Funded Projects

Seabird Island (SI) is leading a project to improve understanding of the ecological conditions in Maria Slough, with the goal of identifying areas that could benefit from restoration and informing future stewardship efforts.This project aims to enhance Seabird Island’s understanding of the ecological conditions in Maria Slough to guide restoration efforts that align with community priorities. Data collected through the project will help identify areas in the slough that could benefit from restoration and inform future decision-making based on community feedback.

The project includes three main activities. The first focuses on water quality monitoring, using dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, and depth loggers to assess habitat suitability for aquatic life. In addition, grab samples will be taken at six sites, including a control location upstream of agricultural lands, to analyze nitrogen, phosphorus, coliform, and pesticide levels and evaluate the impact of nearby agriculture. The second activity involves Chinook Salmon spawner surveys and aquatic species trapping. Seabird Island’s biologist will collect data on spawning success across four channels and deploy feddes and gee traps before, during, and after freshet to document species composition in areas of interest for restoration. The third activity centers on community knowledge sharing. A community event will be held to present findings to Seabird Island members, including youth and Elders, and to gather feedback, share local knowledge, and guide future restoration planning through collaborative dialogue.