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 goal: The aim of this project is to restore the 14.5 hectare Tom Berry gravel pit, a large intact off-channel habitat immediately adjacent to the Fraser River. This will return its function as fish habitat for juvenile chinook, coho, and sockeye salmon and restore its capacity to support a floodplain ecosystem in form and function.
Time frame: 4 years
Fund allocation: $776,524
Partners:
- Sto:lo First Nation
- Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
- Fraser Valley Regional District
- Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition
Media announcement:
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 goal: The aim of this project is to
- mitigate stress on river environments linked to estuary changes
- improve connectivity and natural processes in the Cowichan/Koksilah estuary, a critical rearing habitat for salmonids, invertebrates, birds and other fish species
Restoration work will improve key habitats that have the potential to support chinook productivity thus extending benefit to southern resident killer whales, First Nations' fisheries, the Georgia Strait ecosystem and the Cowichan/Koksilah coastal watersheds.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $2,677,742
Partners:
- BC Conservation Foundation
- Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association
- Cowichan Community Land Trust
- Cowichan Valley Naturalists
- Cowichan Valley Regional District
- Cowichan Watershed Board
- Ducks Unlimited Canada
- Integrated Flood Management Plan partners
- Pacific Industrial Marine
- Precision Identification
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
- SeaChange
- Simon Fraser University
- The Nature Trust of BC West Coast Conservation Land Management Program
- University of Victoria
- Western Forest Products
- Western Stevedoring
- Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
- RBC Blue Water
- Cowichan Valley Regional District
- Mountain Equipment Coop
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
- Sidney Anglers Association
- British Columbia Conservation Foundation Living Rivers
- Canada Student Works
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
- Ministry of Environment (BC Parks)
- Ducks Unlimited Canada

Cowichan estuary survey crew collecting baseline information at the planned breach site for fish presence and utilization.
Media announcement:
Minister Wilkinson meets with Cowichan Tribes to discuss habitat improvements
Restoring estuary connectivity on the delta of the Fraser River estuary
Recipient: Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Project goal: The aim of this project is to improve habitat connectivity and natural processes on the banks of the Fraser estuary. This will be achieved by addressing historically constructed flow control structures that present physical barriers to estuarine processes and limit juvenile fish migration.
These activities will directly benefit juvenile chinook and other Pacific salmon species, as well as many other species which rely on the estuary. Better access throughout the Fraser estuary will potentially improve early marine survival for Pacific salmon.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $2,658,217
Partners:
- Ducks Unlimited
Media announcement:
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 goal: The aim of this project is to restore priority estuaries to improve productivity of chinook and chum salmon populations in the Barkley Sound, Kyuquot Sound / Checleset Bay on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Activities will work to mitigate stressors from forest harvesting and road building activities.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $1,350,000
Partners:
- Huu-ay-aht First Nations
- Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k'tles7et'h' First Nations
- Uchuklesaht Tribe
- Toquaht Nation
- Yuułuʔiłʔath
Two construction vehicles breaching the Sarita River causeway to improve estuarine connectivity in Sarita River estuary.
Media announcement:
Surf Inlet Watershed and Dam Salmon Restoration Feasibility Project
Recipient: Gitga'at First Nation
Project goal: The aim of this project is to
- complete a feasibility study to understand the background of the dam and salmon resources
- recommend the best approach to implementing restoration of habitat and improve fish passage impeded by the Surf Inlet dam
The Cougar Lake - Surf Inlet Dam was named as one of the top 12 dams to be decommissioned or modified to restore rivers and access for fish in British Columbia by the River Recovery Initiative in 2001.
Time frame: 1 year
Fund allocation: $100,000
Partners: N/A
Media Announcement:
Lower Skeena and estuary sockeye, chum and chinook habitat reconnaissance, restoration and rehabilitation
Recipient: North Coast Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society
Project goal: The aim of this project is to identify, prioritize, design and implement several sockeye, chum or chinook salmon habitat restoration projects. These projects will be designed to
- mitigate the impacts of human activities
- restore or improve lost or degraded habitat
- increase habitat capacity to support the salmon life cycle
Increased productivity resulting from restored salmonid habitat will provide benefits to the coastal environment in the form of increased prey availability for predators of all salmon life-stages.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $875,000
Partners:
- Tsimshian Environmental Stewardship Authority
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
Media announcement:
Salish Sea nearshore habitat recovery project
Recipient: SeaChange Marine Conservation Society
Project goal: The goal of this project is to recover ecosystem health and increase resilience of nearshore intertidal and subtidal habitats for all species of salmon and the fish upon which they rely.
The focus will be native eelgrass and riparian habitats in estuaries and bays where salmon are most affected by anthropogenic activities, such as
- nearshore development
- non-point pollution
- climate change
Species of special concern are chinook, coho, and steelhead, which have experienced a tenfold decline in survival during the marine phase of their lifecycle in nearshore marine habitats.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $1,309,333
Partners:
- Gulf Islands (community members and Regional Technical committee members)
- Burrard Inlet (community members and Regional Technical committee members)
- Sechelt (community members and Regional Technical committee members)
- Howe Sound (community members and Regional Technical committee members)
Media announcement:
Squamish estuary salmon habitat recovery project
Recipient: Squamish River Watershed Society
Project goal: The aim of this project is to improve estuarine processes and access for juvenile chinook and other Pacific salmon species to the Squamish River estuary. Improvements to existing passage structures will be constructed at several locations on the estuary floodplain. The project will also examine and potentially implement a re-alignment of the existing training dyke.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $1,626,973
Partners:
- Squamish First Nation
- Habitat Conservation Trust Fund
- BC Hydro Fish Wildlife Compensation Program
- Squamish Terminals Ltd.
- Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations
- District of Squamish
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
- Pacific Salmon Commission
Media announcement:
Salish Sea North - East Coast Vancouver Island salmon highway (nearshore habitat) mapping and restoration
Recipient: Comox Valley Project Watershed Society
Project goal: The goal of this project is to increase habitat connectivity for salmonid species along 86 km of eastern Vancouver Island shoreline. It is estimated that this will result in key habitat restoration over approximately 4,500m2 which will increase habitat connectivity for juvenile salmonids in Area 14 from Oyster River estuary to Nile Creek estuary.
Time frame: 5 years
Fund allocation: $689,000
Partners:
- K'omoks First Nations
- Nile Creek Enhancement Society
- Hornby Island Diving
- Simon Fraser University

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.
Media announcement:
Orca sustenance: Thompson River chinook project 2017-2020
Recipient: British Columbia Conservation Foundation
Project goal: The project objective is to improve habitat for critical life stages of Southern and Northern Thompson chinook salmon which have been identified as an important food source for coastal resident killer whale populations. Habitat restoration projects will be implemented at 9 key locations on the Thompson River to improve migratory corridors and spawning and rearing habitat for chinook salmon. It is estimated this will result in approximately 18,035 m2 of restored habitat.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $1,733,746
Partners:
- First Nations: Secwepempc Fisheries Commission
- Simpcw (North Thompson Indian Band)
- Lower Nicola Indian Band
- Douglas Lake Ranch
- Wallis Environmental Aquatics
- Land Owner – Jenny Garthwaite
- Shawnessy Enterprises Ltd.
- Land Owner – Rey Creek Ranch
Media announcement:
Pacific salmon explorer
Recipient: Pacific Salmon Foundation
Project goal: This project will compile the information needed to assess the status of salmon populations and evaluate pressures on their spawning, rearing, and migratory habitats, helping to inform future restoration projects.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $1,200,000
Partners:
- Gitxaala Nation
- HaislaKitasoo/Xais'Xai Nation
- Heiltsuk Nation
- Nuxalk Nation
- Wuikinuxv Nation
- Great Bear Initiative Society
- Habitat Stewardship Program, Government of Canada
- Willow Grove Foundation
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
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 goal: This project will benefit aquatic ecosystems in several ways. By re-connecting previously alienated habitat through dike breaches and improvements to water control structures, the amount of accessible brackish marsh habitat currently available for fish and other aquatic organisms will increase. Natural physical processes such as circulation, salinity gradients, and nutrient and estuary sedimentation processes will be restored, ensuring that these habitats are more resilient and robust to sea level rise. Removing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation will improve the overall habitat quality of estuaries and salt marshes by supporting the food-web for aquatic species. Through increased fish access and food-web benefits, the project will support efforts to recover northeast Pacific southern resident killer whale population, for which Chinook and Chum salmon are key prey species.
Time frame: 4 years
Fund allocation: $2,039,912
Partners:
- Province of British Columbia –Spartina Funding

Existing training jetty limiting juvenile salmon movement in the Fraser River South arm. (M. Manson photo)
Media Announcement:
San Juan and Gordon River – Estuary and Coastal Area Restoration
Recipient: Pacheedaht First Nation
Project goal: The San Juan and Gordon River Estuary and Coastal Area Restoration project has three main components for improving critical estuarine habitats through re-connection of prioritized tidal channels, and the restoration of estuarine vegetation and forage fish habitat. These critical habitat improvements will effectively stabilize and enhance estuarine function improving early marine rearing for chinook, chum, coho and pink salmon. By restoring ecological function of the estuary, the food chain linkages of increased forage fish (i.e. sand lance) availability to chinook will further enhance the accessibility of Chinook salmon to the Southern Resident Killer Whales in their adjacent coastal foraging habitat.
Time frame: 4 years
Fund allocation: $1,670,000
Partners:
- BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change
- TimberWest
- Fishing Derby
- BC Timber Sales
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:
- improve habitat conditions for Chinook salmon and other key marine species at two sites on the Fraser River estuary and Salish Sea within Musqueam territory
- build capacity and expertise at Musqueam in project management and implementation of projects related to fisheries habitat restoration, planning, and collaborative decision-making
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 goal: This project represents a partnership between First Nations, conservation organizations and researchers leading conservation activities in the Lower Fraser River. It is the intention of this project to formalize these relationships and create a more strategic and holistic restoration plan that directly engages First Nations communities; informs the public, industry and developers; and will lead to opportunities for funding of specific restoration projects. A deliverable of this project is a report entitled The Lower Fraser Regional Strategic Fish Habitat Restoration Plan.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $800,427
Partners:
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
- Community Mapping Network
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 goal: The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a community-based restoration strategy for sensitive marine areas at priority sites that have been impacted by historic forestry practices. These sites include log dumps, log sorts, booming grounds, log storage areas, historic log disposal areas and barge loading grounds, which are located at estuaries, eelgrass meadows, nearshore salmon rearing habitat and coastal watersheds. This project will restore marine aquatic habitats impacted at historic log handling facilities to create productive habitat, enhance biodiversity values and recover traditional use values. It will also create a blueprint for future restoration work by identifying priority sites, establishing appropriate restoration techniques and developing training resources.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $1,162,263
Partners:
- BC Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
- Gwaii Haanas
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 goal: The goal of this project is to assess the Lower Nimpkish River and Estuary for existing chum spawning and rearing habitat, develop a restoration plan and improve the habitat quality through restorative actions. A secondary goal is to have ‘Namgis members participate in the assessment, monitoring and rehabilitation methodologies, providing opportunities for greater skill development.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $482,505
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 goal: This project provides 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, with strong ties to the Recovery Strategy for Resident Killer Whales as it relates to prey availability. This project works in partnership with three First Nations and other partners and directly links to CRF priorities to; contribute to strategic planning for restoration priorities; rehabilitate aquatic habitats; contribute to long-term sustainability; Build local capacity and understanding; restore a key habitat supporting important Pacific salmon stocks in the Fraser River estuary and major tributary to the lower Fraser River (i.e. Harrison River). This project will restore historic slough systems within the Harrison River, Nicomen Slough and the Fraser River. Restoration efforts will consider ecological processes including natural succession, plant communities, and flow regimes.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $1,283,983
Partners:
- Hemmera & Harrison Salmon Stronghold
- South Coast Conservation Land Management Program
- Pearson Ecological
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 goal: This project will accelerate the recovery of riparian forest on 6 Chinook salmon streams in Nootka Sound. The project is intended to assess and treat streamside vegetation to accelerate the recovery of mature forest cover, improve bank cohesion and future large woody debris (LWD) supply, which will improve channel morphology processes on the 6 streams.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $904,009
Partners:
- Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council
- Western Forest Products Ltd.
- Nuchatlaht, Ehattesaht
- Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations Fisheries
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 goal: The project objectives are to:
- improve the mapping and inventory of habitats (Nicola and Coldwater Rivers), determine appropriate sites for habitat restoration in the Nicola Watershed
- construct habitat restoration through instream and riparian enhancements/management
- improve the understanding of groundwater and surface water in the Coldwater River
The project outcomes will provide information leading to better decisions and improved salmonids.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $376,307
Partners:
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Region and Rural Development
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 goal: The overall goal of this project is multi-species and ecosystems-based approach to help protect and restore critical habitats for several salmonid species at risk in the Thompson Basin. To address the goal, the project consists of 3 related objectives:
- stream Flow and Water Temperature Monitoring
- sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping (SHIM) on Bonaparte River
- habitat restoration initiatives in Bonaparte Watershed
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $428,282
Partners:
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
- Secwepemc Fisheries Commission
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 goal: The goal of this project is to restore coastal estuarine processes and improve the connectivity of estuarine fish habitat in the Nanaimo River Estuary. In partnership with the Snuneymuxw First Nation (SFN), we will remove historic berms, address factors limiting freshwater flow to the eastern estuary and pursue the reconnection of off-channel wetland habitat. This project will result in improved habitat quality and accessibility for juvenile salmon, including chinook, chum and coho salmon that make extensive use of the estuary. In addition, these actions will increase the resiliency of the estuary to climate change impacts and other anthropogenic disturbances, including sea-level rise.
Time frame: 3 years
Fund allocation: $484,519
Partners:
- West Coast Conservation Land Management Program
- Snuneymuwx First Nation
- Log Storage Association
- Nanaimo Port Authority
- Simon Fraser University
- City of Nanaimo
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 goal: Bessette Creek (including Harris, Duteau, and Creighton creeks) is of special conservation concern for threatened salmon stocks in the South Thompson watershed. It provides critical spawning and rearing habitat for threatened Coho (COSEWIC 2016) and endangered Chinook (COSWEIC 2018). Spawning salmon return in low numbers in late summer/fall, coinciding with periods of extremely low water levels and high temperatures. Inhospitable water conditions extend through the year, and compounded with a large agricultural footprint and water demand, optimal juvenile salmonid habitat is largely absent.
Two real-time hydrometric stations will be installed:
- upgrading the existing station at the outflow of Nicklen Lake (on upper Harris) to real-time
- new location strategically located on lower Harris Creek to closely monitor and manage withdraws.
Maintenance and monitoring of these stations will occur 9 times throughout the funding year. The provincial Regional Drought Response Plan will be informed by data collected. This plan will help prevent water removal during low-flow periods and maintain levels required by salmonids and other aquatic organisms.
The project will also address sedimentation issues by working with Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program (FRSIP) to engage landowners to conduct large-scale bank stabilization and instream restoration in the Bessette Creek watershed. The Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program has identified several landowners interested in conducting instream/riparian work to address siltation, bed aggradation and flooding issues. The Okanagan Nation Alliance, the Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program and these landowners will collaboratively conduct restoration projects in the Bessette Creek watershed.
Time frame: 1 year
Fund allocation: $109,812
Partners:
- Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
- Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program
Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan
Restoring the Quatse River Estuary
Recipient: Kwakiutl First Nation and The Nature Trust of British Columbia
Project goal: In 1960, a forestry road (known as Goodspeed Road) was constructed to facilitate logging operations. The road bisected the head of Hardy Bay in the estuaries of the Quatse and Quatsese Rivers. These impacts resulted in loss or alteration of 5.3 ha of intertidal marsh that significantly changed tidal exchange and freshwater flow. To address this concern, The Nature Trust of British Columbia (NTBC)/West Coast Conservation Land Management Program (WCCLMP) and the Kwakiutl First Nation (Kwakiutl) aim to rehabilitate the estuary from these impacts. The overall goal of the project is to restore coastal estuarine processes and fish habitat connectivity in the estuary. The outcomes of the projects will result in improved tidal and riverine connectivity near the Quatsese River, improved water quality, due to increased tidal flushing, and improved fish habitat quality and quantity.
Time frame: 1 year
Fund allocation: $192,400
Partners:
- Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
- Province of British Columbia
- District of Port Hardy
- North Vancouver Island Salmon Enhancement Society
- The Nature Trust of BC /West Coast Conservation Land Management Program
- North Vancouver Island Salmon Enhancement Society
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 goal: This project is lead by the Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations of Clayoquot Sound in partnership with the Area 24 Salmon Roundtable and Central Westcoast Forest Society (CWFS). The work is an excellent example of the strong regional partnerships that are required to restore and rebuild wild salmon populations. The primary goal of this project is to rebuild wild Chinook populations by restoring critical Chinook habitat in high-priority estuaries and watersheds in the Clayoquot Sound. Project elements include:
- addressing data gaps through focused assessments and monitoring
- increasing local capacity through training, employment and stewardship
- engaging First Nations, stakeholders, government and all Canadians in conservation efforts for wild salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whales
A secondary goal of the project is the recovery of Chum Salmon through habitat restoration. Chum Salmon are an important prey species for Southern Resident Killer Whale populations from summer to late fall (Ford & Ellis 2005; 2006). Restoring Chum habitat and revitalizing Chum populations will directly benefit Resident Killer Whale populations, and restoring Chum populations will also benefit estuarine and freshwater ecosystems.
Time frame: 1 year
Fund allocation: $336,700
Partners:
- Clayoquot Biosphere Trust
- West Coast Aquatic
- Clayoquot Salmon Roundtable
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
- Fanny Bay Salmonid Enhancement Society
- Hesquiaht First Nation
- Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation
- Ahousaht First Nation
- Strawberry Isle Marine Research
- Cedar Coast Field Station Society
- Raincoast Education Society
- Patagonia
- Ocean Outfitters
- Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
- T'aaq-wiihak
Media Announcement: Government of Canada invests in aquatic habitat through the Oceans Protection Plan
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