Phase 1 Report: Watershed Character and Condition

Cowichan Station Area Association Prepared by: Heather Pritchard, RPF Emily Doyle-Yamaguchi, FIT Dr. Martin Carver, PGeo/PEng, PAg Carol Luttmer, MSc September 30, 2019

See the PDF here: EBAKoksilah_Phase1_Final_Sept2019

Introduction

The approximately 30,000-hectare Koksilah River watershed is a place of deep human history and immense ecological richness. Like all watersheds, it is a drainage basin comprised of many smaller drainage basins—where mountains and hillsides are like the edges of a bowl, guiding water to drain downhill into streams, rivers, lakes, and aquifers. From the sub-basins that feed the 44 km-long Koksilah River, to the smallest puddles found in the forest, each is a watershed that is connected to another that is larger or smaller. The highest ground in the watershed also creates a natural boundary, defining distinct (although still interconnected) ecological units. The use of ecological boundaries to define a study area is fundamental to undertaking an ecosystem-based assessment, and is the starting point for this assessment of the Koksilah River watershed.

The Koksilah watershed is located on Vancouver Island, south of the City of Duncan—the nearest urban centre. It is primarily located within the political boundaries of the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), with a small portion of the upper watershed located in the Capital Regional District. Within the CVRD, the watershed spans five electoral areas: B – Shawnigan Lake, C – Cobble Hill, D – Cowichan Bay, E – Cowichan Station/Sahtlam/Glenora, and F – Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls.

The mountains of the upper and middle watershed form part of the Victoria Highlands physiographic region, a transition zone between mountains and lowlands, that is characterized by gently sloping mountains interspersed with deeply incised valleys (Trofymow et al. 1997). Within this region, the Koksilah River and its many tributaries eventually join the Cowichan River, where together they flow into the Cowichan Bay estuary– the ecosystem where freshwater from the rivers meets tidal saltwater.

It is along Koksilah Ridge where one of the first Quw’utsun’ (Cowichan) people fell from the sky, and along the Koksilah River where, for thousands of years, many Quw’utsun’ people fished and called home. In addition to the Quw’utsun’ people, the watershed has been home to many species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. Even the water itself has a spirit, as discussed later in this report. In recent history, the watershed has become home to a large settler community, whose livelihoods and well-being also depend on the ecological health and integrity of their environment.

Full of life, the Koksilah watershed can easily be seen as a living entity in and of itself. We attempt to capture this essence in the descriptions of ecological character that follow. We then move on to a discussion of the watershed’s current condition, where we find many indications that the future of the watershed is in a delicate position. We hope that this report inspires both conversation

by Katie DeRosa , May 4, 2018

NOTE: This area was in the past proposed as an Ecological Reserve.  We are adding it here to our list of Proposed Reserved

The B.C. government has purchased 190 hectares of ecologically sensitive land from private owners, including a large swath in the Cowichan Valley.

Island Timberlands sold 144 hectares called Eagle Heights near the Koksilah River to the province for $7.15 million, which the Cowichan Tribes says will protect the area from clear-cutting.

“This is increasing the amount of protected areas in British Columbia to 14.4 per cent, which is world-leading in the scope and size of the protected areas we’re keeping alive,” said Premier John Horgan from West Shawnigan Lake Provincial Park on Thursday morning. He was flanked by Environment Minister George Heyman and Sonia Furstenau, Green MLA for the Cowichan Valley.

The land will either be added to Koksilah River Provincial Park, northwest of Shawnigan Lake, or established as a new provincial park.

However, families hoping the acquisition will create more camping spots might be disappointed. “It’s important to remember that protecting areas does not mean campsites, bike trails and so on. It means protecting those areas for their ecological values,” Horgan said.

Avid campers often fight for a spot when B.C. Parks’ Discover Camping reservation site opens for the season, with some booking off work to ensure they’ll have a place to pitch their tent come summer.

Saanich mom Corey Waugh loves to take her two kids camping every summer and knows well the scramble to secure a spot in a provincial park.

But Waugh also recognizes the need to save space for sensitive ecosystems and knows that public campsites can get trampled by campers.

“It would be nice to have more sites, but the demand is always going to be higher than what’s available,” Waugh said.

Cowichan Tribes Coun. Albie Charlie said the First Nation community and the provincial government will work together to decide the best use for the land.

Home to old-growth Douglas firs and rare and endangered species, Eagle Heights is spiritually and culturally significant to the Cowichan Tribes, which has worked to protect the area from clear-cut logging for more than a decade.

“The land is so important, not only to us but to our children, and we must stand together to protect it,” Charlie said.

“Each particle in this forest is a resource to not only our people, but to everyone.”

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation contributed $400,000 toward the purchase of Eagle Heights and the Cowichan Community Land Trust provided $225,000.

The province also acquired land on Galiano Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Kootenays and the Okanagan that, along with the Eagle Heights land, is valued at about $10 million.

kderosa@timescolonist.com

Created: 2013-12-23 13:06:00 PST (-0800) by Oluna & Adolf Ceska (aceska@telus.net)
Last modified: 2015-07-17 22:54:02 PDT (-0700) by Oluna & Adolf Ceska (aceska@telus.net)

See the above link for an active google map