The Jacobsen Creek fishway restores 4km of salmon spawning habitat in Surrey and Langley after 30 year absence.

October 30, 2025

As salmon spawning season peaks across British Columbia, the completion of the Jacobsen Creek Fishway marks a major step forward in restoring migratory salmon access to 4km of vital spawning habitat in Surrey and Langley after more than three decades of being blocked by an impassable culvert.

Before (left) and after (right) construction of the fishway, which raised the height of the streambed to meet the culvert, thereby allowing salmon to pass through.

For over 30 years, salmon trying to swim up Jacobsen Creek, a tributary of the Tatalu in South Surrey, were met with a two-meter high culvert, blocking salmon passage to the creek and affecting the creek’s ecological balance. To help bring the salmon back to the creek, our BC Conservation Science team came up with a plan to reconnect the creek with a fishway, designed to follow the creek’s natural meander. Planning and construction were carefully timed to minimize risk to the fish and their habitat, and fish in the area were safely caught and moved to other parts of the creek, before temporarily redirecting the water flow around the work site.

Construction of the fishway, which raised the streambed to the height of the culvert, was completed in 2023, with additional plantings and adjustments in 2024 and 2025. This fall marks the fishway’s third year of operation, providing a safe passage for salmon to 4km of previously inaccessible spawning and rearing habitat. Our conservation science team have spotted Chinook and Coho spawning upstream of the fishway, a clear sign of success and promising ecological recovery, hooray!

Map of the Tatalu watershed, with the Jacobsen Creek tributary highlighted in yellow.

This project, funded by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, with additional support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada Salmonid Enhancement program, British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, and Investment Agriculture Foundation, is more than just one creek. It is part of a broader effort to restore salmon habitat and strengthen the Tatalu watershed as a whole.  A healthy, salmon-bearing ecosystem will nourish the surrounding forest through marine-derived nutrients, sustain wildlife such as bears, eagles, and otters, and support the cultural and economic wellbeing of communities and Indigenous Nations connected to the watershed.