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[bkk]

There has been internal DFO reports on the productivity of these channels as well as well as some work done under BC Hydro's Water Use Planning. I do not have copies of them but the Hydro info was on their website under Fish and Wildlife compensation Bridge River - Coastal unit. At least it was at one time but I do not know if it's still there. I did have the report which looked at the Gorbuscha channel        ( Cheakamus River) for pink fry migration. This was following an epic flood on the Squamish system that year (2003)and it was found that the Gorbuscha channel produced as many pink fry as the whole Cheakamus did that year. I remember that the Cheakamus only had about 0.5% survival from egg to fry. That was a major flood. Those channels are critical for helping salmon populations in this watershed, especially for chum, coho and pinks.

[clarki]

Here's an example of work currently underway. Not creating off-channel habitat, but rather improving access to off-channel habitat.   
https://www.squamishwatershed.com/training-berm-upgrades-cerp.html
https://www.squamishwatershed.com/updates

Reminds me of similar work done in Richmond to breach the Steveston Jetty to facilitate smolt access to Sturgeon Bank.     

[RalphH]

The Squamish system needs more of these off-channel spawning and refuge areas to protect fish from the horrendous and repetitive flood/gravel moving events.

I remember reading that many of  the large rivers on the mainland like the Squamish, Toba etc owed their productivity to the side channels and back waters they formed in their large valley bottoms and most lost that after widespread logging caused huge scouring floods. Fish runs collapsed haven't recovered. I've seen the side channel developments on the Mamquam. Putting these developments in some of the remote rivers must be a challenge.