Marsh restoration projects in the Lower Fraser River; Woods Island
Restoring a 30 year old compensation site to support salmon.
If you build habitat, salmon will come.
Raincoast has been working to monitor and restore salmon habitat in the Lower Fraser River for the better part of 10 years.
Initially, the habitat that was available to juvenile salmon was very limited. Thus began a long journey of reconnecting habitats that were existing, and restoring those that had been taken over.
This site was built over 30 years ago as a compensation site – an area set aside to be restored or protected to help replace habitat affected by development. It’s one way of supporting wildlife and ecosystem health while balancing human activities. It was originally constructed to be a sedge marsh, but it was instead taken over by invasive cattail. Its denseness crowded out native wetland plants and reduced open-water habitat, making it not an ideal spot for salmon.
By removing the cattail and reducing the elevation, the marsh vegetation the site was designed to support can now thrive, and the salmon can too!
