Alouette Watershed Community Connections Project
This project will focus on enhancing salmon habitat in the Alouette River Watershed through community stewardship, training volunteers to monitor water quality and habitat, in partnership with the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation.
This project will also restore 600 square metres of salmonid-rearing habitat in the lower reaches of the South Alouette River.
Executive Summary
The Alouette Watershed Community Connections project was completed in March 2025.It took place mostly over the summer of 2024 and fall of 2024, specifically the excavation of an off-channel salmon spawning and rearing habitat called Trethewey Channel and then the subsequent restoration of the excavated areas along the channel bank that included planting native tree and shrubs species including Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), and Hookers willow (Salix hookeriana).
The off-channel habitat had been previously choked with reed canary grass (RCG) and was greatly impacting the flow of water through the channel which drained from the South Alouette River and then flowed back into the South Alouette. However, due to the build up of silt and the extent of RCG, the channel was no longer functioning as fish habitat for salmonids. The channel now has been cleared of the RCG, native plants have been installed and invasive plants such as Himalayan blackberry have been removed from trees previously planted as well as some likely naturally revegetated. Along the way, we ran a number of different community workshops including Streamkeepers training and native planting workshops to help encourage local participation in stewarding areas along the South Alouette River that support salmon species including chum (Onchorhynchusketa), coho (Onchorhynchus kisutch), sockeye (Onchorhynchus nerka), chinook (Onchorhynchus tshawytscha), and pink (Onchorhynchus gorbuscha).
A total of 1,288 m² was restored, including 527 m² of salmon habitat stream area and 761m² of riparian area, where 687 native plants were installed. Over 200 volunteers helped with invasive plant removal and native planting, contributing 527 volunteer hours, with 11volunteers trained in proper techniques. The restoration removed sediment and invasive reed canary grass, improving habitat connectivity. However, Japanese knotweed couldn’tbe treated due to its proximity to water. Key results include planting 687 trees and shrubs, rehabilitating 527 m² of stream area, and engaging a community of volunteers.