More than $2.4 million funding has been approved by the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) for 31 regional fish and wildlife projects in the Northcoast area.
In one of the projects for the immediate area, the Falls River Water Shed, located 56 km southeast of Prince Rupert will have a detailed fish passage and habitat assessment study to produce options for improved connectivity and recommendations for restoration, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program announced in a statement, on June 8.
North Coast Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society (NCSFNSS) will lead the project to determine if anadromous salmon and resident trout species can currently migrate throughout the river system. The habitat assessment will provide information on habitat quantity, quality, and condition.
“This project will assess fish passage in the Falls River Watershed,” Julie Fournier, FWCP’s coastal region manager, said. “It will track fish movement from the Ecstall River through the Hayward Creek to Hayward Lake and then into the Falls River Reservoir via Little Beaver Creek.”
The fish passage project is just one of the projects approved by the Coastal Region board for 2021–2022, stated FWCP.
“Other projects approved this year will benefit fish and wildlife in many ways, including restoring ecosystems for fish and wildlife, supporting endangered and at-risk species, conserving critical habitats, filling important data gaps, and addressing priority species such as sockeye, Chinook, coho, pink, chum, northern spotted owls, Vancouver Island marmots, and whitebark pine.”
The 31 projects fall under a $9.4 million umbrella of more than 100 projects across its Coastal, Columbia, and Peace regions.
The FWCP is a partnership between BC Hydro, the Province of B.C., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations, and public stakeholders to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by BC Hydro dams.
K-J Millar | Journalist
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etailed fish passage assessment and habitat study in the Falls River Watershed will produce options for improved connectivity and offer recommendations for restoration.