The Squamish River Watershed Society (SRWS) is working in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Squamish Nation to restore fish access and habitat in the Squamish River Estuary. As part of this project the SRWS held it’s third annual stakeholder meeting on February 28th 2020, during which more then 30 members of the Central Estuary Project (CERP) Working Group gathered to share project updates and dialog. Discussions around the CERP project started in 2017 and in keeping with more than 40 years of estuary planning and restoration, the CERP could not be realized without the collaborative input and representation from First Nations, the Federal, Provincial and Local Government, stakeholders, and community!

As many in the community are aware, the Squamish River Training Berm was installed in the 1970s to ‘train’ the river to the west side of the valley and allow for the development of a coal port in the Estuary. While the coal port was denied the berm remained as an abandoned industrial facility isolating the river from the estuary flood plain. Starting in the 1990s, ten culverts were installed in an effort to reconnect tidal flows between the Squamish River and the estuary. In 2011 the SRWS initiated a multi-year monitoring program to study if the culverts were effectively providing fish access for estuary bound juvenile salmon, particularly Chinook, that live in estuaries as the prepare for life at sea. Effectiveness monitoring continues to demonstrate that the culverts are not functioning in a manner that allows fish passage between the river and the estuary, and the berm is flushing hundreds of thousands of juvenile Chinook annually straight to sea, thereby impacting their rate survival. The berm is thought to be a major contributing factor to overall Chinook species survival in the watershed.
Since the 1970s the berm has taken on a life of its own beyond that which it was designed for. The structure appears to provide some navigation protection for Squamish Terminals; the upper reaches provide flood protection to downtown Squamish and Dentville until such time as a proposed sea dike is developed; and recreationalists and naturalists use the berm to access the Wildlife Management Area. Most notably, the area has become a world-renowned launch area for kiteboard enthusiasts as it offers consistent winds throughout the summer season. The focus of the CERP is improve fish habitat and accessibility to the central estuary, but the project also has associated benefits that can make our community more resilient to adapt to the effects of sea level rise. The training berm, continues to limit estuary function by isolating flows from the Squamish River into the central estuary basin, flushing needed sediments to sea. The District of Squamish’s Integrated Flood Hazard Management Plan concludes that the berm will be costly to preserve from the effects of sea level rise, and recommends development of a sea dike that would render it redundant from a flood management perspective. Through the CERP, the Squamish River Watershed Society is engaging in a bigger conversation on estuary planning and management, with the immediate focus of the project supporting survival of Chinook salmon, that are the primary food source for the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Through our work we are actively supporting discussions with stakeholders in addressing the bigger questions on estuary planning, while identifying opportunities to fix our salmon problem.

So, what is being done? The short answer is we are developing engineering models to inform stakeholder discussions and planning. In January 2020 we completed our first round of wave modeling that examines the potential change in wave height if the lower section of the training berm is removed. Starting next we are looking at coastal hydrodynamic modeling to tell us potential changes to water levels, sediment transport and flow if the lower section of the training berm is removed – this is expected to be completed in summer 2020. The hydrodynamic model assumes that the current kite board launch area will remain in place at the south end of the Spit, and will provide information for discussion with the project partners and stakeholders to develop a realignment strategy that avoids flood risk, maintains safe navigation and includes recreational access. Regarding recreational access, the SRWS has also been engaged in a District of Squamish led process with the Squamish Windsport Society, focused on maintaining recreational access as a part of the CERP planning with the Squamish Windsport Society and will continue to engage in this process. The Squamish River Watershed Society is committed to working with ALL stakeholders in developing viable options to improve Chinook salmon habitat across the training berm in a manner that can be supported by the community. For more information on the project please visit: www.squamishwatershed.com/central-estuary-restoration.html

Many communities in Southern B.C., including Squamish have declared a state of climate emergency. Our global addiction to fossil fuels is loading our atmosphere with emissions and our once predicable weather patterns are shifting resulting in more frequent, extreme and unpredictable events the likes of which we have never observed. As the effects of a warming planet are being observed first hand at the local level, communities are sounding the alarms, and this can leave many of us feeling helpless in the face of this global challenge, which begs the question how can we be part of the solution, how one community effect change?

Through the Central Estuary Restoration Project the climate emergency is very much on our mind. The focus of the project is to restore access for juvenile Chinook to the Squamish River Estuary as our studies indicate that the Squamish River Training Berm is flushing these fish to sea before they are ready, and likely impacting their rate of survival. Chinook salmon are an at-risk species, and the primary food source for the endangered southern resident killer whales. As the climate emergency grows, these keystone species face increasing threat from factors such as ocean acidification and rising water temperatures. How one community effect change? Through realignment of the Squamish River training berm, we can increase the number of Chinook that make it to their adult life stage, to return home and spawn the next generation, and hopefully reduce the risk of species extinction that would be felt throughout the food web.

It is not just fish however that are being flushed out to sea by the Squamish River training berm, the sediments from the 3600 km2 Squamish River watershed are also being flushed out to sea. In a functioning estuary sediment flows over and settles into the marsh, feeding the food web from the bottom up with nutrients, and building up the marsh in a process known as sediment accretion. As sediments accrete, they counter the effects of erosion from waves and tides, and buffer the impacts of sea level rise, and storm surge events that threaten to inundate coastal communities. Sediment also caps marsh vegetation, providing one of the richest sources of carbon capture of any habitat type – in terms of carbon banks, estuaries are the richest! Check out our Blue Carbon Project page for more information on carbon and estuaries.

A healthy estuary provide provides us with ecosystem services such as water quality management, flood protection and carbon sequestration that would cost tax payers millions to replace. In fact, when examining the costs to upgrade sea dike in Boundary Bay, in Southern B.C. in anticipation of 1m of sea level rise by 2100, it was estimated that estuary enhancements could save more than $80 million in capital infrastructure costs, while restoring critical habitat.

How can one community effect change? By realigning the Squamish River Training berm we can partially restore the sediment budget in our estuary, so that it can continue to protect Squamish from the effects of sea level rise. Re-connection of the estuary will also reduce the water levels upstream of the estuary, by creating room for river across the flood plain potentially reducing the risk of river flood events, and offsetting some of the costs needed to upgrade flood infrastructure.

The Squamish River Watershed Society continues to monitor water quality, soil carbon, sediment accretion, vegetation, and fish in the estuary, and through the Central Estuary Restoration Project, and with the support of the community we hope to help in our collective efforts at addressing the climate emergency. To learn more about the project please visit: https://www.squamishwatershed.com/central-estuary-restoration.html

With great support from Squamish Nation, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada our Central Estuary Restoration Project (CERP) partners; all the community stakeholders and representatives from all levels of government who have contributed as members of the CERP Working Group; and our contractors, design team, students, monitoring team and more - 2019 was a very productive year for the Central Estuary Restoration Project! 

Since starting CERP in 2017 we have now completed phase 1 works, successfully upgrading a fish passage culvert across the training berm last spring. It was very exciting to see more freshwater flowing into the estuary when the construction was complete then had been in nearly 30 years. We continue to monitor the culvert and estuary to measure how works are improving fish access and habitat.

We met with our stakeholder working group in spring 2019, who have provided valuable input to the planning process for phases 2 & 3 of CERP. Throughout the summer and fall of 2019 the CERP project team continued stakeholder discussions, and we are looking forward to our next working group meeting in 2020. CERP is being led by the SRWS in partnership with Squamish Nation and DFO, and it is through the collaboration and support of community stakeholders and groups that we are able to realize our project outcomes.  We greatly value the time, support and feedback of our working group members!

At present we are undertaking coastal modeling examining how changes to the alignment of the training berm (the Spit road) may impact water or sediment distribution in the lower flood plain. This information will be used to inform realignment discussions with stakeholders, and the eventual design process. In the current alignment the training berm is effectively flushing hundreds of thousands of juvenile salmon, particularly Chinook salmon to the Howe Sound before they are ready, limiting their likelihood of survival. As we work through the coastal modeling process, and discussions with stakeholders in 2020 we will be have more details on spit realignment and will also provide regular updates.

Chinook salmon are an at risk species on the South Coast, and our efforts to support their survival is part of a larger habitat restoration initiative under the Federal Ocean Protection Plan. Chinook salmon are the king of the salmon (or reindeer....see above picture). They are integral to our coastal ecosystem, and need our help to survive. Over the years we have worked together in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation to undertake major restoration projects throughout the Squamish River Watershed. As we build on our past work, fish access to the estuary for emerging juvenile salmon is a big piece of the watershed restoration puzzle that is being developed in the same spirit of past projects. Questions are always welcome and can be sent to projects@squamishwatershed.com 

Love, peace and holiday fishes to you!

On September 21 2019, first-year BCIT Ecological Restoration students and instructors came out to Squamish and helped re-vegetate the restoration site around the newly replaced culvert. There were many ferns and shrubs placed back in the ground and along the slopes to help stabilize the banks. On the estuary side, lyngby sedge and Douglas asters were also put into the mud flats. All these native plants will eventually shade the channel, which will help to keep the waters cool for salmon when the sun is shining bright and collect bugs for salmon to munch on.

We look forward to watching these plants thrive in their new habitat, along with the creatures that will call them home. Thank you BCIT ER for the hard work!

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. 

Visitors to the site over the weekend may have notice that we haven't pulled the dam from the river as we had hoped to do on Friday due to construction delays in the ever changing estuary environment. We are happy to report that we were able to remove the dam in the morning low tide cycle today -  the culvert open to flow and fish! 

Due to construction delays, we need to extend the daily road closure currently in effect. The following road closures have been added to finalize road reconstruction: 

• Thursday May 30th, 7am - 5pm
• Friday May 31, 7am - 4pm

After this week, there will still be equipment working on site and we do not anticipate the need for additional road closures, though there may be a requirement for single lane traffic depending on works. Thank-you for your continued understanding as we work restore fish access to the estuary for juvenile Chinook Salmon in their rearing life stage, as they emerge from the river systems and transition for life at sea. 

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.

We have been busy placing 100kg, 500kg and 1000kg rip-rap a.k.a. really big rocks at the inlet and outlet of the box culvert in the past week. This is to limit scouring from water flows to maintain the integrity of the culvert. This scour protection rip-rap has been designed to withstand a 200 year river flood event, that coincides with a low tide event resulting in a high flow volume and velocity from the river to the estuary. As the rip-rap placement wraps up, we are pulling the dam today that has been in place throughout construction and allow the water to flow from the river to the estuary. This is a very exciting project milestone for us and the fish! 

We have also been releasing juvenile Chinook in the river that have been tagged with pit and acoustic telemetry tags in the past week, and more will be released next week. This will tell us if they are using the culvert and where in the lower flood plain they are swimming adding to our 5 year fish monitoring data set in the area used to support an adaptive management approach to habitat restoration. 

To accommodate final road reconstruction and bank restoration the road will be closed to traffic between 7am - 5pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week (May  27, 28, 29th). 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
​
Questions can be directed to srws@shaw.ca

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
​
Questions can be directed to srws@shaw.ca

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.

This week was the week we were have been preparing for and it was all hands on deck to advance construction as the tides moved into their bi-weekly low tide cycle. The lower tides allowed us successfully place the box culvert foundation and pieces in place. The 11 box culvert pieces, each weighing in at 17,000 kg, and 2 box culvert head walls weighing in at 22,000 kg were gently placed and assembled in their resting spot. Works were guided by the expertise of our supplier, design engineers, contractor, crane operator and Fisheries and Oceans Canada engineering staff who are supervising works. It took a big team to realize this weeks work and we are happy to report that it came together like clockwork! 

We remain on schedule and are doing our best to partially re-open the road to traffic by May 15th for the start of the upcoming windsport season. Once the culvert is in place and the road reinstated, we will be placing rip-rap on the estuary and river side of the inlet/outlet until June 2019. We continue to work in collaboration with all stakeholders and will update this blog site when the road is open again to traffic. 

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
​
Questions can be directed to srws@shaw.ca

​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.

It was a busy and exciting week on the site as we prepare for box culvert install next week. The new culvert is no small pipe! it measures 3m x 3m, and spans roughly 30m long when assembled. This week was spent excavating the existing damaged culvert, preparing the pad for the crane needed to lift culvert sections, and receiving the culvert pieces that came up on 7 over-sized loads from Langley!

Works are proceeding on schedule, and we will be taking advantage of next week’s low tide windows to lay the culvert foundations, and assemble the 11 culvert pieces, and 2 headwalls into to place. Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff are onsite supervising works, and the road remains temporarily closed to traffic. 

We are doing our best to partially re-open the road to traffic by May 15th for the start of the upcoming windsport season. Once the culvert is in place and the road reinstated, we will be placing rip-rap on the estuary and river side of the inlet/outlet until June 2019. We continue to work in collaboration with all stakeholders including the Squamish Windsports Society’s Board of Directors to communicate construction updates to the windsport community and the general public.

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
​
Questions can be directed to srws@shaw.ca

The Squamish River Watershed Society (SRWS) is currently implementing phase 1 of the Central Estuary Restoration Project (CERP). 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. Phase 1 involves the replacement of an existing 1.2 m damaged culvert with a 3 m x 3 m box culvert approximately half way down the Spit Road. This will improve the surface water flows between the estuary and river that is necessary to accommodate fish access, as the existing culvert can be perched or inundated depending on tidal fluctuations. 

As the culvert is to be placed below the natural grade of the land, works need to occur in our bi-annual low tide window experienced in late spring, and more specifically within bi-weekly low tide cycles. The work scope includes excavation of the existing road and culvert, culvert placement, reinstatement of the road surface, placement of protective rip-rap on the estuary and river sides of the structure and re-vegetation of the area.

​These works are  scheduled to take place in the available work windows between April and June 2019. During the site excavation, culvert placement, and road reinstatement scheduled for April-May 2019 the road will be partially and fully closed to traffic. It is the intent of the project team to maintain road access as much as reasonably possible, but at the discretion of Fisheries and Oceans staff who are supervising the project, for public safety reasons full closures  will be required until we are otherwise directed.

The SRWS is working in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Squamish Nation and has been in ongoing discussions with the Province of BC, District of Squamish and Squamish Windsports Society and other community and industry stakeholders. We are doing our best to ensure a smooth access for the start of the Winds Sports season for May 15, as per our discussions with the Squamish Windsports Society and in accordance with their agreement with the District of Squamish and Provincial Government.

To view the wildlife management area plan that defines recreational access and other fish and wildlife management objectives please visit:
 http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/planning/mgmtplns/skwelwilem_wma/skelwil%27em__wma_mp.pdf
​
For background on the science and decision making that has informed the need for this restoration project please visit:
https://www.squamishwatershed.com/cerp-updates/juvenile-chinook-an-at-risk-species-limited-by-the-squamish-river-training-berm

For information on phases 2 & 3 of the project that are currently in planning phase please visit:
https://www.squamishwatershed.com/central-estuary-restoration.html

Major projects of this nature, in highly variable environments, are subject to change and the SRWS remains committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to minimize traffic disruptions, realize habitat restoration efforts, and keep the public informed our changes as they may arise. We appreciate your understanding as we undertake this habitat restoration work that is critical to the survival of Chinook salmon. Questions can be directed to srws@shaw.ca.