ARIS (Sonar) Project: Conservation, Guardianship, and Harvest Program
Consider using this if you need to provide more context on why you do what you do. Be engaging. Focus on delivering value to your visitors.
Nation-led scientific research for accurate monitoring and reporting.
The Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar (ARIS) Project is a structure/device that is installed yearly in the Chilliwack-Sumas River. The ARIS is used to monitor the abundance and approximate species composition based on size to produce daily, in-season estimates of Chinook and Sockeye returning to the Sumas-Chilliwack watershed.
The ARIS allows our team to better understand the impacts of fisheries when adult salmon (Chinook, Sockeye, Pink, Chum, and Coho) are migrating upstream, towards spawning grounds.
Semá:th may choose to share this data with First Nations, recreational anglers, the Province of British Columbia, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to build transparency, accountability, responsibility, and trust, in order to conserve, protect, and sustain the salmon resource for future generations.
CGH (Conservation, Guardianship, Harvest) Plan
The project complements Semá:th’s Conservation, Guardianship, and Harvest (CGH) Plan, developed in response to declining salmon populations in the Sumas–Chilliwack River system. The CGH Plan integrates Indigenous knowledge, science-based data collection, and values-driven stewardship to improve understanding of salmon populations and inform future management decisions.
CGH Purpose and Goals
To honour, conserve, and protect salmon and non-salmon species.
Restore and enhance Indigenous fisheries management and traditional practices within Sumas First Nation territory.
Recognize shared territories.
Rebuild Semá:th and Ts’elxwéyeqw River salmon populations through collaboration.
Funding Information & Project Timeline
Nation-led Initiatives.
The CGH ARIS Project is fully Nation-funded and nation-led. Funding for this project comes directly from Semá:th (Sumas First Nation).
Project Timeline
The initial project was developed to collected data over a 5-year period:
Year 1 (2021): Data collected from July 23 – July 28, 2021, and September 21 – October 22, 2021.
Year 2 (2022): Data collected from September 13 – October 19, 2022.
Year 3 (2023): Data collected from July 13 – August 4, 2023 and September 19 – October 27, 2023.
Year 4 (2024): Data collected from July 15 – August 14, 2024.
Year 5 (2025): Data collected from July 7 – August 11, 2025.
Technical Tools & Results
Scientific Research & Intended Outcomes.
What tools are we using for this work?
The specific model being used is the ARIS Explorer 1800. Learn more about this sonar tool and how it collects data HERE.
What is the intended outcome of this research?
This non-invasive monitoring work is intended to collect key data on salmon that will inform our priorities to Semá:th members:
Will research results be available to other parties?
Data collected from this study may be shared with other First Nations, recreational anglers, the Province of BC, and Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO). Please contact us to learn more.
General FAQs
Use this space to provide your website visitors with a brief description on what to expect before clicking on a section title.
