Quamichan Watershed Management Plan To be presented at the Community Forum, Duncan B.C. Saturday, June 5

1. Quamichan Watershed
Management Plan Update
Quw’utsun’ Conference Centre
10:25 am – 10:50 am
Saturday, June 5, 2010

2. Agenda
Introduction
Management Plan
Guiding Principles
Vision
Goals and Objectives
Responsibility Matrix
Implementation Strategy
Questions?

3. Kwamustun Xatsa’
The Quamichan Watershed has
been an important source of food,
drinking water, and resources for
millennia

4. Quamichan Village was the
largest settlement in the area

5. People are still attracted to
living in the watershed

6. Satelite photos clearly show
the level of development

7. Closer examination
shows the impact
• Increased nutrient levels as a result of:
 Increased development in the watershed
 Past and continued residential and agricultural
practices
 Removal and degradation of riparian areas
• Increased water temperatures, low oxygen levels,
and record fish kills as a result of:
 Dredging of the outflow stream
 Shallow lake bed
 Global warming
• Increased health hazards with high cyanobacteria
levels
• Acceleration of downward spiral through invasive
fish and vegetation species

8. Quamichan Lake
Management Plan
o Watershed Context
o Guiding Principles
o Vision Statement
o Goals, Objectives and Actions

9. Guiding Principles
o Foster stewardship and work cooperatively
with all stakeholders to improve the
ecological integrity of the watershed
o Treat all lands within the watershed as one
unit, while recognizing the diversity of land
use activities, ownership needs and their
influence on the watershed
o Promote long-term strategies that will benefit
the overall ecological system
o Strike a balance between ecological
preservation and recreational diversity

10. Watershed Approach

11. Vision:
The Quamichan Lake
Watershed is valued as in
important feature in the
Cowichan Valley
To enact this Vision the Management Plan contains
o 5 Goals
o 15 Objectives
o 55 Actions

12. Goal #1:
Inspire the people of the Cowichan Valley to
truly value the Quamichan Watershed

13. Inspire the people of the
Cowichan Valley to truly value the
Quamichan Watershed
• Increase the visibility of the Quamichan
Watershed through promoting recreation
and educational activities
• Increase the awareness of the Quamichan
Watershed as a place to experience and
support wildlife Promote long-term
strategies that will benefit the overall
ecological system.
• Increase public involvement in watershed
management to create a culture of
“Community Ownership” within the
Cowichan Valley

14. Goal #2
Improve the Water Quality of
Quamichan Lake and the watershed

15. Improve the Water Quality of
Quamichan Lake and the Watershed
• Reduce the amount of source nutrient
(internal load) in Quamichan Lake
• Reduce non-source nutrient input from
land and water activities in the
Quamichan Watershed
• Monitor the water quality in Quamichan
Lake

16. Goal #3:
Ensure that the water levels of
Quamichan Lake support multiple
uses within the watershed

17. Ensure that the water level of
Quamichan Lake supports
multiple uses within the
watershed
• Develop a hydrology model of the
Quamichan Watershed
• Ensure adequate spring and fall
water flows in the lake

18. Goal #4:
Champion ecologically
sustainable land use practices
within the watershed

19. Champion ecologically
sustainable land use practices
within the watershed
• Complete the Quamichan Watershed
Definition
• Ensure that the Quamichan Watershed is
integrated into other land and water planning
efforts within the Cowichan Valley
• Support the implementation of environmental
farm practices within the watershed
• Support the adoption of ecologically sound
landowner activities

20. Goal # 5
Improve habitat in the watershed
to support a sustainable fishery
and overall biodiversity

21. Improve the habitat in the
watershed to support a sustainable
fishery and overall biodiversity
• Protect the riparian habitat within the
n
Quamichan Watershed
• Protect native animal and fish species,
particularly those that are endangered
within the Quamichan Watershed
• Conduct a viability assessment of re-
introducing an anadromous fish
(salmon) habitat to the Quamichan
Watershed s

22. Quamichan Watershed
Management Plan
 Management Plan
 Implementation Strategy
• Responsibility Matrix
• Prioritization and Sequencing of
Actions
• Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy
• Communications Plan

23. Responsibility Matrix
• Cowichan Tribes/HTG
• TimberWest/Couverdon
• Municipality of North Cowichan
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans
• Ministry of Environment
• Watershed Property Owners
• Covenant Holders

24. Implementation Strategy
o Prioritization and sequencing of
Actions
o Integration of Actions into the
Implementation Strategy
o Secure funding
o Take ACTION
o Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy

25. Questions
and
Answers