A project in British Columbia is celebrating the success of reintroducing salmon into the Columbia River, where two adult sockeye, previously released as juvenile fry two years ago, have been detected returning upstream. These two fish are part of a group of 10,000 fry that were released near Castlegar as a part of the Bringing the Salmon Home initiative. The project, led by the Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative in collaboration with the Syilx Okanagan, Secwépemc, and Ktunaxa nations along with the federal government and the province, aims to restore salmon populations.
Mark Thomas, a Shuswap Band councillor and chair of the initiative’s executive working group, emphasized the significance of this achievement despite the small number of returning fish. He highlighted that the successful return of even a few fish demonstrates the potential for restoration efforts. The Columbia River, stretching 2,000 kilometers from the Kootenay region of B.C. to Astoria, Oregon, serves as a vital habitat for salmon.
One of the tagged sockeye was detected nearly 800 river kilometers upstream from the mouth of the Columbia River, close to Wells Dam in Washington State, while the other was found near the Rocky Reach Dam, approximately 60 kilometers south of Wells Dam. The project noted that the fish passage currently allows salmon to reach these locations.
The initiative further highlighted the challenges faced by salmon in the Columbia River basin, particularly the lack of fish passageways at the Chief Joseph Dam and Grand Coulee Dam, which have hindered salmon migration for decades. The Pacific Salmon Foundation revealed that historical development, including the construction of 12 major dams, has significantly reduced salmon populations in the Canadian portion of the Columbia River.
Thomas expressed the profound impact of the absence of salmon on his community, emphasizing the cultural and ecological significance of these fish. He stressed the importance of salmon in sustaining Indigenous traditions and livelihoods. The Bringing the Salmon Home project has secured funding of approximately $5.2 million through the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, supported by both provincial and federal contributions.