Comox Valley Project Watershed Society are hoping to raise $1 million for the Kus-Kus-Sum project.
The project, which started in 2017, focuses on restoring the former Field sawmill site, with hopes of turning it into 8.3 acres of fish and wildlife habitat.
According to Executive Director of Project Watershed Cailtin Pierzchalski, the goal by the end of this year is to have the earthworks done on-site.
“That means having all the land recontoured and all of the excess soil removed, and once that’s done, we can go in and revegetate the entire landscape, making sure everything’s planted with native species,” said Pierzchalski. “That will hopefully take us to the end of this year, or maybe early spring.”
Pierzchalski says they would like to have an entire season of those plants established before they remove the steel wall separating the site from the Courtenay River.
The reason why the wall will be removed is because it impacts out-migrating and spawning salmon. Seals frequently hang out in the river, and the wall allows them to more effectively hunt juvenile and adult salmon.
“One of the core goals of the Kus-Kus-Sum restoration has been to restore salmon populations in the Courtenay River, and the Tsolum and Puntledge Rivers,” said Pierzchalski. “Removing that steel wall really reduces that predation risk, and also allows them access to a bunch more habitat.”
With the goal of removing the wall in winter 2025/2026, the society is hoping to raise $1 million, which would be used to remove the wall and to get through the recontouring and vegetation process
Donations for the project can be made online, with a link available here.
