Destruction of Wetlands - An Important Part of Watersheds

Gravel, peat and fi rewood are extracted from wetlands, water is drained and wetlands are paved over. Then one day the light goes on and people begin to recognize how all the parts of the watershed are connected.

by Lisa Mose

When human use and the ecological condition of water- sheds are assessed, the community considers the functions of wetlands, usually for the fi rst time. Richard Case, a Regis- tered Professional Biologist, and Sue Hemphill of the Scout Island Nature Center and an environmental educator in the Cariboo, both 2003 Wetlands Institute participants, found this to be the case in the San Jose watershed, near Williams Lake, BC. In an assessment Case conducted in the Williams Lake River valley (the urban part of the San Josewatershed), wetlands were found to have the potential to provide rearing habitat for salmon, to improve in-stream water quality and to treat stormwater run-off.

The Williams Lake River Valley contains the lowest ex- tremity of the San Jose watershed, draining Williams Lake into the Fraser River. Approximately 14 km in length, the River Valley, as it’s commonly known, is unique in that it provides a relatively undeveloped, easily accessible natural area directly adjacent to the city of Williams Lake. This area supports open grasslands, shrublands, deciduous riparian and Douglas Fir forests. Four species of salmon live and spawn in the river and a wide variety of wildlife are found in the valley. Williams Lake Band and Soda Creek First Na- tions have lived in the valley for thousands of years. White settlements began in the 1860’s and the river valley has been infl uenced since then by ranching, logging, saw milling, gravel extrac- tion, municipal sewage treatment and storm drain runoff.

In the late 1970s, the Williams Lake Field Naturalists introduced the concept of conserving the River Valley as a valuable recreational and educational area. They expanded their efforts in the early 1990s when the Williams Lake Rotary Club and a dedicated group of volunteers representing a number of interests began to secure funding to move towards the community vi- sion for the valley. Between 1992 and 1998, plans and an ecological study were completed and extensive trail infrastructure was developed includ- ing 22 bridges, interpretive signage, toilets, parking, benches and tables.

In 2000, the San Jose Watershed Group working with the local Stew- ardship Coordinator, the City and ten other community groups organ ized the Watershed Health Walk. Over 300 people walked the valley, stopped to visit booths set up by community groups along the trail and welcomed Fin Donnelly as he arrived at the mouth of the Williams Lake River as part of his Fra ser 2000 Spirit of the Salmon Swim. This awakened the broad community to this stun ning valley right in the heart of their city.

In late 2000, development had reached a point where it was felt that volunteer groups and individuals could not be expected to effectively address issues and day to day management of the valley. As a result, the City of Williams Lake agreed to take on management responsibility. Under the direction of the Director of Leisure Services, a Trails Advisory Committee (TAC) was established. The TAC included groups involved with protection, restoration, enhance- ment and use of the River Valley. By July 2002, a plan for the River Valley was complete. It provided long term direction to the City of Williams Lake, other agencies and volunteers for the management of the River Valley. The plan attempts to capture the needs and desires of a range of interests, while maintaining the natural atmosphere of the valley. It also recognizes connections to existing and future trails within the Williams Lake trail network and reflects the Official Community Plan.

Hemphill notes that education is key in having residents consider their watershed and then work with each other to keep it healthy. Hemphill says that Case’s valley assessment led to an awakening in the community. For the past three years, a wide variety of community groups, local businesses, local mills, the city, and Fisheries and O c e a n s Canada carried out projects that included planting, soil enhancement and placing large woody debris to be- gin natural ecosystems of the valley.

Over the years the BC Wildlife Federation’s Wetland Education Program participants have reported similar scenarios. Gravel, peat and firewood are extracted from wet- lands, water is drained and wetlands are paved over. Then one day people begin to wonder why water quality is poor, why flooding has increased and where the salmon have gone. The light goes on and people begin to recognize how all the parts of the watershed are connected.

When people do become interested, the key is to involve residents in a real hands-on way, says Sarin War- man, who works for Ducks Unlimited. She created the “Living by Water in the San Jose Watershed” project. Funded by EcoAction, the Real Estate Foundation and the Vancouver Foundation, it involves lakeshore landowners in naturalizing their shorelines to restore and conserve shoreline habitats. Warman works one-on-one with individual landowners to identify areas on their property where improvements to shoreline habitat will benefi t them and the entire watershed. The project provides incentives such as restoration materials, technical ad vice and expertise, equipment and volunteer labour. Many people use the valley now for recreation, and they are all keeping an eye on the ongoing work.

Case, Hemphill, and Warman attended the 2003 Wetlands Institute in 100 Mile House, one of three courses offered by the BC Wildlife Federation¹s Wetland Educa tion Program (WEP). The next Wetlands Institute will be hosted in Victoria BC, July 2005. WEP courses also include Wetlandkeepers and the Puddle Project and are all designed to assist wetland stewards to gain fur- ther knowledge and skills to conserve wetlands in their community.

Wetland stewards like Case, Hemphill and Warman are helping their communities to take a watershed perspective and thus bring wetland conservation and restoration into focus.

***

 If you are interested in attending a WEP course contact Lisa Mose, 250-423-2654 or email wetlands@bcwf.bc.ca The BC Wildlife Federation thanks the 2003 Wetlands Institute funders for their support: BC Cattlemen¹s Association, Ministry of Water Land and Air Protection, Public Conservation Assistance Fund, Weldwood of Canada, Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry, BC Agriculture Council, Shell Environmental Fund, TD Friends of the Environment, and Canadian Wildlife Service.

[From WS March/April 2004]

Can we ask for a little of your time, and some money?

We can’t do this without you. Support independent media and donate a little or a lot – every bit makes a difference. And when you give those precious extra dollars, we treat them as the honour it is and use them carefully to pay for more stories, more distribution of information, and bonus copies to colleges and libraries. Donate $50 or more, and we will publicly thank you in our magazine. And we always thank you from the bottom of our hearts.