Water holds a prominent place in culture, science, policy, community values and recreational pursuits. Yet, it remains undervalued in comparison to the role that it plays in society and in the cycle of life in the Cowichan Valley, British Columbia. To explore the importance of water in the Xwulqw’selu Sto’lo (Koksilah River), an Environmental Flow […]
Twinned Watershed Project: FULL REPORT – Xwulqw’selu/Koksilah River Environmental Flow Assessment
Over the past number of years water has been elevated to the centre of planning, resource management, and policy discussions. First Nations often refer to water as the life–giving force, as sacred, and as essential for all life. Similarly, western science has described water as the ‘master variable’ in both the distribution and abundance of […]
Video: Why Fish Need Trees
Tim, Tom and Heather explain why fish need trees to survive and thrive in coastal watersheds like the Cowichan-Koksilah (Eastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia), particularly with the added stress of climate change already apparent here. Featuring Indigenous fisheries biologist, Tim Kulchyski, Registered Professional Forester Heather Pritchard, and Executive Director of the Cowichan Watershed Board, Tom […]
Twinned Watersheds Project: Riparian Vegetation Assessment in the Chemainus and Koksilah Watersheds
The Twinned Watersheds Project of the Chemainus River and Koksilah River in the Cowichan Region of southern Vancouver Island assessed salmonid habitat, water flow regimes, and riparian habitat within the lower reaches of the main rivers. The fish habitat information is presented in a separate report. This part of the Twinned Watersheds Project focused on […]
BC’s First Water Sustainability Plan Being Developed for Koksilah Watershed
Cowichan Tribes, March 11 2022 Cowichan Tribes and the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) have reached an historic agreement to develop a Water Sustainability Plan for the Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) Watershed. “Cowichan Tribes is pleased to see this important step towards taking care of Xwulqw’selu Sta’lo’,” says Chief Lydia […]