Skeena River Estuary Juvenile Salmon Habitat

Skeena River Estuary Juvenile Salmon Habitat

Introduction

The Skeena is the second largest river in the province, and one of the longest un-dammed rivers in the world. The Skeena River estuary is a unique system in that it does not have a single distinct intertidal delta typical of most estuary systems. Instead, suspended sediments are deposited in shoals along the lower river and the channels which connect the estuary to the open ocean, creating a region of extensive mudflats and shallow, intertidal passages. The estuary mudflats and other intertidal areas have been identified as critical habitats for Skeena River juvenile salmon, as well as important habitat for eulachon and migratory/wintering waterfowl.

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The Skeena River Estuary

The Skeena River Estuary

Chatham Sound

Chatham Sound is situated in the northern part of British Columbia, located between Dundas and Stephens Islands and the Tsimpsean Peninsula near Prince Rupert and bordering on Alaska. It is a semi-enclosed basin with an area of approximately 1500 km2, and is influenced by fresh water from two large rivers, the Skeena and the Nass (Trites, 1956).

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