Ecojustice Submits Legal Demand Letters to Federal and Provincial Governments Over Destruction of Salmon Habitat in Norrish Creek
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2025
Ecojustice Submits Legal Demand Letters to Federal and Provincial Governments Over Destruction of Salmon Habitat in Norrish Creek
Vancouver, B.C. — On behalf of Watershed Watch Salmon Society, BC Wildlife Federation, and the Norrish Creek Gravel Stewardship Group, Ecojustice Canada has submitted two letters to federal and provincial authorities demanding urgent action to halt and investigate unauthorized and harmful gravel mining in Norrish Creek—a critical salmon-bearing tributary of the Fraser River in British Columbia.
The letters, addressed to the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and the B.C. Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, highlight extensive and likely unlawful environmental damage caused by gravel extraction activities carried out by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) since at least 2022. These activities have dewatered streams, destroyed spawning habitat, and drastically altered groundwater levels vital to the survival of wild chum and coho salmon.
A Threat to Salmon, Water, and Law
Norrish Creek and its alluvial fan groundwater tributaries—such as Worth, Inch, Hawkins, Railroad, and Chilqua Creeks—support tens of thousands of spawning salmon. The creek’s aquifer supplies cool, oxygen-rich groundwater that sustains these fish-bearing streams, even in dry conditions. Since CPKC expanded its gravel operations, numerous streams have dried up, fertilized salmon eggs have perished, and wetland ecosystems have dewatered. This is particularly concerning because over 80% of wetlands in the Lower Fraser have already been paved over for industrial development or diked to create farmland and housing, rendering what remains to be of critical importance to a range of wildlife, including salmon, waterfowl, and amphibians.
Despite the ecological and legal consequences, CPKC has operated without a valid provincial change approval under the Water Sustainability Act, and far beyond the scope of a 2021 federal Letter of Advice issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Investigations by citizen scientists, retired biologists, and environmental groups have documented this destruction through field evidence.
Demands for Immediate Action
The letters submitted today call on both levels of government to enforce the law and protect Norrish Creek with the following actions:
Federally:
- Rescind the 2021 DFO Letter of Advice to CPKC.
- Issue a stop-work order under section 37(2) of the Fisheries Act.
- Conduct a full investigation into the cumulative environmental and legal impacts of CPKC’s operations.
- Require CPKC to obtain a formal Fisheries Act authorization for any future works.
Provincially:
- Enforce the Water Sustainability Act by taking appropriate action, including considering administrative penalties and stop-work orders.
- Require full remediation of the impacted watershed.
- Commission an independent hydrological study of the Norrish Creek aquifer.
- Suspend any new gravel extraction or mining permits in the watershed pending public consultation and restoration planning.
Quotes from the Groups
John Werring, retired biologist and spokesperson for the Norrish Creek Gravel Stewardship Group:
“In these difficult times, with the push toward the “fast-tracking” of resource extraction projects, we need more government oversight, not less. This is a classic example of what can happen when no one is looking.”
Lina Azeez, Habitat Programs Director, Watershed Watch Salmon Society:
“This is one of the worst examples of rampant salmon habitat destruction we’ve seen in the Lower Fraser in a long time. Entire salmon streams have gone dry, and thousands of fertilized eggs have died. The law is clear, the evidence is overwhelming, and the inaction from our governments is unacceptable. We need enforcement—now.”
Marvin Rosenau, Freshwater Fisheries Chair, BC Wildlife Federation:
“Norrish Creek’s unique gravel-rich riverbed is critical salmon habitat. The stream also feeds groundwater to eight known salmon-bearing streams, all of which have been partially or completely dewatered mainly due to the gravel removal, killing incubating eggs laid by spawning coho and chum salmon. Groundwater wells show that at certain times of the year the aquifer was reduced in elevation by almost two meters after the mining commenced. There is no public safety argument for this degree of habitat destruction.”
Contact Information
Name: John Werring, Norrish Creek Gravel Stewardship Group
Email: jlwerring@shaw.ca
Name: Lina Azeez, Watershed Watch Salmon Society
Email: lina@watershedwatch.ca
Name: Marvin Rosenau, BC Wildlife Federation
Email: marvin.rosenau@shaw.ca
Ecojustice Submits Legal Demand Letters to Federal and Provincial Governments Over Destruction of Salmon Habitat in Norrish Creek
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2025
Ecojustice Submits Legal Demand Letters to Federal and Provincial Governments Over Destruction of Salmon Habitat in Norrish Creek
Vancouver, B.C. — On behalf of Watershed Watch Salmon Society, BC Wildlife Federation, and the Norrish Creek Gravel Stewardship Group, Ecojustice Canada has submitted two letters to federal and provincial authorities demanding urgent action to halt and investigate unauthorized and harmful gravel mining in Norrish Creek—a critical salmon-bearing tributary of the Fraser River in British Columbia.
The letters, addressed to the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and the B.C. Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, highlight extensive and likely unlawful environmental damage caused by gravel extraction activities carried out by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) since at least 2022. These activities have dewatered streams, destroyed spawning habitat, and drastically altered groundwater levels vital to the survival of wild chum and coho salmon.
A Threat to Salmon, Water, and Law
Norrish Creek and its alluvial fan groundwater tributaries—such as Worth, Inch, Hawkins, Railroad, and Chilqua Creeks—support tens of thousands of spawning salmon. The creek’s aquifer supplies cool, oxygen-rich groundwater that sustains these fish-bearing streams, even in dry conditions. Since CPKC expanded its gravel operations, numerous streams have dried up, fertilized salmon eggs have perished, and wetland ecosystems have dewatered. This is particularly concerning because over 80% of wetlands in the Lower Fraser have already been paved over for industrial development or diked to create farmland and housing, rendering what remains to be of critical importance to a range of wildlife, including salmon, waterfowl, and amphibians.
Despite the ecological and legal consequences, CPKC has operated without a valid provincial change approval under the Water Sustainability Act, and far beyond the scope of a 2021 federal Letter of Advice issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Investigations by citizen scientists, retired biologists, and environmental groups have documented this destruction through field evidence.
Demands for Immediate Action
The letters submitted today call on both levels of government to enforce the law and protect Norrish Creek with the following actions:
Federally:
- Rescind the 2021 DFO Letter of Advice to CPKC.
- Issue a stop-work order under section 37(2) of the Fisheries Act.
- Conduct a full investigation into the cumulative environmental and legal impacts of CPKC’s operations.
- Require CPKC to obtain a formal Fisheries Act authorization for any future works.
Provincially:
- Enforce the Water Sustainability Act by taking appropriate action, including considering administrative penalties and stop-work orders.
- Require full remediation of the impacted watershed.
- Commission an independent hydrological study of the Norrish Creek aquifer.
- Suspend any new gravel extraction or mining permits in the watershed pending public consultation and restoration planning.
Quotes from the Groups
John Werring, retired biologist and spokesperson for the Norrish Creek Gravel Stewardship Group:
“In these difficult times, with the push toward the “fast-tracking” of resource extraction projects, we need more government oversight, not less. This is a classic example of what can happen when no one is looking.”
Lina Azeez, Habitat Programs Director, Watershed Watch Salmon Society:
“This is one of the worst examples of rampant salmon habitat destruction we’ve seen in the Lower Fraser in a long time. Entire salmon streams have gone dry, and thousands of fertilized eggs have died. The law is clear, the evidence is overwhelming, and the inaction from our governments is unacceptable. We need enforcement—now.”
Marvin Rosenau, Freshwater Fisheries Chair, BC Wildlife Federation:
“Norrish Creek’s unique gravel-rich riverbed is critical salmon habitat. The stream also feeds groundwater to eight known salmon-bearing streams, all of which have been partially or completely dewatered mainly due to the gravel removal, killing incubating eggs laid by spawning coho and chum salmon. Groundwater wells show that at certain times of the year the aquifer was reduced in elevation by almost two meters after the mining commenced. There is no public safety argument for this degree of habitat destruction.”
Contact Information
Name: John Werring, Norrish Creek Gravel Stewardship Group
Email: jlwerring@shaw.ca
Name: Lina Azeez, Watershed Watch Salmon Society
Email: lina@watershedwatch.ca
Name: Marvin Rosenau, BC Wildlife Federation
Email: marvin.rosenau@shaw.ca