The Upper Fraser Small Stream Enumeration program is a population assessment project which employs state-of-the-art remote monitoring equipment to provide an accurate count (enumeration) of the number of salmon in streams, along with species, size, sex, and condition of the fish returning to the stream for spawning. Many small streams in the Upper Fraser watershed have not been enumerated in over two decades, resulting in a dire lack of data hindering efficient species conservation and management.
SCWA started it’s pilot program in 2023, on a small stream of the Upper Fraser that has been previously frequented by salmon. Volunteers spent countless hours during the Chinook Salmon migration ensuring the fence was operating properly; fish health/safety was an upmost concern. The site was visited every couple of days, the fence was cleaned, and the data was downloaded. Thousands of videos were watched, analyzed and organized.
Following the data collection and analysis, a final report was made and after more than two decades, chinook salmon enumeration and stock return data was collected by SCWA volunteers. This data has been shared with DFO and other interested parties.
This project was carried out in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
