This report details the methods used to assess the condition of the Skeena River estuary from the perspective of salmon.

Section 2 describes a review of regional and international estuary assessments and of the approach used to complete this assessment. Sections 3-8 provide a detailed description of the methods used for each element of the assessment, including the development of a conceptual model, the selection of indicators and benchmarks, a data quality assessment, and the results of the Skeena estuary assessment. Section 9 summarizes data gaps, prioritizes associated monitoring needs, and provides preliminary recommendations for future monitoring in the Skeena estuary.

More detailed information regarding the project methods can be found in Appendices 1-4. In addition, the methods and results of the data quality assessments are detailed in Skeena River Estuary Assessment Supplemental: Data Quality Assessments.

A complementary document, The Skeena River Estuary – A Snapshot of Current Status and Condition, presents the main results of the estuary assessment, including maps which display the spatial data used in the assessment and the status of individual estuary indicators.