Tl’esqox (Toosey) Releases Report Two Years after 2024 Landslide

Courtesy of the Tsilhqot'in National Government:

Nearly two years after the 2024 Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River) landslide, Tl’esqox (Toosey) First Nation has released a report, reflecting on the landslide response and mitigation. As an addition to the 2024 Tŝilhqox Landslide Report, this report details what Tl’esqox has learned since the 2024 Tŝilhqox landslide, as well as further insights from the documented experiences of Tl’esqox and the Tŝilhqot’in Nation. 

On July 31, 2024, a landslide caused a significant block of the Tŝilhqox for six days. At the time, the landslide threatened public safety, sacred sites and the 2024 salmon run. In the Spring of 2026, Tl’esqox, in partnership with the Tŝilhqot’in Nation led and funded rockslope stabilization work to mitigate further sliding that had the potential to dramatically impact migration routes for salmon. The protection of salmon was the highest priority in this work. Nagwentled is a critical migration corridor for salmon stocks that wind through the caretaker area of the Tl’esqox community. 

On the anniversary of the landslide, the community of Tl’esqox recognizes the hard work of those involved in response and recovery and continues to seek meaningful advancements with BC and Canada in four main calls to action. The two-year anniversary of the landslide reaffirms the commitment to caring for the nen, the tu, the ts’eman, and lhuy. Tl’esqox calls on government and industry to continue building on the progress of the past two years, where consent and respect guide meaningful and tangible outcomes for today and for future generations to come.

“The salmon are our biggest concern, always. They are our biggest food source. The river and the salmon are a part of who we are, it's in our DNA. Salmon - they have their struggles. They are not much different than us – moving from one emergency to the next. They’re resilient and strong and this reflects on us as a people.”

-Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Francis Laceese of Tl’esqox (Toosey) First Nation

Report here

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

Tŝilhqot’in Nation Warns Salmon are Still at Risk From 2024 Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River) Landslide

Courtesy of the Tsilhqot'in National Government:

One year after the Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River) landslide, the Tŝilhqot’in Nation is warning that the most serious impacts on salmon and the river system may still be ahead.

On July 30, 2024, a landslide fully blocked the Tŝilhqox during the key migration period for sockeye and Chinook salmon. The landslide created an 11-kilometre lake upstream of the dam and triggered an extreme breakout flood event that severely altered the critical migratory pathway to all critical salmon spawning grounds in the Tŝilhqox watershed.

Salmon returning in the 2024 season were heavily impacted. Many fish arrived physically damaged or were unable to reach spawning grounds due to high turbidity and riverbed disruption. This included the iconic Chilko sockeye run, which suffered an estimated record-high 50% mortality loss from the ocean return to spawning grounds.

The landslide event resulted in lasting changes to the Tŝilhqox – reshaping the course of the river, depositing sediment into the system, and destabilizing slopes. These conditions create a high risk of further landslides over coming years and ongoing high turbidity levels that continue to affect salmon migration during this 2025 season (verified through TNG’s ongoing monitoring).

Most notable is a high-risk tension crack that appeared on the slope above Nagwentled (Farwell Canyon) following the breakout flood. There is a high risk that the tension crack will fail in the short term, resulting in a rockslide into the river that will likely impact fish passage and has the potential to cause blockage to salmon migration past Farwell Canyon – comparable to the effects of the 2019 Big Bar landslide on the Fraser River.

Facing these ongoing impacts and risks, TNG continues to lead a celebrated model for First Nations-led collaboration and emergency response – the Emergency Salmon Task Force, a tripartite group comprised of TNG, BC and DFO technical representatives, and Indigenous technical partner the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance. The Emergency Salmon Task Force has continued to meet regularly since the 2024 landslide to assess and address in-season risks to salmon returning in 2025, and at the same time proactively develop options to reduce or remove future risks of landslides and rockfall. Recognizing the ongoing risks from the landslide, the Pacific Salmon Commission has integrated the Task Force’s ongoing in-season Chilcotin landslide monitoring data into its in-season analyses that drives Fraser sockeye management at the highest level.

The Tŝilhqox Watershed is a recognized salmon stronghold of global importance. A year after the landslide, the effects of the slide are not over, and the time to act is now. The Tŝilhqot’in Nation recognizes and appreciates the excellent support and collaboration we have received from governments and NGOs immediately following the slide. We call on Canada, the US, and the Pacific Salmon Commission to work with us to continue to prioritize and proactively address threats from the landslide that could result in catastrophic impacts on these salmon stocks of regional and international significance if timely actions are not taken.

Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Francis Laceese, Vice Tribal Chair, Tŝilhqot’in National Government stated: 

The rockfall risk at Nagwentled is a threat to our Salmon, our safety, and our way of life. This is a traditional fishing site in the Tl’esqox caretaker area and it has sustained our people for generations – it’s vital to our food security, food sovereignty, and culture. Protecting this fishery is a matter of our human rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The danger is real, and we cannot wait to see what happens-we must act now before it’s too late.”

Government of Canada takes action to conserve salmon populations impacted by the Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin) River landslide

Courtesy of the Tsilhqot'in National Government:

On July 30, a significant landslide occurred in the lower Chilcotin River, a major tributary to the Fraser River, and severely disrupted the river habitat, blocking upstream migration of adult Chinook and Sockeye salmon, and degrading water quality.

Pacific salmon are vital to the health of British Columbia’s ecosystems and communities. Since the slide occurred, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been working collaboratively with Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG), First Nations members of the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFFCA) and the Province of British Columbia through an Emergency Salmon Task Force to assess and respond to the situation.

Over the past several weeks, this team of dedicated biologists, fisheries technicians and other experts have worked tirelessly to evaluate the situation and manage the immediate impacts to the local ecosystem and fish stocks. While there has been confirmation that Sockeye salmon have begun to enter the Chilcotin River, further on-site assessments will continue to determine whether upstream salmon migration has been restored. The multi-agency team is installing the necessary monitoring equipment to assess the ongoing effects of the slide on resident and migrating fish populations and exploring potential actions to support impacted Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River) salmon stocks.

Drawing on previous experience from the 2019 Big Bar landslide response, the Emergency Salmon Task Force, (comprised of many of the same partners) is leveraging this expertise to develop effective recommendations, including potential use of emergency conservation enhancement measures.

An annual program to support conservation, rebuilding and assessment of several Upper Fraser salmon stocks of concern, including Upper Chilcotin Chinook, Lower Chilcotin Chinook, Chilko Chinook and Taseko Sockeye has been underway with local First Nations partners since the landslide at Big Bar in 2019. Prior to the Chilcotin landslide, and in response to the Big Bar landslide, DFO has provided $1.5 million annually to support salmon conservation and rebuilding efforts in the middle and upper Fraser, most of which is delivered through DFO’s partnerships with First Nations. This funding supports adult brood collection, rearing and release of 600K Chinook and 400K sockeye from 17 salmon stocks. They are raised at three DFO hatcheries, four First Nations hatcheries, and one community operated facility. 

The Emergency Salmon Task Force is prepared to expand the program to undertake emergency 

enhancement activities of additional stocks as needed.

This emergency enhancement work is made possible with funding through DFO’s Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI), a transformative investment towards the protection and restoration of Pacific salmon and their habitats. DFO is providing funding to support First Nations partners in leading an effective and immediate multi-agency response to the landslide. This working model exemplifies the importance of bringing partners together to provide a cohesive, coordinated response.   

The situation remains fluid. Additional monitoring and assessment of Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin) salmon stocks migrating to spawning grounds over the coming weeks will be critical to informing further actions that may be required. While there are still many unknowns, DFO crews will be prepared to mobilize and work alongside partners to achieve the best possible outcomes for impacted salmon populations.