Adams River salmon habitat restoration project launched in British Columbia

A collaborative restoration project is underway to revive the sockeye salmon run in British Columbia’s Adams River. The initiative follows the devastating impact of the 2023 Bush Creek East wildfire, which significantly altered the landscape and affected the river's ecosystem.

According to the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), the river has historically shifted from multiple braided channels to a single channel over the last few decades, resulting in a loss of spawning habitat for sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. The current project, involving partnerships with First Nations—specifically led by the Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw—and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), aims to restore natural channel complexity. By allowing river energy to redistribute into multiple channels, the effort seeks to rebuild resilient habitats to support diverse salmon populations.