Kamdis Heritage Site/Conservancy

The people of the Haida Nation have occupied and collected food and materials from Kamdis since time immemorial. The Haida maintained villages and seasonal camps at Nadu River and Watun River.

Several archaeological sites contain a number of recorded cultural values. These include at least 77 known culturally modified trees, a pre-contact cabin, lithics, fire-cracked rock, limpets, clams, thumbnail stone blade, cultural depression, a plank house, an aboriginally logged stump, and one five pound stone. Many of these areas have not been inventoried thoroughly which indicates that the heritage site/conservancy likely contains many other unrecorded cultural heritage and archaeological sites.

The protected low gradient shoreline and fine-textured soils have resulted in the development of highly productive estuarine vegetation. The intertidal shallows contain extensive eelgrass beds, and the intertidal marshes are dominated by sedges, rushes and grasses. Much of the area is exposed at low tide, and the resulting sheltered and productive habitats are important migration, rearing and feeding areas for many wildlife species using the area.

There are three estuaries within the Kamdis area. The southern marine area is dominated by warm shallow, sandy and flat bottom physiography typified by low current and low exposure. The northern marine area is recognized by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as one of the coast’s most unique marine ecosystems, characterized by warm shallow, flat-bottomed physiography typified by high current and low exposure.

Of recent concern is the presence of introduced mammals of which black-tailed deer, beavers and raccoons pose a threat to local ecosystems and species. Several non-native invasive plants have been recorded in the area including scotch broom, oxeye daisy, bull thistle and common tansy.

Salmon species that utilize this area include coho, pink and Chinook salmon. Cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and steelhead trout are also present in most of the small streams entering Kumdis Slough and Kumdis River. Stickleback, crab, shrimp and most shellfish are common, and the area is particularly important to larval forms of invertebrates due to its sheltered location. Fauna such as river otter, marten, and weasel frequent the area.

The area hosts numerous listed species such as the red listed Peregrine falcon, marbled murrelet, northern goshawk as well as the blue listed sandhill crane and great blue heron. A baseline of marine birds were surveyed for the Kumdis slough by Ducks Unlimited in 1991. Other foraging birds recorded along the Kamdis slough are bufflehead, common merganser, and trumpeter swan.