The Cowichan region has a wonderful legacy of stewardship and volunteerism. Community organizations from the south, central and north give many thousands of volunteer hours each year in support of water ecosystems. Our activities include habitat restoration, watershed protection, data collection, water sampling, monitoring wildlife inventories, salmon fry salvage operations, public education and many others.
Each group has valuable knowledge of their local watershed and provides guidance to the Cowichan Valley Regional District about the unique needs and challenges it’s facing. However, without a regional agency working across multiple jurisdictions (First Nations, Federal, Provincial, and Municipal), this important work being done to protect our watersheds will be undermined.
On Oct. 20, voters will face an important referendum question on whether to support the creation of a Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Service at the CVRD. This service will help the CVRD and partners improve water monitoring and protection in watersheds from Shawnigan to Yellowpoint. It will allow the CVRD and stewardship groups to deepen their partnerships and collaborate in ways that benefit both local communities and the entire region. This service will also provide resources for stewardship groups to continue their work preserving and protecting our water for current and future generations.
To help pay for the new water service, homeowners in the CVRD will be charged $3.79 per $100,000 of assessed value on their annual property taxes. That works out to $18.95 per year for a $500,000 home. We think this will return great value to all of our residents in the form of enhanced water security, protected ecosystems and informed development decisions in the future.
Moving forward in an organized, collaborative and integrated manner is essential to our unified goal of developing and implementing sustainable water use and land management decisions. As such, our groups support the Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Service. We represent watersheds from every corner of our region and all agree it is vitally important to enable better local leadership on water. Please take the time to learn the facts and vote on Oct. 20.
Shawnigan Basin Society
Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society
One Cowichan
Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable
Cowichan Valley Naturalists
Cowichan Watershed Board
Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society
Yellowpoint Ecological Society
Green Blue
Quamichan Watershed Stewardship Society
