On the Frontlines of Flooding: Indigenous-Led Flood Response Protecting Salmon
In December 2025, prolonged heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding across British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. As local rivers and streams continued to rise, water from the overflowing Nooksack River in Washington State crossed the border into the Sumas River system, making an already difficult situation worse. The high water disrupted salmon habitat, affected water quality and left fish at risk.
As floodwaters began to recede, the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (LFFA) stepped in to support affected communities and help protect fish and their habitat. With funding from the Indigenous Stewardship Fund’s (ISF) Climate Emergency Grant Program, LFFA is leading recovery efforts in the aftermath of the flooding.
Responding Where It Mattered Most
LFFA connected with its 24 member Nations through Delegate Forums, while working more closely with Nations that were heavily affected by the flooding. In partnership with Seabird First Nation, crews carried out fish salvage work, relocating more than 4,000 Coho salmon from at-risk areas to safer habitat, reducing the risk of fish loss.
Fish salvage work following the flooding. (Photo Credit: LFFA)
Preparing for the Future
But responding to the immediate impacts is only part of the work. The flooding also highlighted the need to prepare for changing conditions throughout the year.
“The increase in capacity needed and areas of territory requiring proactive planning and data collection to mitigate major climate impacts and events is growing,” said Astrid Niemann-Zajac, on behalf of LFFA.
LFFA is working with B.C.’s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) Drought Monitoring team to better understand how seasonal drought, wildfire and flooding may affect fish habitat and to inform mitigation and emergency preparedness strategies.
LFFA is also helping affected First Nations strengthen their own monitoring capacity. Through training in areas such as water quality and drought monitoring, Nation staff are building the skills and knowledge to identify risks to fish and habitat earlier and respond as conditions change.
Ultimately, this work is about reducing the lasting impacts of flooding and helping ensure that healthy rivers and fisheries continue to sustain First Nations communities for generations to come.
The Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF) works in close partnership with the First Nations Fisheries Council (FNFC), which serves as a frontline organization for collaboration with First Nations across British Columbia. FNFC leads relationship-building and engagement with more than 200 First Nations across the province, listening to and identifying Nations’ interests, priorities and perspectives. ISF complements this work by serving as the funding mechanism that helps turn those relationships and priorities into action. Together, FNFC and ISF ensure that the leadership, needs and priorities of BC First Nations are met with flexible and accessible resources that support Indigenous-led stewardship, habitat protection and long-term environmental resilience.
