Kumdis River Estuary Acquisition 2008-09

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the project is to permanently conserve District Lot 414 through a fee-simple purchase. The project’s objectives are to close a fee-simple agreement for the purchase of District Lot 414, and to establish an endowment for the long-term stewardship of the property.

Activities

The Kumdis River Estuary Acquisition Project has two main areas of activities. The first area concerns the securement of the property and the second area concerns the subsequent management of the property. The following briefly outlines the project’s activities:

• Securement
  • Pre-purchase due diligence
  • Negotiate purchase agreement
  • Post-agreement due diligence
  • Purchase completion
• Management
  • Baseline inventory
  • Interim Stewardship Statement
  • Management Plan.

Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions

District Lot 414 is a 58 hectare (144 acre) forested property bisected by the Kumdis River. The low gradient shoreline and fine-textured soils of District Lot 414 have resulted in the development of highly productive estuarine vegetation. The intertidal shallows contain extensive eelgrass beds, and the intertidal marshes are dominated by sedges, rushes and grasses. Much of the area is exposed at low tide and the resulting sheltered and productive habitats are important migration, rearing and feeding areas for a variety of waterfowl and other wetland related species.

DL 414 is currently owned by Weyerhaeuser Ltd.  The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has been able to engage with the company and secure a conditional purchase agreement for the property.

NCC recently received a grant from the federal government that can be used to purchase properties for conservation. In order to access these funds, however, NCC must raise the necessary stewardship money to trigger the federal acquisition funds. Thus, we are hoping that WHC funding could be used for the long-term stewardship and management of District Lot 414.  In this way, the WHC funds for the Kumdis River Estuary Acquisition project would be supporting the acquisition by leveraging federal funds that can be used to purchase District Lot 414.

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan has recognized the Kumdis River area as critical waterfowl habitat. Further, the area is identified as one of the top-ranking wetlands by the Northwest Coast Wetland Program. As well, the BC government’s 1996 Goal 2 study deemed the Kumdis area an internationally significant tidal wetland. Ducks Unlimited Canada has also recently (2007) ranked the Kumdis River Estuary as Importance Class 2 (out of 5 Importance Classes with 1 being the highest) in terms of values to waterbirds.

District Lot 414 is the critical piece of private property in the Kumdis River Estuary as it encompasses the entire estuarine shore. Wildlife Habitat Canada’s support of NCC’s acquisition of District Lot 414 will ensure that the internationally recognized waterfowl and biological values of the Kumdis Estuary will be conserved and managed in perpetuity for the best biodiversity results.

Benefits to Waterfowl, Wetlands-Associated Species, and/or Other Wildlife

Estuarine locations – where seawater mixes with freshwater-derived nutrients – are well recognized as sites of extremely high biological productivity and, by extension, critically important fish and water bird feeding areas. As a major stopping point along the Pacific Flyway, the Kumdis River Estuary and associated bay are an important element in the seasonal migration of a wide variety of waterfowl. Species such as Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose, Brant, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser. Hooded Merganser, Harlequin Duck, Blue-winged Teal, and American Coot all utilize the Kumdis estuary during migration. Further, shorebirds including Black-bellied Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short and Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Snipe, Wandering Tattler, Whimbrel, and Sanderling also use the estuary as a stop over on their spring and fall migrations.

Other birds including Northern Saw-whet Owl, Pine Grosbeak, Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Northwestern Crow, Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Swainson’s Thrush, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Varied Thrush, American Pipit, Cedar Waxwing, Orange crowned Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red Crossbill, Pine Siskin, and an endemic subspecies of Steller’s Jay are all found in the estuarine area. Both Great Blue Heron and Sandhill Crane nest in the estuary. Wetland associated wildlife such as river otter, marten, and weasel also utilize the Kumdis estuary for food, water and shelter.

Salmon species that use this area include coho, pink and chinook salmon. Cut-throat trout, Dolly Varden and steelhead trout are also present in most of the small streams entering Kumdis Slough and Kumdis River. Salmonid enhancement activities have not been conducted (or deemed necessary) on Kumdis River and, unlike most coastal watersheds, the system retains its natural salmon population. On this basis, the Kumdis River watershed has special importance in serving as a repository of unique wild salmon genetics that may one day prove important in restoring viable salmon populations in impacted watersheds.

Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management

NCC’s acquisition of District Lot 414 will have an important influence on several other conservation endeavours currently underway. The Kumdis Estuary and associated bay are now designated a Section 16 map reserve under the BC Land Act. Ducks Unlimited (DU) has applied to have this designation changed to make the estuary a Wildlife Management Area under the Wildlife Act (BC). DU believes that NCC’s conservation purchase of District Lot 414 will strengthen their application. In the same vein, the Haida Nation is currently involved in a marine plan which will include near shore habitats. They have expressed interest in working with NCC on this planning process, and have suggested that our protection of DL 414 may lead to the whole remainder of the Kumdis Slough area being designated a marine protected area by the Council of the Haida Nation.

Finally, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have been gradually reducing water lot licenses in the Kumdis area to ultimately eliminate log handling and storage. NCC’s purchase of DL 414 helps highlight the conservation values of the area and, by extension, helps to further the Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s programming.

Project Location

District Lot 414 is located at the mouth of the Kumdis River as it enters Kumdis Bay. It is approximately 2 kilometres North East of Port Clements on Graham Island in Haida Gwaii. The property is bisected by the Kumdis River where it discharges into a large shallow bay which adjoins a long narrow tidal slough partly protected by Kumdis Island.

Project Contact

For more information on this project, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Manager of Development and Communications, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Victoria, British Columbia.