Assessing juvenile salmon use of restored habitat in the K'ómoks Estuary

The mouth of the Courtenay River on the K'ómoks Estuary has been exposed to a range of anthropogenic stressors and influences over the past one hundred years. Since 1998 organizations such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Comox Valley Project Watershed Society have conducted restoration projects in hopes of restoring juvenile salmon habitat throughout the K'ómoks Estuary. This study was an overview of the juvenile salmon use of restored salmon habitat in the K'ómoks Estuary. Sampling of juvenile salmon was conducted at three study sites by Comox Valley Project Watershed Society's Sampling Team between April and July 2023. Measurements such as Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen Concentration, and Salinity were also sampled and recorded along with Percent Shade Cover at the study sites. These data will be used to assess the success of historic restoration projects, as well as provide baseline data for the upcoming Kus-kus-sum restoration project.