One of the Lower Mainland’s most important salmon rivers is under attack.  The Alouette River, which flows from Golden Ears Provincial Park to the Pitt River, before joining the Fraser, is a unique and irreplaceable ecosystem, with a history that goes back millennia. Home to Katzie and Kwantlen First Nations since time immemorial, the Alouette is the only BC Heritage River that is solely within the Lower Mainland. The river provides critical salmon habitat and provides spawning for all five species of Pacific Salmon. Annual salmon returns can exceed 300,000 fish. And yet, this unique watershed, and the fish and wildlife it supports, is threatened as never before. In the last few years there have been proposals to fill and develop large sections of the South Alouette floodplain, contrary to the Official Community Plan and threatening the very survival of the ecosystem and the species that make it their home. If they proceed, it will lead to development all along the south bank of the Alouette, with subdivisions and building on the floodplain alongside irreplaceable habitat.

The river is under tremendous pressure already, from thousands of recreational users, visitors, and population increases. Now the remaining, relatively undeveloped, parts of the riverbank are under attack and could be lost forever. Therefore, today we are launching our unprecedented Save Our Salmon campaign to overturn this misguided decision.  Legal action is expensive, and we need to quickly raise at least $60,000 in order to proceed with a court challenge, and to save the river for future generations. We are all guardians of the Alouette, it’s time to stop its destruction.

For more information regarding the SOS Campaign: Contact: Sophie Sparrow Environmental Projects and Communications Alouette River Management Society Phone:  604 467 64012 Email:  sophie@alouetteriver.org

SOS Campaign Links: Website: www.alouetteriver.org/saveoursalmon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurSalmonAlouette Go Fund Me:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-salmon-alouette-river Canada Helps Campaign: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/alouette-river-management-society/campaign/save-our-salmon-alouette-river/

Proposed Development Background Information: http://media.mapleridge.ca/Mediasite/Play/6a232aa4-f04b-4cdf-bbe8-44dae1518fa7?PlayFrom=257081