Tatalu River
The Tatalu (SENĆOŦEN), or Little Campbell River, is a productive, multi-jurisdictional, transboundary watercourse located in the heart of the Salish Sea (or Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Ecoregion). This river meanders west from its headwaters in Langley, through South Surrey and into White Rock where it enters Semiahmoo Bay. The Tatalu watershed serves as the study area for A Rocha Canada’s conservation science program, defining the geographic scope of the surveys, research, and habitat restoration projects.
The Tatalu watershed is home to a diversity of wildlife and plant species, including five species of Pacific salmon and trout, as well as over 30 species at risk. The river and its associated habitat are characterized by unchannelized streams, an undyked floodplain, an undeveloped estuary, and several large wetlands. Along with other watersheds located in the Salish Sea, the Tatalu and its surrounding natural habitat are faced with increasing anthropogenic impacts and threats, including poor water quality, seasonally low water levels, and loss of wetland and forest habitat due to pressures from urbanization and agricultural land development.
The goals of A Rocha Canada’s conservation science program are the following:
- Thriving ecosystems and communities
– Protect and enhance biodiversity
- Transformational learning
– Mentor and equip interns and volunteers - Conservation leadership
– Engage decision makers with science that inspires action
Caring for a unique and vulnerable river.
The latest news on our projects
Why is a Sucker Fish a Big Deal?
Brooksdale interns Elise Huculiak (right) and Melanie Moore (left) set out to monitor Salish Suckers in the Little Campbell watershed (photo: RRMiller Photography). Leah Kostamo, A Rocha Canada co-founder, recently sat down with Elise to chat about the significance of [...]
It’s All About the ‘How’
By Christie Goode (Vice President of Advancement) I heard an interesting comment at an A Rocha staff meeting recently. David Anderson, the Director of our Brooksdale Environmental Centre in South Surrey, shared that to [...]
Working with Landowners to Restore Ecosystems
By Jesse Wildeman In my work as the Environmental Restoration Biologist here at A Rocha, I work primarily with two things: people, and places. The places are typically the easy part; once you have [...]