DEROCHE, B.C./Leq’a:mel –  Watershed Watch Salmon Society and its project partners marked an important milestone Friday in restoring fish passage in the heart of what was once one of the greatest wildlife migrations on Earth.

A fish-friendly floodgate installed on Joe’s Lake, near Deroche, is a step toward reconnecting the Lower Fraser region and restoring the salmon migration through the Fraser watershed.

Agriculture Minister and MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, Pam Alexis, and Parliamentary Secretary for Watershed Restoration, Fin Donnelly, joined members of the Leq’a:mel Nation for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Joe’s Lake is a disconnected wetland that was part of the Nicomen Slough floodplain prior to the building of dike infrastructure after the floods of 1948. Installing this fish-friendly sluice-style floodgate has restored fish passage to Joe’s Lake after more than 70 years and reconnected over five hectares of lateral floodplain habitat previously inaccessible to salmon. 

The floodgate also provides improved flood protection to nearby communities and opens up opportunities for future restoration in the area. 

The project was made possible by a partnership between Resilient Waters, Leq’a:mel First Nation, and the North Nicomen Diking District, with funding support from the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund and the Pacific Salmon Foundation:

Quotes

“The North Nicomen wetland is of great importance to our Nation. As we work to heal our watershed, we seek to restore and reconnect impacted waterways for our salmon relatives and other species. We cannot tackle these big issues alone. Together we are stronger, so we are pleased to see the partnerships and relationships of trust that have led to this momentous occasion in our territory.  Our territory’s first fish-friendly floodgate that both protects the community and allows fish in and out for much of the year is something to celebrate!”

• Chief Alice, Leq’a:mel Nation 

“After more than 70 years, the addition of this sluice-style floodgate will restore the disconnected Joe’s Lake to its former glory of over 5 hectares of uninterrupted habitat and provide safe passage to salmon. With this also comes vastly improved flood protection to its neighboring communities and opens up restoration project opportunities to the area. Many heartfelt thanks to Resilient Waters, the Leq’a:mel First Nation, and the North Nicomen Diking District for their collaboration and to BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund and the Pacific Salmon Foundation for the funding.”

• Pam Alexis, Minister of Agriculture and MLA for Abbotsford-Mission

“The dike is visible from our home and I grew up fishing and playing in Joe’s Lake. Managing this diking district for the past 15 years I know how our small volunteer board has struggled to make any improvements to the dike system with the limited resources we were able to access. Many thanks to our Leq’a:mel friends and neighbours, the partners involved, and the landowner, who all all came together with a common vision to see this floodgate project accomplished for the benefit of our communities and, our natural environment.”

• Al Stobbart, North Nicomen Diking District

“It’s been a pleasure to be a part of this amazing project. This is a relatively small example of how flood resilience can be done differently for the entire Lower Fraser and BC. First Nations working in partnership with settler communities to weave their shared place-based knowledge and values into on-the-ground projects that serve a shared interest. The new floodgate is just the beginning of many more possibilities in the North Nicomen Wetlands. It makes for a great testing ground for projects and techniques that can be adopted elsewhere.”

• Dan Straker, Project Manager, Resilient Waters

Photo and video of Joe’s Lake fish access before and after are available. (Credit for before photos and video: Fernando Lessa and Resilient Waters; Credit for after photos and video: Leq’a:mel Nation):  Joe’s Lake Media Advisory – Watershed Watch – Google Drive