The City of Surrey B.C. has been working for years to improve salmon habitat in Bon Accord Creek a tributary to the Lower Fraser River. A 150 meter long, concrete flume in the lower end of this creek kept salmon from accessing about 2.5 km of available habitat.
In August 2023, we worked with a volunteer youth group to install Flexi Baffles in the flume. Students learned to use hammer drills to install Flexi Baffles along the length of the flume. It took about 4 days to install 66 Flexi Baffles along the entire length of the flume.
The Flexi Baffles slow water velocities and increase water depth, both of which improve fish passage conditions. The baffles are flexible so they maintain the hydraulic capacity of the flume and they allow debris to pass through the flume during periods of high water.
The following November, we were excited to learn that the coho first salmon were observed above the concrete flume since the 1950’s. These fish were then able to access about 2.5 km on habitat that the City has worked to improve over the years.
The real proof of our success occurred the following spring! In May of 2024, biologists with city sent us this picture. This is the first evidence of salmon spawning successfully in Bon Accord Creek in 70 years. What a great team and what a great project!
We received even more good news last month. Staff with the City of Surrey, environmental Section have installed Flexi Baffles in many more locations through their watersheds. One such installation was at a stormwater structure on Twin Creek, a tributary to the Campbell River. After the Flexi Baffles were installed, coho salmon began migrating into Twin Creek for the first time in 50 years. Staff biologists are going to be conducting minnow surveys next spring so we will see if we have successful spawning.
