The 50 Watersheds Project is a collaborative research initiative that brings together Indigenous knowledge, Western science, and long-term environmental monitoring to better understand how climate change and forest management are affecting salmon habitat across northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland coast of British Columbia.
Led by Na̲nwak̲olas Council in partnership with the Hakai Institute and member First Nations, the project is generating the scientific information needed to support Indigenous stewardship and informed decision-making. By combining Guardian-led fieldwork with advanced ecological monitoring, environmental DNA (eDNA), and watershed modelling, the project demonstrates how respectful collaboration can strengthen both science and reconciliation.
Partners
The 50 Watersheds Project is led by Na̲nwak̲olas Council in collaboration with:
Mamalilikulla First Nation
Tlowitsis First Nation
Wei Wai Kum First Nation
We Wai Kai First Nation
K’ómoks First Nation
Hakai Institute
The project is supported through the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) and brings together First Nation Guardians, scientists, technicians, and resource managers in a collaborative approach to watershed research and monitoring.
Timeframe
The 50 Watersheds Project is a multi-year initiative that began in 2023 and concluded in 2026.
Over the course of the project, partners are collecting environmental data across more than 60 primary watersheds and dozens of smaller catchments throughout the territories of participating First Nations. Results will provide a long-term foundation for watershed stewardship and future environmental monitoring.
Context
For thousands of years, the member Nations of Na̲nwak̲olas Council have stewarded the rivers and watersheds that sustain salmon, wildlife, and their communities. Today, these watersheds face growing pressures from climate change and changing patterns of forest management. Rising stream temperatures, altered hydrology, and changing forest conditions can all affect salmon survival, yet many watersheds have historically lacked the long-term environmental data needed to understand these changes.
The 50 Watersheds Project was established to address these knowledge gaps through a partnership founded on mutual respect and shared learning. Rather than treating Indigenous knowledge and Western science as separate approaches, the project intentionally brings them together to create a more complete understanding of watershed health—a model partners describe as "reconciliation through science."
Fieldwork is carried out by interdisciplinary teams that include First Nation Guardians, Na̲nwak̲olas Council staff, and Hakai Institute scientists and technicians. Together, they travel by truck, boat, and helicopter to remote watersheds to install monitoring equipment, collect water samples, and document environmental conditions.
The project combines multiple lines of evidence, including continuous water temperature monitoring, dissolved oxygen measurements, weather station data, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, aquatic biodiversity surveys, and assessments of riparian forest conditions. These complementary datasets will help researchers understand how watershed characteristics influence stream temperatures and salmon habitat across a diverse range of coastal ecosystems.
Equally important is the collaborative process itself. Guardians contribute deep place-based knowledge of their territories while gaining additional scientific tools for monitoring watershed health. Scientists benefit from local expertise that improves field logistics, study design, and interpretation of results. Through shared field experiences, regular partner gatherings, and ongoing collaboration, the project is building lasting relationships alongside robust scientific datasets.
Outcomes
The 50 Watersheds Project is creating one of the most comprehensive watershed monitoring datasets ever assembled across the territories of Na̲nwak̲olas member Nations.
The information generated through the project will improve understanding of how climate change and forest management influence stream temperatures and salmon habitat, providing practical tools to support watershed planning, fisheries management, habitat restoration, and long-term stewardship. By integrating Indigenous knowledge with environmental monitoring and predictive modelling, the project will help partners identify watersheds that may be most vulnerable to future change and prioritize management actions accordingly.
Beyond the scientific outcomes, the project serves as a model for collaborative research. It strengthens the capacity of First Nation Guardian programs, advances respectful partnerships between Indigenous organizations and research institutions, and demonstrates how co-developed science can support Indigenous rights and responsibilities for caring for their territories.
The legacy of the 50 Watersheds Project extends beyond its datasets. It is building trusted relationships, shared knowledge, and a collaborative framework for future watershed stewardship—ensuring that both people and salmon can thrive for generations to come.
