Central Estuary Restoration Project Update - May 14, 2019

The Squamish River Watershed Society (SRWS), in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Squamish Nation is currently implementing phase 1 of the Central Estuary Restoration Project. Phase 1 of the project is focused on upgrading an existing culvert to improve fish access between the Squamish River and the estuary, and active construction for this commenced in April 2019.

Since placing the culvert last week crews have been busy back filling the area, with the goal to partially reopen the road to traffic for May 15th. Work has been proceeding well, and we are scheduled to open the area to single lane car access at noon (12 pm) on May 15, 2019

Active construction including the placement of rip-rap on the estuary and river side of the culvert, delivery of large rock and materials, and  re-vegetation will be on going until June 2019. Those accessing the area are asked to approach with caution, and comply with all safety signage and direction from flagging staff. 

To accommodate works road access may be limited without notice at night, and those accessing in day time can expect intermittent delays. Adherence to onsite safety measures will support continued access during this time, please be kind to our flagging staff and remember they are there to keep you safe while we work to restore critical fish habitat. 

We are doing our best to accommodate access while completing works. Unforeseen changes may  require intermittent closures to maintain public safety. Should this be necessary we will provide updates with as much notice as possible. 

We appreciate your continued understanding and support as we undertake this work that is critical to the survival of juvenile salmonids, particularly Chinook – an at risk species that is a primary food source for the southern resident killer whales. For more information on the science that has informed this project please visit:

https://www.squamishwatershed.com/cerp-updates/juvenile-chinook-an-at-risk-species-limited-by-the-squamish-river-training-berm
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Questions can be directed to srws@shaw.ca