Ecstall River Monitoring Program Update

Ecstall River Monitoring Program Update

In early fall 2022, a massive landslide tore through the Ecstall River watershed, sending a wave of rock, debris, and sediment downstream. The slide reshaped critical salmon habitat, raising serious concerns about its impact on Ecstall’s chinook, sockeye, steelhead, coho, chum, and pink salmon.

Initial assessments suggested the damage might not be as severe as feared, but the long-term effects on this vital Skeena River tributary remain uncertain. Understanding how the river—and its salmon—respond to such events is crucial, especially as climate change increases the likelihood of extreme natural disturbances.

That’s why we launched the Ecstall River Monitoring Program—a collaboration between SkeenaWild, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and local First Nations. This initiative tracks how the river recovers and what it means for salmon populations.

In summer 2024, we returned to the Ecstall to see firsthand how the river was faring. The power of the landslide is still evident—massive granite boulders, carried kilometers downstream, now rest on the riverbed. Yet, despite the disruption, salmon are returning.

This ongoing work is essential to protecting the long-term health of Ecstall’s salmon and steelhead populations. By working together, we can better understand how salmon systems respond to these dramatic events and ensure their resilience for generations to come.

What can you do?

• Watch the video below to see the latest on the Ecstall River.
• Support this work by making a tax-deductible donation to SkeenaWild.

Your support helps fund crucial monitoring and conservation efforts that protect wild salmon and the communities that depend on them.