With new park, salmon are in the pink
$3.5-million east Van wetland project gives juvenile fish a place to rest and feed
Juvenile salmon are getting a new tidal wetland where they can rest and feed as they head into the open ocean every spring.
The wetland is in New Brighton Park in east Vancouver. As recently as last September, it was a grassy area that covered industrial fill dumped there in the 1960s and 1970s.
The area has been transformed: Two outlets to the inlet have been carved into the landscape so the wetland can be flushed out by the changing tides. It has been planted with an estimated 25,000 salt marsh plugs and grasses, 4,000 coastal shrubs such as salmonberry and Nootka roses, and 800 trees.
With the $3.5-million project complete, tidal wetland was officially opened Thursday at a ceremony in the park.
The waterways in the wetland are ringed with orange fencing, which some may regard as an eyesore. The fencing is a temporary measure to protect a small plant called pickleweed, which was being eaten by Canada geese when it was planted in late spring. Once the pickleweed establishes itself after a full growing season, the fencing will be removed.
The Vancouver park board and Port of Vancouver worked with Musqueam, Squamish and TsleilWaututh nations on creating the wetland.
John Konovsky, a biologist for Tsleil-Waututh, said the natural shoreline was originally located a short walk to the south by the railroad tracks.
“This isn’t re-creating what used to be here,” he said. “This is taking advantage of a situation to create a new habitat that will restore some of the lost functions.”
The wetland isn’t meant as a spawning area for salmon, he said. The New Brighton Park wetland is designed to be one of a series of habitat islands around Burrard Inlet that allow juvenile chum and pink salmon to rest and feed as they swim into the open ocean.
“We’ve been working to create a series of habitat islands from the entrance to Burrard Inlet up Indian Arm,” he said.
Habitat islands have been created on the North Shore at spots that include Lynn and Seymour creeks. Another is being created on Maplewood Flats. But because the waterfront along the south shore of the inlet is heavily developed, there are few opportunities to create the same kind of wetland that young salmon need in Vancouver.
“This is one of the great opportunities,” Konovsky said. “With good planning, they can go hand in hand — a healthy Burrard Inlet and Canada’s largest port.”
The creation of the wetlands is also part of the restoration of Hastings Creek through Hastings Park. The wetlands project includes new picnic tables, viewing decks and gravel pathways.
Chris Lewis, councillor for the Squamish Nation, said the tidal wetlands area is known as KnaNah-Moot, which means to appear from the creek water. Its Squamish origin story is that two herons were fishing in the area and decided to stay because it was such a rich spot. They took off their heron cloaks and transformed into humans who lived in a village on the site.
“It’s so enlightening and empowering that we’re revitalizing the creek,” he said. “The Squamish Nation has been supportive of bringing salmon back so that it becomes a vibrant and rich area again.”
A similar Vancouver park board biodiversity project involves the restoration of a stream through Volunteer and Tatlow parks.