Coquitlam River Watershed – A Different Kind of Plan

 

Coquitlam River Roundtable-staff

Note to Reader:

The Coquitlam River watershed is one of a number of watersheds on the north shore of the Fraser River’s lower reach in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland region and is mostly located within the municipalities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.

Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable

In the Metro Vancouver region, non-urban watersheds – that is, those with 80% or more green space – are not required to develop watershed plans.  But a plan of some kind was definitely needed for the Coquitlam River Watershed with its many stakeholders, vast headwater wilderness including Coquitlam Lake reservoir and dam, and thirty watercourses draining into the Fraser River.

Margaret-Birch_Coquitlam_2013_120p“To meet that need, the Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable was formed in 2011 as a unique organization focused on advancing the health and sustainability of the watershed,” explains Margaret Birch, Environmental Services Coordinator.

“The Roundtable emphasizes collaboration and cooperation between a diverse and broad group of stakeholders including: regional, provincial and federal government agencies, the aggregate industry, utilities, and groups representing outdoor recreation, fishing, hunting and stewardship.”

“The mandate of the group is to provide support to those with legislative authority so that they can make informed decisions about activities in the watershed.”

“The initial goals of the Roundtable include creation of a website and resource database, water quality monitoring on the river from dam to mouth, and the development of a watershed plan tailored to meet the needs of this large and varied watershed.”

To Learn More:

The Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable (CRWRt) came about as the successful outcome of a multi-phase watershed strategy (2007-2011) aimed at improving collaboration and problem-solving amongst the many stakeholders in the watershed. The Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable was launched in February 2011 at an inaugural meeting of watershed partners and the community.

More information is available at: www.coquitlamriverwatershed.ca 

To download a copy of the Lower Coquitlam River Watershed Atlas, click here.