Fish Habitat Restoration and Education Program
Many native fish populations, species of birds, and other wildlife and plant species rely on healthy in-stream habitat and an intact riparian area for survival. Though riparian areas only account for a small portion of B.C.’s land base, they are far more productive than the adjacent upland areas, providing critical ecosystem functions important in maintaining the balance and water quality of a stream or river. Habitat loss is a contributing factor to the extinction of over 100 salmon stocks in B.C. The BCWF’s Fish Habitat Restoration and Education Program initiatives are working towards a future where freshwater ecosystems are healthy, sustainable, and valued by local communities.
The Fish Habitat Restoration and Education workshops and initiatives aim to raise awareness about the importance of protecting and conserving freshwater fish and riparian habitats across B.C., while building community capacity to care for these valued areas through restoration and community engagement.
Fish Habitat & Riparian Stewardship Workshops
Join the BCWF and learn technical skills to help steward your local stream, connect with local stewardship groups, and gain further experience in fish habitat conservation!
The Fish Habitat & Riparian Stewardship workshop is a two-day workshop where you will learn different approaches to restore and conserve fish habitat. The BCWF brings workshops into local communities to teach stream health sampling, stream mapping, stream monitoring, plant and animal identification, planting, and other stream stewardship skills. Each workshop will incorporate methods that suit the unique needs of the area.
This workshop is a mix of hands-on fieldwork and presentations providing participants with the technical skill set to help steward a local stream.
Highlight Fish Habitat Projects
Various Restoration/Enhancement Projects
Stream Restoration
We work across B.C. to improve fish habitat and support watershed health through on-the-ground stream restoration projects. These initiatives enhance conditions for salmon and other native fish species while addressing broader ecological challenges. We carry out this work in collaboration with local partners, Indigenous communities, BCWF member clubs, and other stewardship groups.
Many projects also include hands-on workshops, offering participants the chance to build skills, gain knowledge, and gain practical experience in how to care for and restore their local stream habitats.
Learn more about our projects by clicking the button below, subscribing to our blog, and following us on social media.
Enhancement Project
Fraser River Tidal Marsh Clean-Up
Making outdoor recreation accessible for all is a constant goal for BCWF. As such, the Fish Habitat Restoration Education Program team has prioritized improving dock accessibility to ensure improved access to fishing and freshwater lakes across the province.
For people with disabilities; low-impact and affordable outdoor activities such as fishing offer experiences and benefits that are typically only available to abled-bodied individuals. Some of these benefits include enhanced access to inclusive communities, increased ability to secure wild food, and improved participation in overall outdoor recreation. Additional advantages that come with improved accessibility to the outdoors include reductions in stress, depression, anxiety, pain, and inflammation.
Community/Enhancement Project
Outdoor Access Improvement Project
Making outdoor recreation accessible for all is a constant goal for BCWF. As such, the Fish Habitat Restoration Education Program team has prioritized improving dock accessibility to ensure improved access to fishing and freshwater lakes across the province.
For people with disabilities; low-impact and affordable outdoor activities such as fishing offer experiences and benefits that are typically only available to abled-bodied individuals. Some of these benefits include enhanced access to inclusive communities, increased ability to secure wild food, and improved participation in overall outdoor recreation. Additional advantages that come with improved accessibility to the outdoors include reductions in stress, depression, anxiety, pain, and inflammation.
Complementing our dock accessibility efforts, the B.C. Lakes Access Guide provides detailed information on lake amenities, terrain, and accessibility features, accompanied by 360-degree virtual tours to assist users in planning their visits.
Fish Habitat Restoration and Education Program Updates
Bringing Back the Chum — Mosquito Creek Restoration
Mosquito Creek in North Vancouver was once a thriving salmon-bearing stream, but decades of urbanization, channelization, and flood control measures dramatically changed its course—both literally and ecologically. Since the 1960s, human impacts have degraded the creek’s natural habitat, making the return of salmon a rare sight. Recognizing the urgent need for restoration, the North Shore…
Microplastics Are No Small Problem
Microplastics are everywhere—floating in our waterways, drifting through the air we breathe, and settling in delicate ecosystems. These tiny plastic particles aren’t just a concern for humans, who unknowingly consume thousands of them daily; they’re also invading fish and wildlife habitats, disrupting food chains and threatening biodiversity. But what exactly are microplastics, and why do…
Toxic Tire Leaching — A Threat to Salmon Survival
The importance of removing harmful debris, such as tires, from the Fraser River Estuary cannot be overstated. Between 2021 and 2024, the B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Fraser River Tidal Marsh Clean-up team worked tirelessly to tackle this issue. Crew members reported finding a wide range of random debris in the estuary—shoes, hats, flip-flops—scattered across islands where…
5 Tips for Your Next Clean-up Event From the Fraser River Tidal Marsh Clean-up Crew
The impact of our consumer products is far greater than we realize. In the Fraser River estuary, we’ve already lost over 80% of tidal marsh habitat due to industry, development, and overall degradation. This loss has had a significant, often unrealized, impact on salmon, birds, marine mammals, and other species. With a finite amount of…
A Feel-Good Story — Finding Lost Photos in Boundary Bay
Photos are cherished keepsakes that cause memories to flood back with just a look. Losing photos is not unlike losing memories from a rosy past. As the Fraser River Tidal Marsh Clean-up (FRTMC) team was out removing debris along Boundary Bay, one of our crew members found a small bottle with three SD cards inside.…
Restoring the Fraser River Estuary — Doubling Targets and Conservation Efforts
“When you’re looking at the tidal marsh islands from a distance from across the South Arm, they look like they’re non-impacted. As soon as you step foot on the islands, however, you’ve collected a garbage bag worth of debris within two steps.” – Haiden MacDonald, BCWF Fish Habitat Restoration Coordinator. In the age of readily…
Fraser River Cleanup Makes Remarkable Early Achievements
The Fraser River Tidal Marsh Clean-up team greatly surpassed its early objectives for its estuary cleanup project by collecting over 12 tonnes of plastic trash, crabbing and fishing gear, boat parts and other assorted debris in just three months, nearly hitting their two-year target. The collaboration between the B.C. Wildlife Federation, the Tsawwassen First Nation…
Revitalizing Juliet Creek — Enhancing Fish Habitat and Stream Connectivity
The restoration of the Juliet Creek Side Channel included restoring access to the Coldwater River for fish passage following the flooding of the Coldwater River and restoring and enhancing rearing and refuge habitat, especially coho salmon. The B.C. Wildlife Federation, the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Scw’exmx Tribal Council, and Rock Solid…
Fishing Forever Projects Make the Outdoors Accessible
Imagine the potential obstacles you might face traversing the outdoors as a person with physical disabilities. Is that curb too high? Can I cross that sand or wade through that mud? People with limited mobility and those who use wheelchairs face these obstacles engaging in ordinary outdoor activities. One in seven British Columbians live with…
Bonaparte channel restoration is a win for coho and the people who love them
The Bonaparte River coho channel is a unique and potentially productive coho salmon rearing habitat again, thanks to the efforts of the Bonaparte First Nation and the B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF). The original 500-metre channel has been restored, renewed and doubled in length, according to Bonaparte CEO Sean Bennett. “The fencing was basically rotten, the…
Planting Seeds for Long-term Change
What comes to mind when you think of salmonberries? Do you think about how their flowers nurture pollinators, and their berries feed creatures of every size? Perhaps you pondered how fallen fruit attracts insects to nestle into the soil and among the fallen leaves. Indeed, salmonberry is a potent force for diversity and abundance. A…
Plastic, Toxins, and the Carnival Rabbit — The Workforce Crew Cleaning the Shorelines of the Fraser River Estuary
The Fraser River Estuary Clean-up crew has been working tirelessly for the past several weeks to clean up the highly biodiverse marshes and wetlands of the Fraser Estuary. Their aim is to clean up as much debris as possible by December 10, 2021.
A Little Care goes a Long Way
Our crews are providing a little care to BC’s wetlands this year by removing invasive species, cleaning up waste, and maintaining trails.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation Fish Habitat Restoration and Education Program Receives Funding for Outdoor Access Improvement Project
Increasing accessibility to outdoor spaces while providing employment and economic stimulus in communities across B.C. The B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Fish Habitat Restoration and Education Program (FHREP) has been awarded with over $600,000 in funding by the Province of British Columbia, as part of the Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program (CERIP), and by the Columbia Basin…
BCWF Watershed Team 