1 Introduction

1.1 Wet’suwet’en

Wet’suwet’en hereditary territory covers an area of 22,000km2 including the Bulkley River watershed, Zymoetz River watershed, Morice River watershed and portions of the Nechako River watershed. The Wet’suwet’en people are a matrilineal society organized into the Gilseyhu (Big Frog), Laksilyu (Small Frog), Tsayu (Beaver clan), Gitdumden (Wolf/Bear) and Laksamshu (Fireweed) clans. Within each of the clans there are are a number of kin-based groups known as Yikhs or House groups. The Yikh is a partnership between the people and the territory. Thirteen Yikhs with Hereditary Chiefs manage a total of 38 distinct territories upon which they have jurisdiction. Within a clan, the head Chief is entrusted with the stewardship of the House territory to ensure the Land is managed in a sustainable manner. Inuk Nu’at’en (Wet’suwet’en law) governing the harvesting of fish within their lands are based on values founded on thousands of years of social, subsistence and environmental dynamics. The Yintahk (Land) is the centre of life as well as culture and it’s management is intended to provide security for sustaining salmon, wildlife, and natural foods to ensure the health and well-being of the Wet’suwet’en (Office of the Wet’suwet’en 2013; “Office of the Wet’suwet’en” 2021; FLNRORD 2017).


The Wet’suwet’en are a deeply rooted Indigenous Nation whose connection to their lands is anchored in the watershed known as Widzin Kwah — a river with tremendous spiritual, cultural, and practical importance, today often called the Bulkley and Morice Rivers. The Widzin Kwah and surrounding watershed, has sustained Wet’suwet’en communities since time immemorial, shaping their language, culture, and governance systems. Their Ancestors, known as Nīwhts’ide’nī, lived in close relationship with the land, moving on foot, harvesting by hand, and passing on knowledge through oral history and story. This enduring connection is reflected in the term Wet’suwet’en itself, meaning “the people of the lower drainage” (Morin 2016).


Wet’suwet’en governance, history, and ways of knowing are carried forward through structured systems such as the balhats (feast system), clan-based laws, and hereditary leadership. These systems guide decision-making on matters of land, title, and responsibility, and are embedded in an oral tradition that emphasizes accuracy, continuity, and collective memory. Teachings are also shared through Cin k’ikh (“trail of songs”) and c’idede’ — place names, events and stories from long ago that explain relationships between humans, animals, and the land. These foundational structures remain vibrant today, sustaining the Wet’suwet’en in their continued stewardship of territory and assertion of rights. The knowledge shared in Morin (2016) highlights the richness and strength of Wet’suwet’en identity and law, grounded in their own words, places, and ways of living.


Many Wet’suwet’en people today live in communities called reserves, which were in some instances traditional village sites. The reserves were created by the British Crown and later managed by what became the Government of Canada. Reserves are managed by th Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada overseen by elected band councils, and while some Wet’suwet’en live on reserve, many live off reserve in towns and cities across the region and beyond. Hagwilget Village is a Wet’suwet’en community located between New Hazelton and Hazelton, a short distance from the Hagwilget Suspension Bridge, with nearly 800 band members and about 200 residents living on two reserves. Moricetown (Witset), located ~30km north of Smithers near a prominent salmon canyon, is one of the largest communities. Wet’suwet’en Village (Palling No. 1), situated near Decker Lake, is a small but central community with ties to nearby reserves. Burns Lake is home to the Ts’il Kaz Koh First Nation, with members living both adjacent to the town and off reserve. Nee-Tahi-Buhn is a smaller, dispersed community around Grassy Plains and Uncha Lake. Skin Tyee includes several reserves in the Uncha and Skins lakes area, with most members residing off reserve. (Morin 2016).

1.2 Widzin Kwah Water Sustainability Project

The Widzin Kwah Water Sustainability Project is a joint initiative led by the Office of the Wet’suwet’en and Province of BC, as two governments working together with the goal to develop and recommend for approval new objectives and management direction for the Widzin Kwah. What is known to the Wet’suwet’en as Widzin Kwah is the river called Morice, and means river of clear, blue-green waters. Widzin Kwah includes its starting place where the river flows from its headwaters at Morice Lake (Widzin Bin), to where it meets and joins the Upper Bulkley River (Neexdzii Kwah) and continues as Widzin Kwah until its confluence with the Skeena River near Hazelton BC. The purpose of the Widzin Kwah Water Sustainability Project is for maintaining and improving watershed health (condition) and integrity (function) (“Widzin Kwah Water Sustainability Project” n.d.).

1.3 Widzin Kwah

The common english nameing conventions for the Bukley River and Morice Rivers can be confusing since the Neexdzii Kwah (Upper Bulkley River) is actually a tributary to Widzin Kwah (Morice River) providing on average less than a third of it’s flow volumes where it flows in to the much larger system at Houston, BC. Historic nameing of the rivers during colonization resulted in “Bulkley River” being the name chosen for the mainstem of the system flowing from Houston to the confluence with the Skeena River at Hazelton - however - a more accurate colonial name for the system may have been the Morice River with the Upper Bulkley River considered a tributary of another namesake. It is important to recognize that the interpretation of the English names for the Bulkley River, the Upper Bulkley River and the Morice River can misrepresent the reality of flow patterns in the greater watersheds and that by using Wet’suwet’en place names we not only acknowledge the deep connection Wet’suwet’en carry to their clan territories, but also communicate a more accurate interpretation of the geography of the region. More detail regarding the hydrology and fisheries of the Widzin Kwa and the Neexdzii Kwah will be provided in the background section of this document.

1.4 Project Scope

1.4.1 Historic and Ongoing Ecosystem Degradation

The Neexdzii Kwah (Upper Bulkley River) has been noted as containing some of the most intense land use in the Skeena Basin predominantly in the form of agriculture, linear development, and forest development activities. Logging, farming, transportation infrastructure, and mining have altered drainage, vegetation and soil properties, leading to changes in water, sediment, and nutrient transportion throughout the watershed. Activities in riparian areas adjacent to rivers and streams, such as deforestation or development, have changed how much sunlight hits the water, impacted the flow of large debris and organic matter, and altered natural river dynamics, including the stability of banks and channels, sediment movement, water flow throughout the seasons, and how floods occur. Cutting off streams from their surrounding floodplains has further disrupted water cycles, nutrient distribution, and the types of plants growing there. Additionally, human actions like the extensive fishing of salmon, as well as the introduction of hatchery salmon, have likely significantly altered salmon population structure to outside of the historic range of variability present pre-colonialization (A. Gottesfeld and Rabnett 2007).


Changes to the climate systems are causing impacts to natural and human systems on all continents with alterations to hydrological systems caused by changing precipitation or melting snow and ice increasing the frequency and magnitude of extreme events such as floods and droughts (Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Geneva, Switzerland: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2014; ECCC 2016). These changes are resulting in modifications to the quantity and quality of water resources throughout British Columbia and are likely to compound issues related to drought and flooding in the study area where numerous water licenses are held with a potential over-allocation of flows identified during low flow periods (ILMB 2007).

1.4.2 Project Objectives

In partnership with the Morice Water Monitoring Trust, A Rocha, Office of Wet’suwet’en, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and representatives of the Provincial government (all members of the Upper Bulkley Round Table) - low-tech, process-based, watershed restoration activities will be implemented to build upon previous work in the region. Project team members will engage with local land users, land owners and industrial users of the land to collaboratively understand and communicate drivers of ecosystem degradation in the region as well as to work together to stop the degradation while implementing actions intended to improve watershed health.


To collaboratively understand the outcomes of past restoration efforts in areas of historic importance to salmon and ecosystem function the following are required:

  • amalgamation and sharing of information regarding past prescriptive restoration actions in the region that may or may not have been implemented,
  • amalgamation of information about past restoration sites, including descriptions of what work was completed, who the land owner was, results of past/current monitoring and what kind of monitoring and maintenance activities may be appropriate in the future,


To collaboratively stop the drivers of watershed health degradation and set the stage for actions that can meaningfully improve watershed health - the following are required:

  • identification of overlap between current and historically important fish habitat where riparian vegetation has been removed or degraded and where it may be most effective to restore or protect riparian vegetation to improve habitat values, water quality and quantity,
  • identification of areas where stream channels/floodplain has been altered (ie. channel relocation/straightening, dredging, sediment blockages, etc.) and where it may be important to restore or protect channel morphology to improve fish habitat, water quality and quantity,
  • identification and details of potential barriers to fish passage and subsequent fish passage restoration options,
  • identification of landowners who are interested in participating in conservation and restoration - as well as monitoring and maintenance activities,
  • identification of parcels of land that coincide with potentially high value aquatic habitats or areas that have the potential to significantly impact high value aquatic habitats that are publicly owned and can be accessed by all without restriction or permission, and
  • identification of potential funding sources for restoration activities and monitoring and maintenance activities that can help maintain stability for a comprehensive program that allows the resources and time necessary to conduct a robust restoration implementation and monitoring program with a scale suitable to address the magnitude of the issues at hand.


Physical actions indented to facilitate watershed health improvements can include but are not limited to:

  • rebuilding of riparian structure through cattle exclusion and planting/seeding/maintenance of native vegetation,
  • reconnection of streams to their floodplains disconnected by stream channel incision, historic channel dredgeing, stream realignment, the CN Railway, Highway 16 and other linear transportation infrastructure,
  • remediation of fish passage at potential barriers for migrating adult and juvenile salmon,
  • stabilization of streambanks to prevent erosion, sediment deposition and the loss of riparian vegetation, and
  • mimicking and promoting beaver activity on the landscape to encourage retention of water on the floodplains that will result in the slow release of surface water and recharging of groundwater.


Planning and physical actions may require a high degree of outreach and collaboration with interest holders and regulators while prioritizing process-based approaches to restoration which rely on assisting natural river corridor processes over time whenever possible. Effectiveness monitoring and adaptive management will be important components of the work to ensure knowledge is gained through the restoration processes while being carried forward and shared widely to inform future investments. The purpose of this document is to outline watershed restoration initiatives which can be actionable in the future.

1.4.3 Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

As we move forward with watershed recovery efforts, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) will play a crucial role for understanding and managing ecosystems in the Neexdzi Kwah watershed. Recognized by research such as Ignace (2000) and Casi (2021), TEK is wisdom passed down through generations, highlighting sustainable ways to live in harmony with nature. Integrating this knowledge into this initiative will enrich scientific approaches and help ensure that recovery strategies developed are rooted in the history and culture of the local communities.


Recovery processes can take decades and even centuries and engaging actively with local communities will be key to successful outcomes. It is hoped that activities related to this initiative can highlight the value of TEK while producing tangible benefits for local communities. Education will play a pivotal role to understand the importance of TEK - fostering a mutual respect that can lead to innovative solutions to environmental challenges. An inclusive approach will lead to recovery processes that are not only effective but also equitable, honoring the wisdom and rights of those who have been guardians of Neexdzi Kwah lands for millennia.

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