Funded Projects

Lake Babine Nation (LBN) is leading this project to improve the resiliency of sockeye-bearing streams in the Lake Babine watershed against the impacts of climate change, forestry, and altered fire regimes. The restoration strategy involves implementing beaver dam analogs (BDAs), guided by historic beaver dam densities.

Through this project, LBN seeks to develop a study design as a foundational step toward broader restoration efforts. This work builds on GIS-based feasibility analysis (to be completed by June 15 , 2025 through separate funding), which will identify the feasibility of BDAs across the watershed. The study will apply a paired-watershed approach, comparing watersheds with similar physiographic and hydrologic characteristics, as well as historic sockeye run sizes. Prospective sites identified through the GIS analysis will be ground-truthed to assess site physiography and vegetation conditions, confirming the feasibility of BDA implementation. Additionally, drone imagery will be taken to capture the “before” condition, and eventually be used to quantify habitat change (a separate initiative in preliminary discussion with the Wild Salmon Center).