The Coquitlam River (/koʊˈkwɪtləm/ or /kəˈkwɪtləm/) is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The river's name comes from the word Kʷikʷəƛ̓əm which translates to "Red fish up the river". The name is a reference to a sockeye salmon species that once occupied the river's waters. The river is an 18 km meandering river with 30 tributaries and various morphological features. Owing to the size and area of its location, the river has a history of disastrous floods. The Kwikwetlem first nations were the first humans to live in the area, followed by settlers thousands of years later. After settlers arrived the river would soon be altered many times for the resources it holds. The most recent changes are the generation of hydro-electricity with a dam. The river's long history and importance have led to conservation efforts by different organizations for some of the various mammals, birds, fish, and plants. Some attempts have been made to rejuvenate the salmonid species with hatcheries and direct human intervention to assist wild salmonids. The area is also known to have some species which are included on the BC Species at Risk Act and The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists. Setting The Coquitlam River is located within the Coquitlam River Watershed, which has a total area of 340 km2 and formed during the last glacial advance. The watershed is split into two sections, the upper and lower Coquitlam River Watershed. Its source is Disappointment Lake, which is in the Coast Mountains near Indian Arm. It flows south into Coquitlam Lake, a reservoir behind the Coquitlam Dam. The Coquitlam River then continues past the dam flowing south until it reaches the Fraser River at the border between Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. The Coquitlam River spans a total of 18 km from the dam to its outlet and receives sediment and water from 30 tributaries. It is a meandering river with various features such as large boulders, riffles, undercut banks, sidebars, islands, oxbow lakes, large woody debris and small woody debris. The sediment that is carried in the river is composed of glacial sands, gravel, clays, silts and some boulders. The primary source of this sediment is Or Creek which supplies large amounts of cobbles, sand and silts. The Coquitlam River is also located in a coastal western hemlock biogeoclimatic zone. This climatic zone