In late 2024, coho and chum salmon were returning to spawn in Worth Creek, a small stream east of Mission, B.C. Thanks to past investments from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to enhance spawning habitat, even this modest waterway supported impressive populations, think thousands of salmon, in recent years.

But in early December, the creek suddenly disappeared, leaving fertilized salmon eggs high and dry.

Local journalist Jack Emberly was the first person to report (Dec. 6, 2024) what had happened to the DFO hotline. But, DFO stream assessment manager, Matt Townsend would subsequently tell Emberly his staff informed him of the dry creek on Dec. 2, 2024. In his Dec. 23, Along the Fraser column for Black Press, Emberly quotes Townsend saying, “It’s not normal for this creek to go up and down. Our restoration team is looking into it further to see if they can determine the root cause.” But, reports Emberly, DFO might have already known the cause. He subsequently quotes DFO habitat restoration unit manager, Murray Manson saying, “There’s a lot of gravel removal going on. CP Rail is the proponent. The water level rises and falls. Maybe, they’ve dug a deep channel and it’s draining on one side.

In his newspaper column, Emberly called the dry creek bed a tragedy, sharing photos of dead fish and raising the alarm: something had gone seriously wrong.

So what happened?

Habitats Program Manager Lina Azeez.

A Special Creek for Salmon

Worth Creek might be small, but it plays a big role for salmon in the Lower Fraser. It’s fed by underground water flowing from the nearby Norrish Creek. That steady groundwater keeps Worth Creek cool in summer and flowing in the winter, creating the perfect habitat for salmon spawning and egg incubation.

Even though it’s short and narrow, Worth Creek has supported thousands of salmon in good years, according to Emberly’s sources, who include one retired DFO officer who participated in habitat restoration on Worth and other nearby creeks in the 1980s and 1990s. These creeks include Railroad, Barnes, Hawkins, and Inch Creeks – all part of the same network, and all important salmon streams.

What Caused Worth Creek to Dry Up?

Worth Creek at Hawkins Pickle Road. Photo: Jack Emberly

After the devastating floods in November 2021, CP Rail began removing large amounts of gravel from Norrish Creek. The goal was to protect rail infrastructure and reduce future flood risks. But by late 2024, concerns were mounting that the gravel removal had gone too far.

In early 2025, Jack Emberly, and biologists John Werring, and Dr. Marvin Rosenau revisited the area. What they would conclude from their observations and research of historical DFO documents was alarming: gravel had been removed so deeply that Norrish Creek’s water level had dropped several feet. Without enough water in Norrish, the groundwater that normally feeds Worth Creek stopped flowing. The creek dried up.

The Connected Vessels Model

Think of the creeks in the watershed as a series of connected bowls, linked by underground pathways made of gravel and rock. Norrish Creek is the largest bowl. It collects surface water, and when water volumes are sufficient, water flows from it into the underground pathways of gravel that feed nearby streams like Worth, Railroad, Hawkins, and Inch.

When Norrish Creek has plenty of water, these underground pathways remain full, supplying water to the smaller creeks, which is especially important during dry periods. But when gravel is removed from Norrish, it’s like scooping out the bottom of the bowl. The streambed drops and the water table lowers. This disconnects those underground pathways where water could flow to the smaller creeks, causing them to dry up. This process, called “dewatering,” is deadly for salmon eggs, which need cold, flowing water in the gravel to survive winter. A 2022 report warned that gravel removal could reduce groundwater flow, and that’s exactly what seems to have happened in Worth Creek in December 2024. 

The connected vessels model, showing how groundwater would have moved from Norrish Creek to smaller nearby creeks, including Worth and Inch Creek.

And it’s not just Worth Creek at risk. This same underground system, called an aquifer, feeds Railroad, Hawkins, Inch, and other local creeks. If gravel removal continues without a full understanding of its impacts, the consequences for these creeks and the wild salmon habitat they provide could be severe and long-lasting.

Why It Matters

What happened at Worth Creek is more than just a local incident. It’s a warning for all gravel creeks and rivers across the Lower Fraser watershed. 

Some of the best salmon habitat isn’t in big rivers—it’s in small creeks and side channels. These streams often go unmonitored, but they provide critical spawning and rearing habitat.

When these creeks dry up:

• Salmon cannot reach their spawning grounds
• Eggs die before they hatch
• Juvenile fish lose their rearing habitat
• Salmon populations are impacted

Gravel mining has created unnatural pools of water at Norrish Creek.

What We’re Doing

Watershed Watch Salmon Society, in partnership with a UBC Sustainability Scholar, is researching how large-scale gravel mining (like what happens on the Vedder and Norrish Creek) impacts salmon habitat and groundwater-fed streams in the Lower Fraser. The goal is to help governments and communities find better ways to manage flood risks, without harming fish and their habitats.

Worth Creek in Spring 2025. 

What Needs to Happen

As outlined in a recent Maple Ridge News, Along the Fraser article, three local biologists have since written to Premier David Eby and the federal Fisheries Minister, calling for an immediate pause on gravel extraction in the Norrish Creek watershed until a full environmental review is completed, and for steps to be taken to restore the water table.

Here’s what we’ll be calling for next:

• Halt major gravel mining until we understand the full impact on groundwater and salmon habitat.
• Restore the Norrish Creek streambed to help raise the water table and reconnect groundwater flow to nearby creeks.
• Involve First Nations communities, including Leq’á:mel Nation, whose territory encompasses Norrish, Worth and other creeks. Their leadership and knowledge are key to finding long-term solutions.
• Improve and expand monitoring of small salmon streams so that warning signs, like dropping flows, can be spotted early and prevented.

A Voice for the Creek

Without Jack Emberly’s reporting, the story of Worth Creek would very likely have gone unnoticed, and the focus today might not be on correcting mistakes and restoring Norrish Creek to historical levels needed to support adjacent streams and side channels. His writing brought much-needed attention to a critical habitat issue that might otherwise have slipped through the cracks. But the real challenge is still ahead – public vigilance on the Norrish Creek ecosystem until it is restored to its historical glory.