Salmon, bull trout and other aquatic species to benefit from acquiring and restoring valley bottom lands along Gates Creek, near Pemberton
Habitat conservation and restoration is key to reviving natural resiliency across landscapes
Work is underway to restore salmon habitat along Gates Creek, northeast of Pemberton, on land held by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). The multi-stage restoration project is designed to enhance rearing habitat for salmon and other fish, increase the stability of the main creek channel, re-establish the floodplain canopy to shade the stream, and provide more open water wetland area for waterfowl.
NCC is engaging with the N’Quatqua First Nation to ensure the restoration work meets shared objectives and to learn from community members’ interests in and connection to the creek, the wildlife and the larger landscape.
The restoration project is occurring on NCC’s Gates Creek Conservation Area, which was first conserved in 2021. NCC has just acquired a neighbouring property, expanding the conservation area to 130 hectares and enhancing its resiliency and reach.
The restoration project will rehabilitate wetland and streamside areas that are used by a diversity of fish, birds, insects and other wildlife. The initial phase will focus on installing woody debris to create microhabitats and increase channel complexity, planting native vegetation along the creek to re-establish stream cover and floodplain canopy, and suppressing invasive reed canary grass.
Both the restoration project and the recent acquisition to expand the conservation area received funding from the Government of Canada through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund. Additional significant financial contributions for the expansion acquisition came from Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, the Longhedge Foundation and the Pemberton Wildlife Association.
Quotes
“Gates Creek is more than just a waterway – it’s a whole system that fish, birds and other wildlife, not to mention the local community, rely on. Restoration here will support the health of the overall system, bringing diversity and complexity to a landscape that has lost quite a bit of its natural function. We are excited to be able to support the N’Quatqua’s vision for this area, and we are grateful for our funding partners who are similarly excited to reverse habitat loss through restoration.”
– Hans Herrmann Alvarez, West Coast Program Manager, Nature Conservancy of Canada
“Through partnerships with organizations like the Nature Conservancy of Canada, we are working to protect and restore vital wetlands and streamside habitats in stunning British Columbia and across the country. This work not only supports the recovery of salmon habitats but also revitalizes floodplain ecosystems and increases open-water wetlands for waterfowl. Through programs like the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, the Government of Canada is making progress toward its goals of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and conserving 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030. Protecting the natural environment in British Columbia reflects our whole-of-society approach to meet our conservation goals.”
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“Few corners of the world are as beautiful as the Sea to Sky Country. We are known around the world for our towering forests, rushing rivers, grizzly bears, and salmon. As the local Member of Parliament and Chair of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, I am proud to support our government’s partnership with environmental organizations and the N’Quatqua nation to restore salmon habitat in Gates Creek.”
– Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country and Chair of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs
- The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021—2030) calls for the protection and revival of ecosystems, with the aim of halting the degradation of ecosystems, and restoring them to achieve global goals, for the benefit of people and nature.
- Agricultural conversion, invasive species and transportation infrastructure has eroded the natural habitat and ecological functions along the length of Gates Creek.
- Gates Creek supports several fish species of conservation, cultural and /or economic importance. Sockeye, coho, chinook and pink salmon migrate up from the Fraser River, through the Fraser Canyon and Hell’s Gate, and finally through Seton and Anderson lakes into Gates Creek. Bull trout, Dolly Varden, kokanee, lake trout, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout are all found in this waterway.
- Wetlands along Gates Creek support a wide range of waterfowl, amphibians, reptiles, insects and other aquatic organisms.
- In addition to important aquatic habitat, Gates Creek Conservation Area protects part of a high-quality wildlife corridor for grizzly bears travelling across the valley, preserving a crucial linkage between two isolated and threatened grizzly bear populations.
Images
- Images of Gates Creek Conservation Area (Credits noted in file name)
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner, NCC works with people, communities, businesses, and government to protect and care for our country’s natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.
The Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP) is a unique partnership that supports the creation of protected and conserved areas through the acquisition of private land and private interest in land. To date, the Government of Canada has invested more than $500 million in the Program, which has been matched with more than $1 billion in contributions raised by Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and the country’s land trust community, leading to the protection and conservation of more than 840,000 hectares (over 2 million acres) of ecologically sensitive lands.
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