Tŝilhqot’in Nation Takes Action to Save Chilko Salmon from Catastrophic Risk

Courtesy of the Tsilhqot'in National Government:

January 15, 2026

9:30am

Today, the Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG) announced its commitment to protect Chilko salmon runs by advancing – and funding – urgent mitigation measures to prevent imminent rockfall at Nagwentled (Farwell Canyon) on the Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River), a critical corridor for Fraser River salmon migration.

TNG leads the Emergency Salmon Task Force, established in response to the Tŝilhqox Landslide in 2024. TNG raised the alarm when a geotechnical report commissioned by BC after the landslide found an “imminent risk” of rockfall into the Tŝilhqox at Nagwentled, the gateway for several critical salmon species to return to their spawning grounds. The Task Force has warned that further rockslides during the salmon migration period could be catastrophic and long-lasting, creating migration delays similar to the 2019 Big Bar landslide, with devastating impacts on already threatened salmon populations.

Nagwentled is a critical migration corridor for salmon stocks of local, regional, and international importance. This includes the iconic Chilko sockeye run, which regularly accounts for more than half of the total Fraser River sockeye return and plays a vital role for all First Nations along the Fraser River and marine approach fisheries including Vancouver Island, Canadian commercial fisheries, and southern US commercial and subsistence fisheries, making the consequences of disrupted passage at Nagwentled far-reaching and international in scale.

Facing this imminent risk, the Task Force has developed a proactive slope stabilization plan that includes manual scaling and targeted trim blasting – a well established and common approach for stabilizing slopes for infrastructure projects. This plan was collaboratively designed, assessed and supported for urgent action by all Task Force partners, which include technical representatives of TNG, BC and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance.

However, the Tŝilhqot’in Nation was alarmed by recent indications from both Canada and BC that funding will not be made available to support this proactive mitigation plan before the 2026 migration, putting these critical salmon populations at dire risk.

In response, TNG is announcing its commitment to fund this mitigation work itself, if government will not step up to prevent this potential catastrophe, rather than risk devastating impacts for salmon runs that the Tŝilhqot’in have protected and stewarded for generations. Costs are estimated at $2.5M – $3M (in contrast to more than $200M spent by DFO in response to the Big Bar Slide).

TNG has proactively engaged provincial and federal authorities to initiate permitting and is fully committed to consulting all impacted First Nations along the Fraser River who depend on these salmon for their sustenance and way of life.

“Salmon are the heart of our culture and who we are as Tŝilhqot’in, ‘People of the River’. Our way of life is at stake. Not just our way of life – these salmon feed Indigenous communities all along the Fraser River. It is unthinkable to us that Canada and BC would have full knowledge of this risk to salmon, have a mitigation plan that was developed together and ready to go, and still not take the steps needed to prevent catastrophe. We have so many dire needs for funding in our Communities, but we cannot idly stand by. Today we are putting our people and culture first and honouring our sacred duties to the salmon that feed us, to our ancestors and to our children and grandchildren. We ask government and all affected First Nations to stand with us and put the salmon first when they need us the most.”

—Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Otis Guichon, Tribal Chief, Tŝilhqot’in National Government, Tŝideldel First Nation

Cariboo RD Evacuation ORDER - Chilcotin River Landslide Area (Cariboo RD - Area "K"/East Chilcotin)

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District's Emergency Operations Centre:

The Cariboo Regional District has issued an evacuation order for the Chilcotin River Landslide area, which includes the Farwell Canyon Road bridge over the Chilcotin River.

Due to immediate danger due to flooding caused by a landslide, members of the RCMP or other groups will be expediting the evacuation order. The evacuation route is north to Highway 20 and then east into Williams Lake. Anyone evacuated from their primary residence should call 1-250-267-4861 to access Emergency Support Services.

Interactive map: www.cariboord.ca/EOCorderalerts

More at https://www.cariboord.ca/en/news/2024-07-31-chilcotin-river-landslide-area-evacuation-order.aspx?fbclid=IwY2xjawEXcqdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcr2djgNbHiOMT4Gop7XpfUPyuKhC_GVpE8QBKxC3Z74CL4LCikkOf047w_aem_sgDqbWl0F1nkga8iRk_0GQ

Please visit the Cariboo Regional District website and online searchable map for more details or call 1-866-759-4977, which is open 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Statement of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government on Nagwentled (Farwell Canyon)

Courtesy of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government:

Nagwentled (Farwell Canyon) is Tŝilhqot’in territory, and it will always be Tŝilhqot’in territory. It winds through the caretaker area of Tl’esqox, one of the six Tŝilhqot’in communities that comprise the Tŝilhqot’in Nation.

Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) recently announced that it intends to start a “planning exercise” for Nagwentled. This is the latest public statement from WLFN asserting that Nagwentled is Secwepemc territory.

WLFN did not reach out to Tl’esqox or the Tŝilhqot’in Nation before publicly announcing this “planning exercise” in the backyard of Tl’esqox, in Tŝilhqot’in territory. WLFN did not invite our leadership to discuss this planning exercise or make any effort to engage our Nation before issuing a press release. This approach is highly disrespectful to our Nation and to our elders and members that cherish Nagwentled as Tŝilhqot’in lands.

We would prefer to deal with this issue honourably, between Nations, and not through press statements. However, given WLFN’s public statements and escalation of conflict, we have no choice but to issue this statement.

The Chilko salmon (ts’eman) that run through Nagwentled are one of the last, strong salmon runs in North America. Chilko salmon stocks spawn in the heart of declared title lands, deep in Tŝilhqot’in territory. The Tŝilhqot’in Nation has fought and sacrificed for generations to keep these waters pristine. We have turned down vast sums of money, while other First Nations have signed business deals with open-pit mines discharging directly into the Fraser and Quesnel systems. Each First Nation decides the priorities of its people, and we are not critical of the paths chosen by other First Nations. Our Nation has chosen to exercise not only our rights at Nagwentled, but more importantly our responsibilities to our sacred waters and our salmon stocks.

The Tŝilhqot’in Nation opposes archaeological work or any other disturbance at Nagwentled without our approval. We will be reaffirming to British Columbia and Canada that Nagwentled is Tsilhqot’in territory and that our people will always carry the responsibility to manage and steward these lands and waters.

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