RESTORE THE SHORE
CENTRAL ESTUARY RESTORATION PROJECT
Involves upgrading 4 existing undersized inefficient culverts on the training berm with large fish friendly box culverts. These culverts were replaced between Spring 2019 and May 2025.
Modified 850m of the lower training berm to significantly reconnect the river and the lower central estuary. Work was done in 2022 and 2023 with active sedge and grass planting continuing in 2024 and 2025.
Aims to install flow control devices under the rail spur line to Squamish Terminals to re-water historical channels. Preliminary engineering analysis began in fall 2024. Construction anticipate in 2026.
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
Fourth culvert replacement complete. Training Berm Road opened.
May 29, 2025
The fourth and final fish friendly culvert has been installed across the Squamish River Training Berm, completing phase 1 of the Central Estuary Restoration Project (CERP). The training berm road has reopened to the public..
“We are so pleased to be completing this phase of the project,” said Edith Tobe, project manager of CERP, a partnership between the Squamish Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Squamish River Watershed Society. “We are already seeing a multitude of salmon fry utilizing the area and travelling between the river and the estuary. It’s very encouraging for the overall and longterm health of this critically important and ecologically rich habitat.”
CERP began in 2019 and 2020 with the replacement of two of four undersized and underperforming culverts across the Squamish River training berm. From 2021-2023, CERP focused on further connectivity between the river and its estuary which saw the removal of 850 metres at the southern end of the training berm. Work on the final two culvert replacements was done 2024-2025.
Although some replanting and seeding of the disturbed areas will continue in the fall of 2025, the majority of Phase 1 and 2 of the CERP project is now complete. The public is asked to stay off of the new plants to allow nature do its work.
Water flows from the Squamish River to the estuary through the new box culvert May 29, 2025. Many tiny coho and chum salmon fry seen utilizing this new and improved passage.
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Bears and other sensitive wildlife in the area
As the estuary reopens to the public, there is an increased risk of human/wildlife conflict in the area. Birds, mammals and amphibians are nesting and rearing their young at this time of year. The public is asked to be extra vigilant and mindful of their impact in the estuary as they return to this area after the 2-month construction closure. There are two sets of mother black bears with very young cubs in the area for example.
The Squamish River Estuary is a provincially designated Wildlife Management Area governed under the BC Wildlife Act that prioritizes conservation and the management of fish, wildlife and their habitats. Human/wildlife interactions must be avoided for the safety of both wildlife and humans. The estuary is also an important and internationally recognized IBA (International Birding Area). Dogs must be leashed at all times.
Phase 3
CERP now enters the third and final phase of the Project. This phase involves looking to refresh historical connections between of the central channel of the estuary to the degraded habitat on the east side of the CN rail spur line.
The Central Estuary Restoration Project is made possible through the vision and generosity of BC Hydro’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Program (FWCP), Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC), Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), and DFO’s Aquatic Ecosystems Recovery Fund (AERF).
For more information about public access to Pepehím and windsports, please visit the District of Squamish website.
Restore The Shore
WHAT WE DO
Restoring the estuary for future generations
THE RESTORE THE SHORE PROJECT
Over 3,650 square kilometers of coastal rainforest drain into the Skwelwil'em Squamish estuary, which is created by the flow of the Squamish River into Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound. The Restore the Shore project is re-naturalizing over 144 hectares of this valuable estuarine habitat - equivalent to the size of over 200 soccer fields - for endangered Chinook salmon and the interconnected ecosystems that they support.
WHY ARE ESTUARIES IMPORTANT
The project aims to restore vitally important estuarine habitat for endangered Chinook salmon. Salmon stocks have plummeted from 100,000s to 10,000s as the estuary provides a safe haven and protective nursery for juvenile Chinook, along with the interconnected ecosystem including endangered Southern Resident orcas, eagles, bears, dolphins and birds. It is also an act of reconciliation for the Skwxkwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), the original stewards and knowledge-keepers of this land, and the wildlife that has thrived here in the past.
WHAT THIS RESTORATION PROJECT INVOLVES
The restoration measures for Restore the Shore build on 20 years of habitat restoration in the estuary, and are informed by the SRWS’s monitoring program to address the ongoing impacts of the training berm and rail spur line in the estuary. They were developed by the SRWS in consultation with project partners, the Skwxkwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.