Fraser Basin Pilot Project
Fraser Basin Pilot – Watershed Assessment and Evaluation Decision Support ToolThis project will provide a synoptic overview of threats to aquatic values in the study area watersheds. An assessment of the condition of freshwater ecosystems (i.e., the extent to which they are natural versus modified or degraded) and the extent to which each freshwater ecosystem type is represented in existing protected areas and special management zones will be completed. These representation analyses will be placed within the broader context of the entire Fraser River Basin and the larger ecoregions as much as possible, as these analyses are more sensitive to study area boundary than focal species analysis. This will be accomplished through the development of a watershed assessment and decision support tool, intended for use at a regional watershed scale. The tool will enable decision makers to define the current state of aquatic resources within watersheds, explore various management options, and evaluate the threats and identify potential future scenarios for key watersheds. Province-wide Watershed Assessment and Evaluation ToolThis project will take the results of the Fraser River Basin and Thompson Pilot projects and apply them to a provincial-scale model.
Fraser BasinThe Fraser basin stretches 1,399 kilometres and is the fifth largest drainage area in Canada. It covers aproximatly 240,000 square kilometreas, or roughly one-quarter of the province. Along its way, the Fraser is joined by the Nechako and Stuart rivers at Prince George, the Quesnel and Blackwater near Quesnel, the Chilcotin south of Williams Lake and the Bridge-Seton at Lillooet. Waters from the Thompson-Nicola River system that drains the Shuswap, Kamloops and Merritt areas reach the Fraser at Lytton. The River then squeezes through the rugged Fraser Canyon, roars through the turbulent rapids around Hell's Gate and makes its way to Hope.
The Fraser Basin boasts one of the world's most productive salmon river systems, supporting five salmon species and 65 other species of fish, including steelhead and giant sturgeon. The Fraser River and its tributaries comprise BC's most productive waterfowl breeding and overwintering area, and a crucial staging area on the Pacific Flyway for massive flights of migratory birds. Hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, not to mention trees, plants and insects, form the basis of the Basin's diverse ecosystems (Fraser Basin Council, 2007). |
