Squamish Estuary Restoration Project - Restoring Chinook Salmon Populations

The Squamish Estuary Restoration Project is a multi-year project that was developed in partnership with Squamish Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to restore Chinook salmon populations and to move forward with reconciliation efforts. The project is to modify the Squamish Training Berm, a 5 km structure that was constructed in 1970 to facilitate a multi-nodal port to allow the export of coal that was never constructed. However, the Training Berm effectively cut all access between the Squamish River to the estuary. This project will highlight the restoration efforts to restore accessibility between the river and the estuary to outmigrating juvenile Chinook salmon, and other salmonids, through restoring fish-friendly culverts and modifying the lower Spit to restore tidal connectivity and access to over 144 hectares of estuarine habitat. This project is complex in nature and has been a priority to Squamish Nation since the Training Berm was constructed in 1970 bisecting one of their historic villages. The entire project site is located within the provincially owned and managed Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area and the District of Squamish holds land tenure on the Training Berm structure and maintains the road surface for recreation user groups that access the southern tip for wind surfing activities. As ell, the Squamish Terminals operates a deep sea port adjacent to the Training Berm and has been engaged in the development and implementation of the project to ensure their operations are not negatively impacted by the restoration efforts and proposed modifications. The focus of the project for salmon restoration and First Nations reconciliation has been at the forefront of all decision making and through numerous meetings, public open houses, community engagement, and ongoing discussion has been supported by the municipality, government agencies, industry, and recreational user groups.