Campbell River Estuary: Once an industrial mud pit, the Campbell River Estuary has undergone a dramatic transformation back into an area of rich diversity and beauty. These days, looking down into the shallow river water swirling lazily past the rocky shore, it is easy to spot dozens of finger-length Chinook fry milling about the weeds and algae. At the end of the twentieth century, such a sight would have been rare, despite the Campbell River's acclaimed status as on of British Columbia's most prolific salmon spawning rivers.
In 1999, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), the City of Campbell River and the Tula Foundation joined forces to purchase a small island in the centre of the estuary, known as Baikie Island, and a portion of the adjacent foreshore. After extensive surveying and planning, restoration crews set to work ripping up concrete, excavating more than 38,000 cubic metres of fill and regrading the shoreline to its natural contours, digging two new back channels, and replanting native vegetation in marsh and riparian areas.
These restoration efforts have been highly successful, and today the Baikie Island Reserve is a world-renowned example of how swiftly a landscape can be shepherded back to health. The buzz of saws has been replaced with the songs of marsh wrens. Eagles and black bears frequent the property. Fish fry fill the marshes and streams.
http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/british-columbia/featured-projects/campbell_river_estuary.htm
In 1997 and 1998 ES classes were shown plans for the estuary restoration as well as the stream complexing and the in-stream incubation facilities that became the foundation to both the "Rock the River" project and the salmon restoration activities on the Ibex. In 2000 ES classes took part in planting along the estuary and conducted observations on salt wedging. The Campbell River process have given insights in local salmon restoration process that have been undertaken in the Yukon.
In 1999, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), the City of Campbell River and the Tula Foundation joined forces to purchase a small island in the centre of the estuary, known as Baikie Island, and a portion of the adjacent foreshore. After extensive surveying and planning, restoration crews set to work ripping up concrete, excavating more than 38,000 cubic metres of fill and regrading the shoreline to its natural contours, digging two new back channels, and replanting native vegetation in marsh and riparian areas.
These restoration efforts have been highly successful, and today the Baikie Island Reserve is a world-renowned example of how swiftly a landscape can be shepherded back to health. The buzz of saws has been replaced with the songs of marsh wrens. Eagles and black bears frequent the property. Fish fry fill the marshes and streams.
http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/british-columbia/featured-projects/campbell_river_estuary.htm
In 1997 and 1998 ES classes were shown plans for the estuary restoration as well as the stream complexing and the in-stream incubation facilities that became the foundation to both the "Rock the River" project and the salmon restoration activities on the Ibex. In 2000 ES classes took part in planting along the estuary and conducted observations on salt wedging. The Campbell River process have given insights in local salmon restoration process that have been undertaken in the Yukon.