Bowker Blueprint Update: “Watershed Moment” in BC’s Capital Region Connects the Future with the Past
Note to Reader:
Established in 2004, the Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative (BCI) is a unique multi-jurisdictional effort in British Columbia’s Capital Region. Local governments, community groups, post-secondary institutions and private citizens are collaborating to improve the health of Bowker Creek and its watershed. Bowker Creek has become a demonstration area for urban watershed management and restoration in the Georgia Basin.
Currently, the reach of Bowker Creek that runs along the border of Oak Bay High School and the Oak Bay Recreation Centre, is contained in an open concrete channel, sustaining no aquatic life or native riparian habitat. The Bowker Creek Blueprint identifies restoration of this section of Bowker Creek as a key priority for implementation within 3 to 5 years (i.e. by 2015).
Flagship Project in Oak Bay Demonstrates Commitment to Restoring Watershed Function
Thanks to an influx of cash from the federal government, a stretch of Bowker Creek next to Oak Bay High School will soon have a very different look. Bowker Creek restoration is being undertaken in conjunction with replacement of the existing Oak Bay High with a new school, Neighbourhood Learning Centre and new sports fields.
“This flagship project will transform a section of Bowker Creek from a degraded, highly urbanized creek into a naturally functioning water environment. This is a huge catalyst for moving forward and seeing the fulfillment of the watershed vision that is outlined in the Bowker Creek Blueprint,” states Jody Watson, Chair of the Bowker Creek Initiative.
“It’s a watershed moment, because it connects the future to all the work that was done in the past,” concludes Soren Henrich, who represents the Friends of Bowker Creek on the BCI Steering Committee. Among his many contributions is the BCI logo.
To Learn More:
To read the complete story posted on the Vanouver Island community-of-interest, click on Bowker Blueprint Update: “Watershed Moment” in BC’s Capital Region Connects the Future with the Past
Click on Bowker Creek Forum to read a set of stories posted in 2010 to raise awareness of the importance of this provincially significant and precedent-setting initiative.
