RIVER CLEANUP

The 2025 Lower Cowichan River Clean Up

Mark your calendars and tell your neighbours! The 15th Annual Lower Cowichan River (Quw'utsun Sta'lo') Cleanup is just around the corner and we hope to see you there!

This year, the Cleanup will be taking place on Sunday, August 24th from 9:30am-2:30pm and our headquarters and check-in location will be at Si'em Lelum Gymnasium, 5574 River Rd, Duncan.

Already ready to sign-up? Or feeling curious about what routes are available this year (there's a few new ones in addition to all the old favourites!)? Check out our optional online pre-registration form for all the details.

About the River Clean Up

The Quw’utsun Sta'lo' (Cowichan River) is the heart of our valley. With everything the sta’lo’ gives us, it's our turn to give back.

Join the Cowichan Watershed Board and Cowichan Tribes for the 15th annual Lower Cowichan River Cleanup on Sunday, August 24th! All are welcome and no experience is necessary.

At the Cleanup, we come together to learn and work as a community. With opportunities to swim, wade, walk, or paddle, you get to choose your own fun and adventure! And by joining us, you can help make our river a safer and healthier place for creatures and people alike. Afterwards, enjoy a free BBQ lunch with neighbours, friends, and connections new and old.

The summer's low water levels call for a community-wide push to protect our rivers. Our annual Cleanup helps to remove staggering amounts of garbage from a 15-kilometre stretch of the river before fall rains can carry it downstream. This year, we are also excited to team up with the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre and Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society to broaden our reach. Together, we can help to welcome the salmon home!

Event itinerary:

9:30AM - Sign-in and meet your team leader
10:00AM - Welcome
10:30AM - Cleanup begins
12:00PM - Volunteer BBQ begins

What to bring? Sturdy, get-wet shoes, sunscreen and a hat, a water bottle, and gloves (if you have them). You may also bring swimwear, a snorkel, and/or flotation!

Questions? Contact our River Cleanup Coordinator, Katia Bannister (she/her) at [email protected].

The Cowichan Watershed Board is a partnership between Cowichan Tribes and the Cowichan Valley Regional District. It exists to provide leadership for sustainable water management and to protect and enhance the environmental quality and quality of life in the Cowichan and Koksilah watersheds and adjoining areas.

Download a poster here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much garbage did we remove last year at the River Cleanup?

Last year it was 1,305 kg and the year before that it was a whopping 1,825 kgs!

This year, with two new routes added to the Cleanup, we hope that we’ll clean an even wider area, but find even less garbage than in previous years!

What kind of routes are available during the River Cleanup?

There are multiple River Cleanup routes that volunteers have the opportunity to choose from. As a volunteer, you can choose your own Cleanup adventure! You can participate on foot from the shore, as a swimmer in the water, or by floating along on a canoe or kayak—the choice is up to you!

On the sta’lo’, routes begin as high as Sandy Pools and stretch as far downriver as the Trout Hatchery. This year, new routes are also being offered in the Cowichan Estuary, Bings Creek in the Somenos Watershed and Sh-hwuykwselu (Busy Place Creek), where the Cowichan and Koksilah meet. Different routes feature different levels of accessibility and require different comfort-levels with getting wet. Ultimately, we want the Cleanup to be a place where people of all abilities can help to care for our watershed and come together in community! Learn more about the routes and accessibility levels.

What kind of food will be available at the BBQ?

Vegetarian and gluten-free snack options will be available throughout the day, and both options will be available at the BBQ lunch as well. Please note, we are not able to make any guarantees around potential cross-contamination for people who are celiac or have anaphylactic allergies.

Thank you to Duncan Garage Cafe, Bagels and Bannock, Duncan Rotary, and the Duncan Real Canadian Superstore for helping us feed all the wonderful volunteers who make River Cleanup possible!