Tidal marshes of the Fraser River estuary: composition, structure, and a history of marsh creation efforts to 1997

Tidal marshes support important habitat for the fish and wildlife of the Fraser River estuary. The presence and distribution of plant species within these marshes are governed by salinity and tidal inundation. These parameters are in turn related to the location of the salt wedge within the estuary. Distinct salt-, brackish-, and fresh-marsh species assemblages occur throughout the estuary as a result of these influences. Past human activities have resulted in the net loss of tidal marsh, impacting the estuary's ability to sustain fish and wildlife. Tidal-marsh creation is a technical tool to achieve environmentally sustainable development within the estuary. Early marsh-creation efforts achieved limited success. Deficiencies in project performance were primarily a result of poor quality assurance and control during site preparation and planting. Recent efforts have achieved excellent success in establishing tidal marshes through an intense focus on compliance with sound design criteria.