Urban Salmon Project

Urban Salmon Project


URBAN SALMON is the FIRST DOCUMENTARY project featuring SALMONIDS in the URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Serpentine River. Surrey, BC.

Although the restoration of the watersheds and Urban Salmon are not unknown to most people and many are aware of the importance of a peaceful existence with wildlife, many don’t realise how close that Urban wildlife is to them.


There are no more salmon runs like 100 years ago, where “one could walk over fish” in the Brunette River, but Vancouverites can definitely still enjoy a beautiful run, with hundreds - even thousands - of fish, just a few bus stops away from their homes.

A female Pink Salmon. North Vancouver, BC.

Outcomes and Results

3 years
In 3 YEARS we visited 28 CREEKS and RIVERS in METRO VANCOUVER

A COFFE TABLE BOOK was PRINTED and an FREE EDUCATIONAL IMAGE BANK was created.

Documenting the Chum Salmon in the Brunette creek, Burnaby.

The PROJECT also documented other RARE SPECIES.

The Nooksack dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) is one of the many endangered species found in our urban streams. They are part of the Chehalis fauna, a unique group of fish that got isolated in the Pleistocene glaciation. They are only found in four rivers in British Columbia and are protected under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA).

Brunette River, Burnaby, BC






Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) is the only native species of crayfish in British Columbia. They are more resistant to lower quality water than salmon. They are part of most British Columbian childhood and can be found in good numbers throughout the urban watershed..

A coho salmon egg of around 15 days. Major structures are formed and the embryo is very active inside the egg. This photo is amplified x20 times.

Tynehead Hatchery, Surrey, BC.


The steelhead is an anadromous form of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). They are a threatened species and many southern BC populations are collapsing and are at imminent risk of disappearing. The urban steelhead is even rarer as it needs high-quality waters.

A male steelhead displays its spawning colors in cold alpine wate


A female pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in full spawning colors protects its nest from predators. Seymour River, North Vancouver, BC
When the rain comes by late fall, fish start to swim up the rivers. Urban creeks are greatly affected by rain because of the lack of riparian vegetation and pollution from road wash. Here, an adventurous chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) swims in a shallow creek in Burnaby. Stoney Creek, Burnaby, BC
Winter is very important in the salmon’s life cycle since it is when the salmon eggs, buried deep in the gravel, will develop and hatch. Fish will feed on their yolk sacs until late January and February. Lynn Creek, North Vancouver, BC
A cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) feeds in the fast waters of Lynn Cree
A big school of coho salmon holds by a pool close to the dam in Capilano River. The coho in the Capilano is unique. Known for its small size, having an early run, and its amazing taste, it helps - at least in the past - to bring the river into the hall of the best fishing spots in the world. Capilano River, North Vancouver, BC

A female pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in full spawning colors protects its nest from predators. Seymour River, North Vancouver, BC When the rain comes by late fall, fish start to swim up the rivers. Urban creeks are greatly affected by rain because of the lack of riparian vegetation and pollution from road wash. Here, an adventurous chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) swims in a shallow creek in Burnaby. Stoney Creek, Burnaby, BC Winter is very important in the salmon’s life cycle since it is when the salmon eggs, buried deep in the gravel, will develop and hatch. Fish will feed on their yolk sacs until late January and February. Lynn Creek, North Vancouver, BC A cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) feeds in the fast waters of Lynn Cree A big school of coho salmon holds by a pool close to the dam in Capilano River. The coho in the Capilano is unique. Known for its small size, having an early run, and its amazing taste, it helps - at least in the past - to bring the river into the hall of the best fishing spots in the world. Capilano River, North Vancouver, BC
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