Archive for category: Climate Adaptation Series

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Warm winter, low snowpack on B.C.’s south coast put salmon at risk this summer

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With a warmer-than-average summer forecasted and drought conditions already developing, Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) is on high alert for adverse impacts on salmon across British Columbia.

Finding the ‘cold’ in the Coldwater River

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What connects British Columbia’s lush west coast to the arid, dry Nicola Valley in the Southern Interior? Look no further than the Pacific salmon migration. As salmon travel from the coast into the Nicola Valley, they bring an important pulse of nutrients inland. The Coldwater River, the largest tributary of the Nicola River, is critical for both juvenile and adult salmon.
Drought conditions dried up a salmon-bearing river near Kamloops, B.C., leaving narrow channels and dried up habitat.

As B.C. enters another drought season, how will salmon fare?

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Extreme drought conditions have impacted watersheds in British Columbia for several years, and 2025 is no exception. Emergency fish salvage and monitoring efforts are underway due to exceptionally warm and dry weather this year that has led to low flows and warm waters, causing life-threatening challenges for salmon.
Researchers hold water sample bags from the river, canal, and floodplain, demonstrating the productivity of invertebrates in the floodplain.

Reviving floodplains for salmon in the Fraser River

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Floodplains provide critical, food-rich habitat for juvenile salmon. These low-lying areas adjacent to stream channels allow young salmon to grow healthy and strong before their journey to the ocean. Floodplains form seasonally when water…

Reconnecting salmon habitat damaged by B.C.’s atmospheric river

The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) has approved $7,000 in funding from the Climate Emergency Fund to support time-sensitive efforts in Ucluelet and Squamish to prevent salmon strandings and mortalities in light of recent heavy rains. An…

River flows restored just in time for returning sockeye

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During the extreme flooding event in November 2021 that severely impacted the Fraser Valley, the right arm of Big Silver River was blocked by debris and disconnected from Harrison Lake when water levels dropped in the summer months.

Drought risk remains a pressing issue for salmon in B.C.

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Record-low snowpack, below-average freshet, and lingering drought conditions from 2023 set the stage for a challenging summer in salmon-bearing watersheds. Drought conditions in British Columbia stretching back to 2022 continue to put pressure…

New Wildfire Playbook promotes salmon recovery in post-blaze strategy

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PSF’s new Wildfire Playbook is a first to offer solutions to help salmon and their habitats recover after wildfires burn in salmon-bearing watersheds. June 25, 2024 Vancouver, B.C. – As wildfires in British Columbia grow larger and more…

The burning issue: wildfires and salmon

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The 2024 wildfire season has already begun in British Columbia. The fire and drought impacts this summer will depend on how much rain falls throughout June, yet experts have predicted a long and dry fire season ahead. Unfortunately, this…

A habitat lifeline for juvenile salmon in the Fraser River

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Sturgeon Bank — a stretch of the Fraser River delta located off the west coast of Richmond, British Columbia — has lost at least 160 hectares of tidal marsh habitat over the last three decades due to dredging, dikes, and other human interventions.

Saving Stranded Salmon

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Extreme climate events like drought and flood can wreak havoc on salmon migrations. PSF worked with partners across B.C. this summer and fall during an unprecedented, province-wide drought to improve fish passage in rivers like xʔəl̓ilwətaʔɬ where salmon were stranded.

Urgent action allows thousands of salmon to pass through Bridge Rapids

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A collaborative effort near Lillooet has given thousands of salmon the chance to migrate upstream to spawning grounds after being stuck at a drought-stricken rapids section.

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