A river that flows through a quaint and scenic B.C. municipality was recently recognized on a global scale for its wildlife, biodiversity and a critically endangered type of moss.
The Squamish River is an 80-km-long, glacier-fed river that flows through Squamish.
It is known for several factors, including its salmon runs, high flow, and, of course, its biodiversity.
Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) recognized Squamish for a few specific reasons.
According to KBA, the Squamish River holds 10 per cent of the entire world’s critical population of Roell’s Brotherella Moss. One of the reasons the moss is so important is that it acts as a bioindicator for air quality. It is also extremely endangered.
The Government of Canada says that some of the most pressing threats to that type of moss include industrialization, urbanization and agricultural development.
KBA
“It’s exciting to see this new KBA recognition for Squamish River, and especially how it shines a spotlight on species like Roell’s Brotherella Moss. This little moss might seem ordinary, but it’s a fascinating and uniquely Canadian piece of our shared natural heritage,” said Peter Soroye, KBA assessment and outreach coordinator with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada.
Roell’s Brotherella Moss isn’t the only reason Squamish was hailed as a key region for biodiversity.
“The area is also nationally significant for the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens). Winter surveys, including Christmas Bird Counts from 2012–2023, recorded a median of 3,408 individuals,” KBA says, adding that the bird represents approximately 2.6 per cent of Canada’s population.
“Peak counts have exceeded 5,000 birds,” KBA adds.
The river also provides essential spawning habitat for chum and coho salmon. Those salmon, in turn, attract hundreds of Bald Eagles each winter.
“Sixty years I’ve been living in Squamish and have seen many changes in our local environment. Nice to have been around long enough to see the Squamish River Estuary now getting the care and recognition it has long been overdue for,” John Buchanan, a naturalist and KBA caretaker for Squamish River KBA, said in a release.