The Cowichan Watershed Board

Cowichan Watershed Board 2019. Seated: Co-Chairs Chief William Seymour and Chair Ian Morrison; Standing L-R: Jill Thompson (staff), Tim Kulchyski, Debra Toporowski, Darin George, Shannon Waters, David Froese, Alison Nicholson, David Slade, Lori Iannidinardo, Tom Rutherford (staff), Kristine Sandhu. (Photo by Barry Hetschko)

The Cowichan Watershed Board (CWB) is a local governance entity created in 2010 to promote water and watershed sustainability in the Cowichan/Koksilah watersheds, ancestral home of the Quw’utsun First Nation. Co-chaired by Cowichan Tribes and the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), the Board represents a unique partnership between First Nations and local government. Through this model, Cowichan Tribes and the CVRD work together to advance whole-of-watershed health, demonstrating a commitment to moving down the path of reconciliation.

Purpose: The purpose of the CWB is to serve as a formal entity to improve collaborative management and decision-making to protect and enhance the health of the whole of the Cowichan and Koksilah watersheds (collectively referred to as the Cowichan Watershed).

This includes helping to guide the implementation of the Cowichan Basin Water Management Plan (the Plan) and the associated Targets (the Targets) adopted by the CWB.

Mandate: The CWB’s mandate is to provide leadership for sustainable water management to protect and enhance ecosystem health in the Cowichan Watershed guided by the Cowichan teaching: Muks ‘uw’slhilhukw’tul – We are all inter-connected.

Participants in the Cowichan Co-Governance workshops 2017-2018 included staff and elected representatives from Cowichan Tribes and Cowichan Valley Regional District, along with Cowichan elders, and academic advisors. The group was supported by facilitator Julian Griggs.

Working in collaboration with Cowichan Tribes, CVRD, and the Provincial and Federal Governments, the Board shall promote wise water management practices throughout the watershed by:

advocating for the well-being of the watershed;
guiding and coordinating the implementation of the Plan;
providing timely, balanced and thoughtful advice to senior and local government authorities including First Nations;
securing stable funding sources to support water management activities,
engaging local stakeholders in water management decisions;
involvement in data-gathering and monitoring the health of the watershed,
providing and accessing specialized expertise and knowledge for sustainable water management in the Cowichan watershed; and,
developing public outreach and extension tools to enhance watershed thinking and to increase residents’ understanding of water science, stewardship and management activities.

The Board recognizes that various levels of government exert authority to make management decisions within the Cowichan Watershed including Cowichan Tribes, CVRD, the Province and the Federal Government. The CWB operates within the context of the interplay of these jurisdictions, as shown in the Organizational Structure Diagram below.

CWB Organizational Structure Diagram (click image to download)

[Excerpted from the Cowichan Watershed Board Governance Manual , September 2018 revision]

For more information, please read Pathways and Partnerships: A Framework for Collaboration and Reconciliation in the Cowichan Watershed, September 2018

The Members. Click here for biographical information. The Board’s 14 members are appointed as follows:

Appointed by CVRD
- Co-Chair Aaron Stone, Chair of CVRD, Mayor of Ladysmith
- Alison Nicholson, Director for CVRD Area E
- Lori Iannidinardo, Director for CVRD Area D
Appointed by Cowichan Tribes
- Co-Chair William Seymour, Chief of Cowichan Tribes,
- Debra Toporowski, Councillor of Cowichan Tribes
- Stuart Pagaduan, Councillor of Cowichan Tribes
Appointed at Large
- The Honourable David Anderson, Former Federal Fisheries Minister, Former Federal Environment Minister
- Tim Kulchyski, Natural Resource Consultant, Cowichan Tribes
- Dr. Shannon Waters, Medical Health Officer for the Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island Health Authority
- Kristine Sandhu, Councillor for Town of Lake Cowichan
Nominated by Provincial Government
- Dr. David Froese, former fisheries biologist, medical doctor
- David Slade, former President of the BC Groundwater Association
Nominated by Federal Government
- Dale Desroches, Section Head, Salmonid Enhancement Program, South Coast Area for Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Advisors and Committees

The CWB is assisted in its work by a Technical Advisory Committee and Five Working Groups that work to achieve the CWB’s Targets for Watershed Health, tangible but aspirational goals rooted in the objectives of the Cowichan Basin Water Management Plan.

Meetings

Board meetings are normally the last Monday of every month, hosted in the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s Boardroom. The public is welcome to attend all meetings. Look under for agendas, minutes, and materials for Board meetings by date.

https://www.cowichanwatershedboard.ca/meetings

Governance Documents

Pathways and Partnerships: A Framework for Collaboration and Reconciliation in the Cowichan Watershed, September 2018