Nature Squamish
Monthly Bird Count Portal
Monthly Bird Count Portal
Welcome to the Nature Squamish Monthly Bird Count data explorer!
This website has been created to allow the valuable data collected by this project to be explored by all who are interested.
The Squamish Estuary Monthly Bird Count was established in 1991 by Jim Wisnia, President of the Squamish Estuary Conservation Society (SECS), now Nature Squamish. The initiative was intended to support ongoing estuary conservation efforts, by gathering data and bringing the community together around nature and wildlife.
Over the years, estuarine habitat has gradually been lost to development, with the growth of downtown Squamish and the construction of log handling, port, and other facilities. By 1991, a formal planning process was underway, triggered by a proposal for a deep-sea coal port that would have reduced productive estuarine habitat to zero.
In 1972, a 5km training dyke was built by BC Rail, as part of the proposal. The dyke “trained” the Squamish River against its west bank and cut off flow to the other branches. The west and central channels were dredged, removing natural sediments and 150,000 truck loads of dredge material was loaded onto the Central Delta. Two years later, Squamish River salmon stocks crashed and the Squamish Estuary Management Planning Process was initiated. SECS helped refine and improve the plan over nearly 20 years of consultation and negotiation. In 1999 the Squamish Estuary Management Plan was signed, setting aside 579 ha for conservation. The Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area was dedicated in 2007 and its management plan drew heavily on SECS bird data and an SECS report on conservation priorities.
Today, the estuary remains a biodiversity hotspot. Restoration projects have improved fresh water flows to the central channel, removed the dredge spoils and 1km of training dyke. Now, the only remnants of the coal port are the remaining part of the dyke and a small amount of ‘dredge spoil’ that was left in place to create the Chelem Trail near the end of the ‘spit’.
Photograph: © Niall Bell - Sunset over the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Estuary, watched over by the Stawamus Chief.