Slide Show – Presented by Lora (Tyron) McAuley, R.P.Bio, M.Sc.
Courtenay River
The Courtenay River is the shortest navigable river the world. It starts where the Puntledge and Tsolum rivers converge and occupies a prominent central location in the heart of the City of Courtenay.
Simms Park Native Plants
Riparian areas include the native trees, shrubs and grasses growing alongside water-courses. These native plants provide vegetative cover to help moderate water temperature.
Off Channel Habitat
Off-channel habitats provide lower water velocity, moderated water temperature, and enhanced food availability. They are important because they have been shown to benefit juvenile salmon growth and survival, decrease their competition for food and space, help keep larger predators away and provide important refuge.
Riparian Habitat
A riparian area is the interface between the land and a river or stream. Riparian areas link water to land. They boarder streams, lakes and wetlands and encompass the trees, shrubs and grasses growing along these water bodies.
Simms Park Habitat Improvement Interactive Map
Over 2017- 2018, the Project Watershed team completed a habitat improvement project. The endeavour included the removal of an old culvert connecting the Courtenay River through the park into an inner pond area.
Simms Millennium Park Habitat Enhancement
When Simms Millennium Park opened in 2000 it included off channel habitat for fish and other riparian species. This was one of only three off-channel habitats for juvenile salmonids along a three km stretch of the upper ecotone of the K’ómoks Estuary.
Resident Geese Overgraze
These resident geese overgraze the vegetation and grub the roots of the ‘marsh platform’ – a thick accumulation of nutrient-dense soils from land, freshwater aquatic and marine sources bound together by vegetation.
The KFN Guardians are preventing rich soils from being eroded
By reviving cultural practices and innovating restoration techniques, the Guardians are preventing rich soils from being eroded and washed away with the tides.
Citizen-Science Saltmarsh and Eelgrass Monitoring Program
The monitoring program provides volunteers and community groups with all the information, materials and support necessary to help us monitor our restoration projects.
Creating Habitat Connectivity
Comox Valley Project Watershed is focusing on the restoration of three marine habitats – kelp, eelgrass and saltmarsh – to facilitate connectivity between the subtidal, intertidal and foreshore zones in the estuary.
Restoring Kelp Forest Habitat
Comox Valley Project Watershed Society is working with partners to restore kelp forests using two methods: planting seeded kelp lines and reducing grazing pressure by sea urchins.