"Investing in watersheds is vital to the continued health of our land and rivers by ensuring our soil is protected and that our fish populations remain healthy. Through Nation-to-Nation consultation, we’re moving forward together on watershed rehabilitation and protection initiatives across the province that support people and build a cleaner, more sustainable future."
— George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (March 15)
Nothing works without water.
Our streams, rivers, and lakes provide us with fresh water that’s safe to drink, good for growing food, and needed to sustain our communities and economies. They’re also places we love to visit, swim, and fish in, and home to an incredible variety of plants, fish, and animals.
Connecting across lands and cultures
People living in British Columbia have a lot of love for water. And for good reason. Our province is crisscrossed with salmon-bearing streams, dotted with crystal-clear lakes, and connected by powerful rivers that bring water, fish, and goods out to the ocean.
Many of us carry deep connections to our home waters, that are sustained over generations.
First Nations have cared for the lands and waters in this part of the world since time immemorial. Indigenous traditions and knowledge carry important lessons for recognizing the interconnectedness of water, land, animals, and people, and for making decisions that secure the health of freshwater ecosystems for future generations.
Healthy watersheds, healthy people
When our watersheds are healthy, they provide food, clean water, and habitat for plants and animals. They also help cycle nutrients, absorb floods and storm surges, carry sediment from mountains to beaches, and purify the air we breathe.
Through its economic stimulus program, the Province of BC is supporting projects that bring people and communities together to restore our watersheds and protect these critical systems from pollution, climate change, and overuse. Along the way, these projects are creating jobs, strengthening relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and generating new knowledge and learning.
The Healthy Watersheds Initiative is an opportunity to get to work to protect and restore the watersheds we all depend on.
