Kitwanga River Coho Habitat Enhancement 2005

The Kitwanga River drainage is a tributary of the Skeena River and is located approximately 90 kilometres northwest of Terrace, B.C. The Upper Kitwanga River has excellent spawning and rearing habitat for coho salmon, but an increase in the beaver population has obstructed fish access. In the Upper Kitwanga, over 15 large beaver dams impeded salmon migration annually, preventing coho from reaching over 8 kilometers of prime spawning habitat. To mitigate this, the GFA initiated a seasonal beaver dam breaching program, which involves notching the dams three or four times a week from September to October to allow fish passage.