Profile of Society

The Salmon River Enhancement Society is a citizens group formed in 1995. Several founding members of the group had been active in the Langley Environmental Organization and as citizen members of the Salmon River Watershed Partnership. There was a need for a separate citizens group which could work with the government agencies but would also increase public involvement and lobby the government agencies when appropriate. While the Langley Environmental Organization had been active in this role it was felt that stream stewardship works best with groups that are devoted to specific watersheds.

The goal of the Society is to increase public awareness of the natural values of the Salmon River and its watershed. We have had good public involvement and media coverage of Society events such as tree planting, Rivers Day and our Annual Open House with DFO during the spring trapping and tagging program of juvenile salmonids. Coming educational projects include a manual for new home owners to promote good environmental stewardship and the erection of roadside signs to advise people when they are entering and leaving the watershed. In addition, the society functions as a "watchdog" over the watershed and has an ongoing 2-year program of water quality testing in the Salmon River and tributaries.

The Society works in conjunction with SRWMP UBC and with LEPS and other local environment groups. We believe that we are making progress but there is much more to do to educate residents and to encourage them to become personally involved so that they will "buy in" to the importance of preservation and protection of the watershed.