HABITAT ASSESSMENT

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In order to better understand the needs of the salmon at any given time, we need to be very familiar with their habitat throughout the years. The health and abundance of a salmon run can be affected by many factors, a few of which we can monitor and even adjust if necessary. Some of the more easily observed and basic aspects fundamental to salmon survival include the presence or absence of gravel in which to spawn, the amount of shade and stabilization from trees on the riverbank, suitable cover in the creek (often a fallen tree is just what they need) and good water flow to ensure a cool, clean creek bed. With these aspects taken care of, the salmon stand a much better chance of maintaining their numbers. Beneficial insect and invertebrate life will also flourish, further benefiting the system.

See below for more details about salmon habitat surveys carried out by MESSS  

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Each fall, M.E.S.S.S workers and volunteers walk a handful of local creeks in order to count the number of returning salmon and also to monitor the habitat conditions. The results ensure we have a solid baseline data from which to plan any future enhancement projects. Each creek is monitored between 2 and 8 times (depending on the numbers) over the course of three months. All data is reported to DFO and available for the public to view. The regular observation helps us to monitor the health and abundance of local salmon runs.

 

Our habitat monitoring reports can be viewed from the drop down menu above.