Water Starts Flowing in One of the Largest Restoration Projects in Western Canada

VANCOUVER, BC – The taps have been turned on at Red Slough in one of the largest salmon restoration projects in Western Canada due to the efforts of the Katzie First Nation, BC Parks Foundation, Age of Union, and other conservation and community partners.

"This is a very special moment," says Rick Bailey, an elected councilor for Katzie First Nation. "My highest priority as a councilor is fish and wildlife. Because here at Katzie First Nation, we refer to the salmon as family. They're part of our family."

For over a hundred years, this part of the Upper Pitt River had been severed from its natural course in reaching Pitt Lake - the largest freshwater tidal lake in the world. The result had meant stagnant water channels, dying salmon, and depleted wildlife in hundreds of hectares of prime salmon spawning habitat near Vancouver.

"The Red Slough is naturally rich in iron, and without freshwater flushes, the returning spawning fish often face low-oxygen conditions that significantly increase the risk of death," says Dr. Tse-Lynn Loh, Manager of Land Stewardship for BC Parks Foundation.

To try to turn things around, the Katzie Nation have been leading salmon habitat restoration in their territory for decades, more recently with support from the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Those efforts got a major boost in 2021 when BC Parks Foundation purchased and protected 733 acres in the Upper Pitt River Watershed, including Red Slough.

"The area was choked off, gasping for life, but you could just feel the potential for it to be an absolute salmon factory if we could get water back into it," says Andy Day, CEO of the BC Parks Foundation.

The Foundation had acquired the land with a major donation from Lightspeed founder Dax Dasilva and his charity Age of Union. Along with the Katzie they asked if he would also fund this critical part of their efforts to restore the land to its original glory. Dasilva, originally from British Columbia, was enthusiastic.

"Conservation is really about putting efforts together," says Dasilva. "We know it's impossible to make a difference if you work alone. It has to be a collaborative effort. The Katzie Nation have such incredible leadership, as does BC Parks Foundation. We are thankful to work with them, along with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, WWF Canada, and other local partners. We're proud to support and witness this historical moment."

The restoration project at Red Slough is just one example of a movement across BC, spurred on by the BC Parks Foundation's efforts to keep BC beautiful, where First Nations, local communities and businesses, conservation partners, governments and funders are coming together to turn things around. The Foundation has protected nearly 60 places in the past five years alone, many through partnerships and Crowdfunding.

"This is just the best story I can imagine, driven by amazing people" says Day. "Opening the valve is the turning point in restoring the balance. Clean water and salmon are life-givers, and together they will create a healthier forest, more wildlife, more food, and a healthier, happier community. This is proof of what can happen when people work together with each other and with nature. If we protect and restore it now, we can enjoy its abundance forever."