I live in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, on the traditional territory of the Katzie First Nation, in a landscape defined by water. The Fraser River and Pitt River shape this low-lying floodplain, which was a network of wetlands, sloughs, and salmon-bearing streams throughout history. For Katzie people, these waterways were not just scenery but sources of food, transportation, and cultural meaning. In particular, salmon was the main focus of ecological and spiritual relationships, reflecting a reciprocal system of stewardship that continues today through habitat restoration and Indigenous governance.

Colonial settlement altered this ecosystem dramatically. Most of Pitt Meadows was drained and diked in order to support agriculture and permanent settlement. The 1948 Fraser Valley flood exposed the vulnerability of this landscape and caused expanded dike systems, pump stations, and drainage networks. Due to this, what appears “natural” today is mainly a managed floodplain that is shaped by infrastructure.

Wetland loss and river modification have shifted wildlife patterns, even as areas such as the Pitt-Addington Marsh Wildlife Management Area protect important habitat. Invasive species, including the Himalayan blackberry and knotweed, now thrive in disturbed soils, which further transforming local ecosystems. Overall, Pitt Meadows’ ecological history demonstrates ongoing tension between water, development, and conservation.