Non-profit stewardship groups partner to restore the shoreline of Songhees Walkway Pocket Beach
Green Shores for Shoreline Development Demonstration Project
Songhees Walkway | Victoria, British Columbia
As part of the Resilient Coasts for Salmon (RC4S) project, Stewardship Centre for BC and Pacific Salmon Foundation are partnering with Peninsula Streams Society to develop a Green Shores demonstration site at the Songhees Walkway Pocket Beach. Other partners include the City of Victoria, Ralmax Group of Companies, Salish Sea Industrial Services, and the Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation. The Songhees Walkway demonstration site is located in Victoria, on the southeastern Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is within the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) People, known today as the Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation.
First Site Visit
In July 2021, members from the Resilient Coasts for Salmon project team, Peninsula Streams Society, and World Wildlife Fund visited the site to view the pre-restoration conditions of the shoreline. The Resilient Coasts for Salmon Project aims to broaden awareness about the importance of nature-based solutions for shoreline conservation.
Photo of the July site visit: looking out to the Victoria harbour. Photo credit: Kelly Loch, Stewardship Centre for BC.
Photo of the July site visit: looking back to the nearby residential condominium complex. Photo credit: Kelly Loch, Stewardship Centre for BC.
Measurements being take at the site, with a lateral view of the pocket beach showing invasive plants and anthropogenic materials to be removed, the slope to be regraded, and the sediment substrate that will be improved for forage fish spawning. Photo credit: Peninsula Streams Society.
Historical use and adjacent Lime Bay
Below are additional photos of the pocket beach and shoreline at different times in history, and the view outward of the harbour from the adjacent Lime Bay beach.
Historical photos, provided by Peninsula Streams Society.
Ian Bruce, Executive Coordinator of Peninsula Streams Society, at the first site visit in July 2021. Photo credit: Kelly Loch, Stewardship Centre for BC.
More Information
We look forward to working with our partners on this exciting project. Stay tuned for more updates from our Resilient Coasts for Salmon team! In the meantime, explore our SCBC Resilient Coasts for Salmon project page and find additional content on the Pacific Salmon Foundation website.
