Vision Statement

Rich and abundant watersheds such as the Fraser, Skeena, Peace, Columbia and Cowichan bring life, health, and prosperity to communities in every corner of BC. 

Our rivers and lakes are the cornerstones of our local businesses, our forests, our fish and wildlife, our food crops, our quality of life and survival itself. 

Our vision is to see healthier people, cleaner water, abundant salmon runs, and more prosperous communities through watershed security. 

What does

Watershed Security look like

What is Watershed Security?

1

Watershed security is about maintaining healthy watersheds that support people, ecosystems, and economies It means clean drinking water, thriving salmon populations, reliable water for farms and local businesses, and natural defences against water insecurity, including droughts, wildfires, and flood.

2

Watershed security also involves the work we do to keep our watersheds strong – building a skilled workforce to protect and restore B.C.’s watersheds, and making smarter decisions about water and land through collaborative partnerships between governments, First Nations, and communities.

What is a watershed?

We all live in a watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the rain and snow that falls drains to the same body of water, like a river or lake. Because water flows downhill, the highest points of the land around that water body, usually mountains or hills, are the boundaries of the watershed.

BC has 9 major watersheds or basins, many of them are iconic and known globally, such as the Fraser, the Skeena and the Mackenzie. Within these major watersheds, are many smaller sub-watersheds that drain into individual rivers, streams or lakes.