Salmon & Sediment Science: How Floods Affect River Sediment and Pink Salmon Spawning Success

Overview

My grandparents live near the Englishman River on Vancouver Island, where big floods often happen in the fall and winter, soon after salmon lay their eggs. I wanted to learn how these floods and moving sediment affect salmon eggs. I built a model alluvial river and tested how different sizes of sediment moved under different water flow levels. I also used fake salmon eggs to see what might happen to real ones. I found that stronger water flow moved more sediment, and smaller particles traveled farther than larger ones. I also looked at real flood data and salmon return numbers. I noticed that years with higher floods were followed by fewer pink salmon returning two years later. This suggests flooding can harm or bury the eggs. Logging may increase flooding. My project shows that protected spawning channels could help keep salmon eggs safe.

Awards (2)

• Bronze Medal
• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Agriculture, Fisheries & Food

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