty Settlement Lands of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, west coast Vancouver Island. This enhanced salmon and tidal water access across the causeway. The restoration of this priority estuary has mitigated stressors from forest harvesting and road building activities. It has also led to increased abundances of Chinook and Chum Salmon populations using the new channel habitat.

Fund allocation: $1,350,000 over 5 years

Partners:

Two construction vehicles breaching the Sarita River causeway to improve estuarine connectivity in Sarita River estuary.

Two construction vehicles breaching the Sarita River causeway to improve estuarine connectivity in Sarita River estuary.

The breach in the Sarita River causeway.

The breach in the Sarita River causeway.

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Surf Inlet Watershed and Dam Salmon Restoration Feasibility Project

Recipient: Gitga'at First Nation

Project achievements: The project team completed a feasibility study that allowed the team to understand the:

Recommendations were made on the best approach to implement restoration of habitat procedures that will allow improved fish passage by the impeded Surf Inlet Dam.

Fund allocation: $90,000 over 1 year

Partners: N/A

Media Announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Lower Skeena and estuary sockeye, chum and chinook habitat reconnaissance, restoration and rehabilitation

Recipient: North Coast Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society (NCSFNSS)

Project achievements: Several restoration projects were identified through extensive literature review and engagement with:

Preliminary fisheries and environmental monitoring was completed to collect baseline data for each project.

The Clear Creek Eastern Side Channel Revitalization project, a region hosting an important spawning stream for Coho, Chinook, Sockeye and Steelhead species, created nearly 12,000m2 of spawning and rearing fish habitat.

The increased productivity resulting from restored salmonid habitats provides benefits to the coastal environment in the form of increased prey availability for predators of all salmon life stages.

Fund allocation: $875,000 over 5 years

Partners:

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Salish Sea nearshore habitat recovery project

Recipient: SeaChange Marine Conservation Society

Project achievements: The project restored native eelgrass and riparian habitats within estuaries and bays that have previously been affected by activities, such as:

Recovering the health of these ecosystems has increased the resilience of nearshore intertidal and subtidal habitats for:

Fund allocation: $1,309,333 over 5 years

Partners:

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Squamish estuary salmon habitat recovery project

Recipient: Squamish River Watershed Society

Project achievements: The project team improved estuarine processes and access for juvenile chinook and other Pacific salmon species to the Squamish River estuary.

Fish passage structures were removed or established at several locations on the estuary floodplain.

Baseline data was collected along the length of the Central Estuary, which provides crucial information on:

1,800 trees and shrubs were planted within the region as a result of educational programming and volunteer support.

Fund allocation: $1,736,749 over 5 years

Partners:

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes a significant Coastal Restoration Fund investment in the Squamish River Estuary through the Oceans Protection Plan


Salish Sea North - East Coast Vancouver Island salmon highway (nearshore habitat) mapping and restoration

Recipient: Comox Valley Project Watershed Society

Project achievements: The project team increased habitat connectivity for salmonid species along 86 km of eastern Vancouver Island shoreline from Oyster River estuary to Nile Creek estuary.

Total subtidal eelgrass transplantation of 2,479.3 m2 was successful within the region despite climate challenges presented over the course of the project.

In collaboration with partners, the production of the Coastal Restoration Plan is an invaluable document and tool to guide the Comox Valley Project Watershed Society's coastal restoration efforts throughout the northern Salish Sea.

Fund allocation: $689,000 over 5 years

Partners:

Construction of a salt marsh bench at Royston Wrecks, Royston BC. The site will be planted in year 2.

Construction of a salt marsh bench at Royston Wrecks, Royston BC. The site will be planted in year 2.

Bill Heath, Project Watershed, conducting a benthic survey to collect baseline information prior to the project.

Bill Heath, Project Watershed, conducting a benthic survey to collect baseline information prior to the project.

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Orca sustenance: Thompson River chinook project 2017-2020

Recipient: British Columbia Conservation Foundation

Project achievements: The Chinook Habitat Restoration project team restored approximately 14,347 m2 habitat used by Chinook at 9 key locations within the Thompson River Watershed:

  1. Salmon River
  2. Upper Nicola River
  3. Lower Nicola River
  4. Louis Creek Stream Bank
  5. Louis Creek Off Channel Habitat
  6. Quinville Creek
  7. Guichon Creek, Phase I
  8. Guichon Creed, Phase II
  9. Little Shuswap Lake

The improvements and recovery made to these key habitat features now:

Fund allocation: $1,733,746 over 3 years

Partners:

Media announcement:

Government of Canada makes significant Coastal Restoration Fund investments in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


Pacific salmon explorer

Recipient: Pacific Salmon Foundation

Project achievements: The project team:

With the addition of 155 salmon conservation units in the Fraser-Thompson and South Coast-Vancouver Island regions to the tool, the Pacific Salmon Explorer now presents standardized assessments of biological and habitat status for 343 out of the 415 conservation units in the Pacific Region.

Salmon datasets that have been historically unavailable or difficult to access are now stored in a centralized format and location available freely for download to the general public.

Fund allocation: $1,200,000 over 3 years

Partners:

Map of the regions the Pacific Salmon Explorer will include.

Map of the regions the Pacific Salmon Explorer will include.

An example of the information that will be available to view on the Pacific Salmon Explorer.

An example of the information that will be available to view on the Pacific Salmon Explorer.

Media Announcement:

New funding supports technical innovation to restore salmon-bearing watersheds in British Columbia


Estuary Restoration in the Fraser River Delta and Connected Wetlands

Recipient: Ducks Unlimited Canada

Project achievements: The project team provided substantial benefits to aquatic ecosystems in the region. By re-connecting previously alienated habitat, through the construction of 3 Woodward breaches, the amount of accessible brackish marsh habitat available has increased. This benefits fish and other aquatic organisms extending from the Fraser River Main Arm into Woodward Marsh.

Natural physical processes, such as circulation, salinity gradients, and nutrient and estuary sedimentation processes, have been restored. This ensures these habitats are more resilient and robust to sea level rise. Through these increased fish accesses and food-web benefits, the project contributed to the recovery efforts of the northeast Pacific southern resident killer whale population, for which Chinook and Chum salmon are key prey species.

Fund allocation: $2,039,912 over 4 years

Partners:

Fyke net sampling in tidal channels in the Fraser River south arm marshes. (M. Manson photo)

Fyke net sampling in tidal channels in the Fraser River south arm marshes. (M. Manson photo)

Existing training jetty limiting juvenile salmon movement in the Fraser River South arm. (M. Manson photo)

Existing training jetty limiting juvenile salmon movement in the Fraser River South arm. (M. Manson photo)

Media Announcement:

Government of Canada makes a Significant Coastal Restoration Fund Investment in British Columbia through the Oceans Protection Plan


San Juan and Gordon River – Estuary and Coastal Area Restoration

Recipient: Pacheedaht First Nation

Project achievements: The project team focused on improving critical estuarine habitats through the:

In total, 6,396 m of coastline was assessed for its suitability as forage fish spawning habitat, for either surf smelt or Pacific sand lance.

By its completion, the project restored 2,908 m2 of aquatic habitat and improve early marine rearing for:

The restoration of ecological function of the estuary:

Fund allocation: $1,670,000 over 4 years

Partners:

Media Announcement:

Government of Canada works with Pacheedaht First Nation to restore wild salmon habitat


Musqueam Fisheries Habitat Restoration 2020

Recipient: Musqueam Indian Band

Project goal: Musqueam Indian Band aims to build its capacity to be key partners and leaders in aquatic and foreshore fisheries habitat restoration within the Musqueam territory of the Lower Fraser River and parts of the Salish Sea.

The aim of this project is to:

Time frame: 4 years

Fund allocation: $1,200,000

Partners: N/A

Media Announcement: N/A


Lower Fraser River Wetland Conservation and Restoration Plan

Recipient: Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance

Project achievements: Together with conservation organizations, multiple First Nation partners, researchers and mapping specialists at the Pacific Salmon Foundation, Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance biologists developed an interactive story map designed to introduce and educate the general public about:

The story map provides a visual and interactive public communications tool for the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance First-Nations-led restoration strategy.

Fund allocation: $800,427 over 3 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Restoring marine habitat around log handling facilities in Haida Gwaii

Recipient: Secretariat of the Haida Nation

Project achievements: The project team developed community-based restoration strategies for sensitive marine areas impacted by historic forestry practices. The project team:

Assessments of the region assisted in the restoration of marine aquatic habitats previously impacted at historic log handling facilities.

The creation of productive habitat and resulting enhanced biodiversity values has allowed for the recovery of traditional use of the region.

Fund allocation: $1,162,263 over 3 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Nimpkish Watershed Lower River and Estuary Restoration Project

Recipient: 'Namgis First Nation

Project achievements: The project team assessed the Lower Nimpkish River and Estuary for existing chum spawning and rearing habitat. They developed a restoration plan and improved the habitat quality through restorative actions in the region.

The site assessments used LiDAR imagery collected over the 36 km2 region at the mouth of the Nimpkish River to establish baseline data for restoration work planning.

Namgis First Nations members participated throughout the project in the assessment, monitoring and rehabilitation methodologies, providing their knowledge and input towards all restoration planning processes.

Fund allocation: $482,505 over 3 years

Partners: N/A

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Heart of the Fraser: collaborative partnership to restore Chinook and Chum Salmon habitat in the Harrison-Chehalis and Nicomen Slough river systems

Recipient: Fraser Valley Watershed Coalition

Project achievements: The project team provided actionable measures to restore, conserve and manage salmon habitat in the Heart of the Fraser (located in and around the Harrison River and its confluence with the Fraser River). This is a highly productive area for important Pacific salmon stocks, such as Harrison River Chinook. This work has strong ties to the Recovery Strategy for Resident Killer Whales as it relates to prey availability.

Together with First Nations partners, the restoration project:

Fund allocation: $1,283,983 over 3 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Nootka Sound Chinook Salmon River Habitat Riparian Project

Recipient: Nootka Sound Watershed Society

Project achievements: The project accelerated the recovery of riparian forest on 6 Chinook salmon streams in:

  1. Nootka Sound
  2. Sucwoa River
  3. Tahsis River
  4. Leiner/Perry River
  5. Little Zeballos River
  6. Chum Creek

Together with partners, the rebuilding of the West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook salmon populations in the Nootka-Kyuquot Conservation Unit accelerated the succession of riparian forest and ecosystem functions.

About 138.62 ha of habitat treatment and restoration was achieved throughout the project.

Fund allocation: $904,009 over 3 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Collaborative salmon and salmon habitat restoration and research in the Nicola Watershed

Recipient: Fraser Basin Council Society

Project achievements: The project team:

The riparian planting of the Nicola River occurred along a 235 m length of the water, planting:

Fund allocation: $376,307 over 3 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Thompson Basin fish habitat restoration through collaboration and shared vision

Recipient: Shuswap Nation Tribal Council

Project achievements: The project team focused on a multi-species and ecosystems-based approach to protecting and restoring critical habitats for several salmonid species at risk in the Thompson Basin.

The flow monitoring program initiated during the project directly contributed to crucial in-season flow and temperature data to the Thompson-Okanagan drought response process.

The Sensitive Habitat Inventor and Mapping results are one of the tools now available for the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of water issues to prioritize future projects.

The project has successfully restored 3,785 m of creek corridor on Maiden Creek starting from the Allen Creek diversion, progressing downstream through the tributary into the Bonaparte Watershed.

Fund allocation: $428,282 over 3 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Restoring the Nanaimo River Estuary

Recipient: The Nature Trust of British Columbia

Project achievements: In partnership with the Snuneymuxw First Nation, the project team restored coastal estuarine processes and improved the connectivity of estuarine fish habitat in the Nanaimo River Estuary. The project:

In total, 2,848 m of old berm (length) was removed from the Nanaimo Estuary and the project successfully restored approximately 26,750 m2 of aquatic habitat.

Fund allocation: $484,519 over 3 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Bessette Creek restoration and streamflow monitoring

Recipient: Okanagan Nation Alliance

Project achievements: During the length of the project, the team installed 2 real-time hydrometric stations at the lower Harris Creek and at Nicklen Creek.

Restoration efforts in the region increased the long-term stability of the watershed through bioengineering techniques and planting/seeding. This increased instream habitat and promoted sedimentation and vegetation growth.

The project team also addressed sedimentation issues by working with Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program and engaged with landowners in order to conduct the large-scale bank stabilization and instream restoration in the Bessette Creek watershed.

Fund allocation: $109,812 over 2 years

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Restoring the Quatse (Gwa'dzi) River Estuary

Recipient: Kwakiutl First Nation and The Nature Trust of British Columbia

Project achievements: In partnership with Kwakiutl First Nation, the project team focused on the rehabilitation and restoration of intertidal marsh within the estuaries of the Quatse and Quatsese Rivers. This provided new fish habitat and improved tidal and riverine connectivity.

The combined restoration efforts throughout the length of the project resulted in the:

Fund allocation: $192,400 over 1 year

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan


Clayoquot Sound Chinook Salmon Recovery Initiative

Recipient: Central Westcoast Forest Society

Project achievements: Together with regional partners, the project team:

The restoration of these Chum habitats, and the revitalizing of Chum populations as a result of these achievements, directly benefits Resident Killer Whale populations and estuarine and freshwater ecosystems.

Fund allocation: $336,700 over 1 year

Partners:

Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan

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