The Keogh (Giyuxw) River salmonid project has been ongoing since the late 1970s and boasts one of the longest time series of steelhead abundance and marine survival in the world. Research and monitoring are conducted in partnership with the Kwakiutl First Nation, the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Simon Fraser University.
We employ customized electronic resistivity fish counters and radio and PIT telemetry to describe the movement ecology, migration timing, habitat use, and population structure of steelhead trout in the Keogh (Giyuxw) River. Data collected since 1977 have been used to guide management decisions and improve our understanding of the complex interactions amongst environmental variability, marine survival, and freshwater productivity.
Additional research activities include:
- Monitoring the success of habitat manipulations and nutrient additions to improve watershed productivity.
- Evaluating the benefits of hatchery supplementation to rebuild low-abundance steelhead populations.
- Evaluating the effects of mid-summer flow augmentation on smolt production.
- Ongoing collaborative research with Dr. Jon Moore at Simon Fraser University evaluating the importance of salmon-derived nutrients.
