Ts'lhimexósem -Chilliwack Creek Reconnection

In 2023, this area was a large, stagnant pool of water, with reduced connectivity due to failing and undersized culverts. The site was heavily overgrown with invasive plants, including reed canary grass and yellow flag iris, which formed a dense mat that was a barrier to fish passage. 

During the summer of 2023, large excavators removed these invasive species and placed the material along the banks. Habitat restoration continued through the summer of 2024, when floodplains were constructed and native trees and shrubs were planted. Floodplains provide slow-moving, shallow water areas that are essential for salmon, offering refuge for juveniles, feeding habitat, and natural sediment filtration. They also help buffer against climate change by disapating floodwaters and reducing downstream erosion.

At the same time, the old culverts were replaced with larger ones lined with spawning gravel to better replicate natural stream conditions. This reconnected the area to Chilliwack Creek, allowing salmon to pass thorugh the site to upstream habiat for the first time in over 75 years. Remarkably, a pair of chum salmon successfully spawned within the culverts themselves in the first year, demonstrating the immediate ecological benefits of these restoration efforts.