Raincoast researcher studies a salmon bearing stream

Juvenile salmon & small streams

The Great Bear Rainforest is home to over 2,500 salmon runs from more than 5,000 spawning populations. Many of these rivers are still intact, offering a unique opportunity to study the linkages between salmon and the larger food web. However, salmon in this region are faced with increasing threats, many of which have depressed and extirpated salmon populations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Some of our previous work to understand ecology, status of, and threats to coastal salmon populations is linked below.

Pacific salmon swimming underwater along a creek bed.

Small streams surveys

Our interest in small streams stems from their importance to genetic diversity, as nutrient corridors for riparian habitats, food and access sources for bears and other predators, evolutionary opportunities, and fresh water rearing habitat for juvenile salmon, especially coho. When combined, small streams can also provide moderate salmon production which can be important for subsistence fisheries.

Small Stream Surveys report cover overlayed on a black and white photo of a small forest stream.

Small Streams Survey Report (2006)

This report documents 127 previously undocumented salmon-bearing streams surveyed on BC’s central coast between 2003-2006 in Heiltsuk Territory. Small Streams Survey Report [icon icon=”external-link”] (PDF) Summary Small stream surveys were carried out by members of the Heiltsuk Nation, volunteers, and staff of Raincoast Conservation Foundation between September 2003 and October 2006. Our objective was to…