Salmon, Water, and Climate Change

Kitselas people have been adapting to changing environmental conditions in our territory for millennia. But today, the speed and intensity of human-caused climate change is a new and serious challenge. It’s a problem we face with the rest of the global community. Climate change will impact many of the species and habitats we and others depend on, like salmon.

Climate change impacts on salmon

Climate change will likely harm salmon in multiple ways, including by affecting the water in our rivers, lakes, and streams. Salmon rely on these freshwater habitats. This is where they hatch and spend the first part of their life cycle, and it’s where they return at the end to spawn. We know that climate change will bring an increase in water temperature and affect the quantity and quality of the water. This will have many different impacts on the salmon lifecycle.

KLRD taking action

Habitat restoration helps salmon by improving water quality, restoring nearby plant-life, and enhancing in-stream features. KLRD is involved in several collaborative restoration projects. We are working with the Province, other indigenous groups and Nations to restore and protect key salmon habitats. These projects will bring healthier and more diverse habitats for spawning, rearing, and migration. By restoring and protecting these key habitats, salmon can cope better with stresses brought by climate change.