Squamish River Estuary
Landscape change, restoration, and future opportunities in the heart of Átl'ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region
Since European colonization, humans have extensively impacted the environment in the area designated as the Átl'ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region. Despite this, many areas of high ecological value and conservation opportunities remain. Among the cases of environmental degradation from human impacts, there are also efforts, past and present, to restore ecosystems or create habitat. When planning for conservation and restoration, understanding the historical context of both human-driven and natural changes to the landscape is key. Collectively, this all supports the ecological recovery of Átl'ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound.
One of the best documented examples of this in the region is the Squamish River Estuary. Nestled alongside the rapidly growing downtown of Squamish where the Squamish River drains into Átl'ḵa7tsem, the estuary sits at the bustling intersection of thriving biodiversity, cultural uses and heritage, urban development, industrial activity, and recreation.
Although a large area of the historical estuary ecosystem has been lost to the development of Squamish, what remains stands as a testament to nature's resiliency and the efforts of dedicated local organizations to protect and restore the ecosystems of this Biosphere Region. This StoryMap provides an overview of the rich biodiversity and history of landscape change in the Squamish River Estuary.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Stélmexw
The lands and waters discussed in this StoryMap are the traditional and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Stélmexw (Squamish People). Since time immemorial, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Stélmexw have used, and continue to use, the land and resources of their territory. Before European contact, the estuary was the location of both winter villages and seasonal camps. It continues to be an important fishing, hunting and spiritual place with significant historical and cultural value to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Stélmexw (1) .
Conservation and Industrial Areas
The core of the estuary is designated as the Skwelwil’em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area (WMA) . A Provincial WMA is "an area of land designated under section 4(2) of the Wildlife Act for the benefit of regionally to internationally significant fish and wildlife species or their habitats". Priority is given to the conservation of these species and their habitats and other activities must be compatible (2) .
At the municipal level, the District of Squamish distinguishes between conservation areas and industrial areas, overlaid on this map. The area designated for conservation largely overlaps with the WMA boundaries. While industrial activities were once permitted throughout the estuary, today they are restricted to the zone in blue. These zones were originally identified in the 1999 Squamish Estuary Management Plan, which formed the basis for both municipal and provincial level planning that followed (3) .
Adjacent to the WMA, there are 5.6 hectares of habitat protected by The Nature Trust of British Columbia, a non-profit organization that works to protect, restore and manage ecologically significant lands throughout the province. Across the tracks from this parcel is Site A, owned and managed by the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw (Squamish Nation) in alignment with the objectives of the WMA. To view the map legend, click the icon on the bottom left of the map.
Place Names
This map gives an overview of the place names for different areas within the WMA as described in the Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary WMA Management Plan. These names will be referenced throughout this Storymap. You can return to this map at any time by clicking the "Place Names" tab in the navigation header.
What is an Estuary?
Estuaries are complex transitional environments. Where a river meets the sea, fresh water mixes with the saltwater environment to create a brackish interface. These conditions create some of the most biologically productive ecosystems on earth (4) . In British Columbia, an estimated 80% of coastal wildlife species use these biodiversity hotspots at some stage in their life cycle. This includes 50 species at risk (5) .
The Squamish Estuary is the largest estuary ecosystem in the Biosphere Region. It is is a fjord-type estuary at the convergence of the Squamish River and Átl'ḵa7tsem and drains an area of approximately 3650 square kilometres of coastal rainforest. Tributaries include the Elaho River, Ashlu River, Cheakamus River, Elaho River, and Mamquam River. (6) .
Biodiversity of the Estuary
The Squamish Estuary is a highly biodiverse ecosystem. Its complex physical environment supports a wide range of species and habitats. Three distinct but interconnected environments are found in the estuary - the aquatic, the estuarine, and the terrestrial environment. Between these three environments, there is a diversity of habitat types including mudflats, seagrass beds, salt marshes, tidal channels, shrub meadows, and mixed forests. Sedge and rush-dominated salt marshes are the most common of these (1,7,17).
The estuary is used across seasons by a diversity of birds, including waterfowl, seabirds, waders, and perching birds. The majority of birds seen here are migratory, although there are smaller populations of year-round residents. Water birds are the most numerous group, stopping over to rest or overwinter in the outer estuary and channels while other birds utilize the meadows, forests, and shrub fringes. For an in-depth discussion of bird use of the estuary, see the Dupuis report .
Internationally, the estuary is designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. It is recognized under this classification as globally significant for its value to congregatory species - in other words, it is a place where birds gather in large numbers. For example, the area attracts large numbers of bald eagles through the winter, when salmon runs provide a rich food source (8) . Other birds are also drawn to the estuary and the riverbanks for this reason.
The East Marsh in particular hosts a large diversity of birds. This may be due to a high concentration of benthic algae there, which draws mud-probing shorebirds (7) . Access to the East Marsh is prohibited to prevent disturbance of the substrate for this reason (2) .
The Central Channel is popular for congregations of overwintering and migrating water birds from September to April. Trumpeter Swans use the north end of the channel, also known as Crescent Slough, as a wintering site. To avoid disturbing these nesting and wintering birds, paddle sports are discouraged in the Central Channel from October to May (2) .
Since 1991, the Squamish Environment Society has conducted monthly bird counts to monitor how birds use the estuary. These counts are an excellent way for the public to engage with citizen science and experience biodiversity in the estuary (9) .
Despite proximity to the downtown core of Squamish, large mammals frequently use the estuary for feeding and as a travel corridor, including black bear, cougar, blacktail deer, and coyote. In the aquatic environment, harbour seals congregate in great numbers at the river mouth to feed during salmon runs.
Beaver, mink, muskrat, and river otters can be seen across various habitats such as in the mainstem of the Squamish and tidal channels. Smaller mammals such as water shrews and bats live and forage in the riparian areas.
A diversity of fish species feed, spawn, and rear in the estuary. This includes provincially and federally significant salmonids such as Pacific salmon (all species except for Sockeye), Bull trout, and Steelhead. Many fishes are temporary residents, migrating through the estuary or using it for a portion of their life cycle such as Pacific herring visiting the nearshore habitat of the estuary to spawn. Herring and herring roe (pictured here) are an important element of the estuary food web, contributing to the diets of other fish and wildlife, waterfowl, and invertebrates.
The Squamish River watershed historically supported eulachon, however, they are now considered locally extinct and little is known about the potential for recovery of this species in the watershed (2, 10) .
Species at Risk
The estuary is especially important to Chinook salmon, a species of high cultural and ecological value in the region. While all salmonid species from the watershed use the estuary, juvenile Chinook (pictured here) rely most heavily on the habitat for extended periods (11) . The environmental transition zone of the estuary allows the juvenile salmon to acclimate from freshwater to saltwater, hide from predators in shoreline vegetation, and feed on the insects and plankton that thrive in the estuary (12) . However, access to the central estuary for these fish has been an issue since the 1972 construction of the training berm.
Numbers of Chinook salmon returning to the Squamish River watershed to spawn have been low since the mid-1970s, when numbers dropped from over 20,000 to under 3000. It has often been noted that this decline coincided with the construction of the training berm (1) .
Other species of conservation concern include the peregrine falcon and Keen’s Long-eared Myotis, both on the provincial red list. Marbled murrelet were commonly observed in the estuary in the 1980s, but the last recorded sighting was in 1993.
Blue listed species include the coastal tailed frog, Northern red-legged frog, Baird’s pelagic cormorant, great blue heron (pictured here), green heron, surf scoter, short eared owl, Townsend’s big-eared bat, grizzly bear, fisher, wolverine. Two blue listed plant species have been found in the estuary; Henderson's checker-mallow and Vancouver Island beggarticks (2,7) .
Since 2016, the Squamish Environment Society has managed a nest box program in the estuary to support the recovery of the blue-listed Western Purple martin. The conservation of Western Purple martins in BC is dependent on human-created and maintained habitat such as this nest box structure which was built near the end of Spit Road in 2023. Read more about Purple martins and this project from the Squamish Environment Society here (13) .
The biodiversity and conservation values of the estuary have been extensively documented since the 1970s when development pressures spurred an increase in scientific attention. Many of these early reports remain relevant and are excellent resources for further reading, such as “Conservation Priorities in the Squamish River Estuary” commissioned by the SES and “The Squamish River Estuary - Status of Environmental Knowledge to 1974” from Environment Canada (7, 17) . The BC Conservation Data Centre's Species and Ecosystem Explorer is also an excellent tool to learn more about the ecology and conservation status of listed species (14) .
Natural Capital
The ecological value of the estuary can also be described through the lens of natural capital – the economic value of the ecosystem goods and services that are provided by the environment such as breathable air, drinkable water, food, nutrient cycling and flood protection as just a few examples. It is important to recognize and account for this value because of the real impacts that ecosystem goods and services have on our quality of life and economies.
A 2021 assessment of the natural capital value of the estuary , commissioned by the SRWS, estimated that the estuary provides $12.6 million per year in the form of disturbance regulation, habitat, recreation and tourism, waste treatment, and fisheries production to name a few. This natural capital and our continued benefit from it is dependent on the ecological health and functioning of the species and communities that call the estuary home (15) .
The biodiversity and ecological health of the estuary cannot be taken for granted. This can be appreciated through a deeper look at the human activity that has heavily influenced the landscape and ecology of the estuary over time. The development of Squamish brought significant impacts to estuarine species and habitats, many of which took decades of intervention through restoration activities to recover to their current state.
The following section of this StoryMap looks back at the history of this change, its drivers and effects, and the efforts that have taken place to bring the estuary back to the condition it is in today.
Landscape Change
Early History
As mentioned above, before contact, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh villages and seasonal camps were present throughout the estuary. After contact, these lands were categorized under the federal reserve system as Yekwaupsum, Sta'amus, Skwawmish Island, Ahstan, Skwulwailium Island (for which the "Skwelwil'em" Squamish Estuary WMA is now named). Note that these are the names of federally administered reservation lands at the time of study, and do not reflect the completeness of the Squamish People’s historical or present-day relationship with the estuary.
Early works by anthropologists such as the Squamish Land Use and Occupancy Report (Bouchard & Kennedy 1986) provide documentation of how the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Stélmexw used and lived on their territory into ancient history, possible only through the contributions of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh elders and the support of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw (16) . Excerpts of this document can be found in the Squamish Estuary Overview Report (1) . Another excellent resource is the recently published book Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw / We Come From This Land by the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw.
European settlers first arrived in Squamish in the mid 1870s, interested in the estuary meadows for grazing cattle (as part of the cattle trail from Pemberton, through the Seymour Valley to Burrard Inlet). Logging of Douglas-fir and Sitka Spruce along the river banks was also a primary activity at this time. Around 1890 settlers brought in labourers to build agricultural dikes to protect hay fields, remnants of which are still present today as linear treed features and walking trails. As late as 1985, agricultural use of the estuary marshes continued with the Halvorson family cutting hay and grazing cattle in the North Field and Central Delta (16,17) .
Hay farming in the Squamish Estuary
Railways were a large driver of development, with the first rail line through the estuary to the oceanfront constructed in 1909. Interest in the use of the estuary as a deep sea port was growing at this time , leading Pacific Great Eastern (PGE) to buy the railway and much of the reserve land from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw. The development was opposed by the local community and did not proceed, but the idea persisted.
Throughout the mid century, estuary land continued to be diked, cleared, and filled for the development of downtown Squamish. The pace of development accelerated with the completion of the railway and highway link between Vancouver and Squamish.
1966 Downtown Squamish dikes at west end of Main Street.
In 1965, the FMC Chlor Alkali Plant was built in the industrial area of downtown to supply the Woodfibre Pulp Mill with chlorine, caustic soda, and hydrochloric acid. This plant, (later sold to Nexen), was active until 1989 and heavily contaminated the site and surrounding areas of the estuary with mercury (1, 18).
Changing Rivers
Throughout this history, there has been immense change to the Squamish River and the surrounding estuary lands. Rivers like the Squamish naturally alter their course over time, and govern the shape of estuaries through processes of erosion and sediment transport. Channels, mudflats, and gravel bars are all constantly shifting and moving. These natural processes take place slowly over years but can also happen suddenly during high-power events such as seasonal floods. However, human activities significantly altered these processes, leading to the landscape that we see today.
Historically the Squamish River had three branches, flowing around both sides of Skwulwailem Island IR (points one and two on the map), as well as east to join with the Mamquam River (point four). In 1921, a major flood caused the Mamquam to change its course and join the Squamish further north. Soon after, what flow remained in the east branch of the Squamish (point three) was cut off by diking for the development of the PGE railway, resulting in the Mamquam Blind Channel (1,18) . This also led to loss of the east branch/Mamquam River estuary, and is suggested to have been a driver of the loss of Eulachon in the Squamish Watershed (10) .
The Training Berm
Despite the ongoing development of downtown Squamish, the central and west branches of the river remained unrestricted for many years, sustaining the ecosystems of the central estuary. From 1970 to 1972 a 5 km structure, known as the Squamish Training Berm, was constructed to contain the Squamish River and confine the Squamish estuary for a proposed coal port development at the south end of the estuary. This aerial photo from 1967 shows the central estuary and the course of the Squamish River before the development of the berm (19) .
Government-commissioned environmental impact studies accompanied by public opposition to the coal port put a halt to more development. The berm itself, however, had already been built.
The berm created a rift through the Squamish River Estuary that disconnected habitats and drastically altered and restricted the flow of the Squamish River. When constructed, the berm had only two inadequately sized culverts installed along its length to connect the estuary, meaning that the estuary was effectively cut off from its freshwater source. This had immediate and long-lasting impacts, including the loss and disconnection of fish and wetland habitat east of the berm, channelization of the river, and erosion of the west bank. The estuary east of the berm, now without significant freshwater flow, became saline and siltier with a heavier tidal influence. This effect was exacerbated by the extension of the berm out into the sound, which would become known as "The Spit" (point 1) (1) .
Dredge Spoils
Another immediate impact of the berm construction was the infilling of adjacent estuary habitat with materials dredged from the river – a step in the development of the port. This area is known as the dredge spoils site. Easily seen in this aerial photo from 1975, the dredge spoils (point 2) were left behind despite the port never being constructed (1,19) .
West-Barr Log Sort
Another major impact from this industrial era of the central estuary was log sorting. The site known as the West-Barr log sort was used since the 1960s, named for its most recent contractor, who operated it from 1988 to 2014 (This photo shows a snapshot of operations from 1990). This operation had significant impacts on the landscape, with effects from both terrestrial and in-water activities and infrastructure, heavy machinery activity, construction of associated roads, and accumulation of debris and pollutants. The site soon became a "brownfield", devoid of fish and wildlife habitat (1, 2, 19) .
Management Planning and Conservation Designations
These main impacts of the training berm, the dredge spoils, and the West-Barr Log Sort did not go unnoticed by the community. It created the need for extensive scientific studies, management planning, and restoration efforts that continue to this day.
In the early days surrounding the development of the Spit, management planning and studies were initiated by the federal and provincial governments and resulted in the 1982 Squamish Estuary Management Plan. This was the first formal management plan for the estuary and designated areas for conservation. The plan was revised throughout the 1990s in collaboration with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw, stakeholders, and the community, culminating in a new version of the plan in 1999 which included plans for the transfer of the culturally significant Site A to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw. This 1999 Squamish Estuary Management Plan was complemented by the 2007 Skwelwil’em Squamish River Estuary WMA Plan, which formalized the transfer of Site A, established a cooperative management agreement between the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw and the Province of BC, and established the Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area (2) .
Restoration and Recovery
Since the early 2000s, conservation and restoration objectives identified through the management planning process have largely been taken on by key players from the non-profit sector and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw. The Squamish River Watershed Society has been a driving force for much of this work, raising the necessary funds and creating critical working relationships across governments and organizations (1,10) .
The following map-tour gives an overview of the restoration work that has been accomplished. It also shows the recreational trail network (in orange), many of which were constructed as part of restoration works. These trails are excellent locations to get an on-the-ground look at the astounding recovery of the estuary.
Explore the map to get a sense of the breadth of work that has been completed. Begin the guided tour by clicking the first title in the menu on the left, or explore at your own pace by clicking a point on the map. Each point approximates the location of a major project. Click the "X" at any time to return to the menu and zoom out to an overview scale of the estuary, or continue scrolling through for a guided tour.
Dredge spoils
Dredge spoils. Click to expand.
One of the first major projects undertaken in the estuary was the restoration of the dredge spoils site. This involved removing the piled dredge material, regrading the topography, re-excavating and reconnecting tidal channels, and revegetating with native species. In addition, a trail complete with pedestrian bridges was constructed and is now known as the popular interpretive Chelem Trail. This work was completed by the SRWS in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and with support from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw over the years 2001-2005 and restored approximately 15 hectares to the functional fish and wildlife habitat that is seen today (20).
West-Barr Log Sort
West-Barr Log Sort. Click to expand.
in 2014, the West Barr Log Sort was decomissioned and moved to Site B in the Mamquam Blind Channel. From 2015-2016, the SRWS restored approximately 6 hectares of the former log sort back into functional estuarine habitat. This included removal of ecologically unsuitable fill material and buried waste, recontouring of the lagoon, regrading of the site, revegetation, and the creation of three new tidal channel connections (21).
Tidal channels
Tidal channels. Click to expand.
One impact of the training berm and dredge spoils was that many tidal channels, once prime salmon habitat, were disconnected between the Squamish River and central estuary or simply lost altogether. Reconnecting isolated channels and constructing new ones was a focus of restoration activity by the SRWS from the 1990s through 2024. This restoration has taken place in multiple areas around the estuary, including but not limited to the dredge spoils area in the early 2000s, at the West-Barr Log Sort, and other locations throughout the western, central, and eastern deltas. Thousands of metres of tidal channel habitat have been restored and created through these efforts (1).
Culvert Upgrades
Culvert Upgrades. Click to expand.
This location shows an example of a culvert through the spit, which was upgraded in 2020. Once an undersized corrugated steel pipe culvert, inadequate for juvenile salmon passage into the central estuary, it was replaced with a 3m x 3m box culvert to improve fish passage and habitat connectivity. Several culvert upgrades like this have been completed over the years. Since the construction of the spit in 1972, which originally had only two culverts, there are now nine. Two of these have been improved to the box culvert design, and analysis for further upgrades is underway by the SRWS (1, 23).
Removal of the Spit
Removal of the Spit. Click to expand.
While improvements to fish passage through culvert upgrades were an important step, continued monitoring studies showed that fish passage into the estuary was still limited (24). Problems to fish passage and water flow persisted, including build-up of debris in the culverts and fish activity only at high tides. During low tides, many channels in the central estuary would dry up and fish were limited to refuge lagoons (24, 25). Identification of these problems and adaptive management led to the most recent and dramatic improvement to fish passage into the central estuary – the removal of the spit. From 2021-2023, the Spit was modified by the SRWS in partnership with DFO and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw to reconnect the Squamish River to the lower estuary and to allow outmigrating salmonids to immediately access the critical habitat in the central estuary. The tip of the spit was left as an island, Pepahim, to facilitate continued use by the wind sports community. Read more about this project on the SRWS Restore the Shore website (23).
As evidenced above, the restoration projects took place in multiple areas of the WMA over many years, often occurring simultaneously. This timeline gives further detail on the history of restoration work in the WMA and is adapted from the SRWS 2018 report prepared by Edith Tobe, " Squamish River Estuary Feasibility Study and Overview Report " (1).
1995 - 1999
Two culverts installed at the north end of the training berm
1999
Tidal channel connector constructed at Crescent Slough and addition of a walking trail, restoring an area of 2,600m 2
2001-2005
Restoration of the dredge soils site and tidal channels along its perimeter, construction of a walking trail and pedestrian bridges, installation of a culvert at the dredge spoils site, construction of a connector channel at the south edge of the dredge spoils site, and planting of sedges and riparian shrubs. In total, 15 hectares of habitat restored.
2002-2003
Restoration of tidal channels and marsh habitat on the East Delta near West Barr Log Sort, including a new bridge and riparian planting for 5000m 2 of restored habitat
2003-2004
Tidal channel connectivity restored and riparian planting in the East Marsh by the Blue Heron Trail for 2500m 2 of restored habitat
2004-2006
Restoration in Site A on the East Delta, creation of a tidal channel connection, revegetation, and bridge construction for 3000m 2 of restored habitat
2006-2007
Tidal channel, bridge construction, new culvert, and riparian planting at the West Barr Road Culvert Crossing for 3500m 2 of restored habitat
2007-2008
Three new culverts installed along Spit Road (the training berm)
2008-2010
Trash tracks installed on 4 culverts along training berm
2015-2016
West Barr Log Sort Restoration, including three new tidal channel connections, revegetation including eelgrass planting, construction of four bridges and logging road deactivation. 5.8 hectares of habitat restored.
2018-2021
Phase One of the Central Estuary Restoration Project , including upgrading of two undersized steel pipe culverts along the training berm with large box culverts, and armouring of culvert intake channels.
2021-2023
Phase Two of the Central Estuary Restoration Project. Removal of the Spit (the lower training berm) to reconnect the Squamish River and the lower central estuary
This restoration work would not have been possible without the commitment of key individuals and organizations, government agencies, funders, and other community partners. This list includes but is not limited to:
- Squamish River Watershed Society
- Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- BC Hydro Bridge Coastal Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program
- District of Squamish
- Lake Trail Environmental Consulting
- Instream Fisheries Research
- Squamish Streamkeepers
- Squamish Environment Society
- BC Parks
- BC Ministry of Environment
- BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations
- Pacific Salmon Foundation
- Healthy Watersheds Initiative
- Capilano University
It is important to note that the working relationships that allowed for the work to happen did not form overnight. In many cases, particularly with respect to working across governments, there were significant systemic challenges that needed to be overcome. Those involved since the early days recall the challenges of building these relationships and have spoken to the key role that the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Uxwumixw, the Squamish River Watershed Society, and like-minded individuals played in driving change, creating action, and persisting in building strong working relationships (10) .
Looking Forward
The ecological, social, and economic value of the Squamish River Estuary in this Biosphere Region cannot be overstated. As evidenced by this StoryMap, there has been and continues to be a tremendous amount of work and dedication behind the estuary that we know today. The restoration works that have been completed are enormous steps forward towards ecological recovery, but will require ongoing monitoring to evaluate their effectiveness. Much of this work is already being conducted, facilitated, and tracked by the SRWS and partner organizations.
Following the removal of the spit, key questions with respect to changes in Chinook salmon movement, sedimentation, movement of large woody debris, and changes in biophysical habitat are being monitored, as part of a robust fisheries monitoring program initiated in 2018. Specific monitoring requirements continue to be identified and adapted, such as increasing the duration of spring and summer outmigration monitoring in the lower estuary during low salinity periods (24) .
Phase 3 of the Central Estuary Restoration Project is underway and will entail the installation of a flow control device under the CN Spur Rail line to the Squamish Terminals. The effect of this will be to rewater historic channels in the east delta of the estuary (23) .
The 2007 Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary WMA Management Plan contains a long list of objectives, some of which have begun to be addressed through the restoration works and studies discussed here. However, many of the objectives require ongoing attention and adaptive management, such as increasing the knowledge and protection of species at risk and their habitats within the WMA, or protecting the ecological integrity of native vegetation communities. It is evident that much of the funding and the resulting work that has been done has necessarily been focused on reversing large-scale industrial impacts on fish and fish habitat. Beyond this, interesting questions remain with respect to broader biodiversity conservation – for example, how Indigenous vegetation is changing over time and where there are opportunities for Indigenous plant restoration, especially culturally important species such as eelgrass and chocolate lilies (26) . It has also been suggested that there is a need to conduct an updated comprehensive species inventory in the estuary, such as that done in the 2003 Dupuis study (16) . Some have also suggested that the WMA management plan is in need of an update.
Future development proposals continue to arise, such as the currently proposed Eagle Mountain Woodfibre LNG Pipeline. This project proposes to run a liquid natural gas pipeline underneath the Wildlife Management Area to supply the Woodfibre facility.
Finally, we must remember that restoring and conserving valuable ecosystems like the Squamish River Estuary is only one part of the holistic approach required for stewarding an intricately connected Biosphere Region. While tremendous work has been done to ensure that the functions of the estuary and its habitat are not limiting, many of the species discussed in this StoryMap are migratory and rely on the estuary only for portions of their lives. The functioning of the estuary itself relies on healthy watersheds and healthy oceans. As such, it is critical that we continue to build on the relationships that have been created in this region to take a holistic approach to stewarding the land.
You have to understand that the headwaters of the watershed, the alpine wetlands, the tributaries and rivers, down to the estuary and the ocean are all connected. If we are going to protect it, we are going to have to protect it from the headwaters down. It is all one beating, functioning heart .
This StoryMap is produced and maintained by the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society (HSBRIS) with funding provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada. We acknowledge and respect the rights and title of First Nations who have inhabited this landscape for time immemorial. A special thanks goes out to those who shared their time and knowledge to support the development of this StoryMap, including Edith Tobe of the Squamish River Watershed Society, Randall W Lewis of the Squamish Nation, and Carl Halvorson and Gwen L'Hirondelle of the Squamish Environment Society.
The objective of this StoryMaps is to provide public education and document the history, ecological importance, land use, and restoration of priority areas in the Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region. This StoryMap is by no means all encompassing and is based primarily on openly available information. It is intended to be a living document and will be updated as more information becomes available. HSBRIS shall not be held liable for any third party’s interpretation of the data. Users should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the data’s usability.
