Acknowledgements

The authors of this report wish to acknowledge the information and expertise contributed by the following individuals towards the completion of this report:

Our deep appreciation to Quw’utsun’ elders and community members, as well as Cowichan Tribes staff, for sharing their knowledge, history, and concerns for the future of the watershed. Specifically, we wish to thank Dr. Arvid Charlie, Philomena and Peter Williams, Candace Charlie, Natalie Anderson, Tracy Fleming, Darin George, Tim Kulchyski, Ron George, and Debra Toporowski.

For information on fish values, we appreciate the input from Steve Baillie, Mike McCullough, Dave Preikshot, Tom Rutherford, Jaroslaw Szczot, Brian Tutty, Kevin Pellet, Andrew Campbell, and Peter Tschaplinski. Chris Steeger provided advice on species at risk and assisted in review of this report. Brian Roberts provided expertise on terrain stability and soils. Justin Striker and Melissa Iverson assisted with identifying and interpreting soils-
related data. Ralph Turner advised on water quality and provided local knowledge on historic sites.

Matthew Macdonald provided water allocation data. Celina Gold helped with the identification of sites of concern and interest for inclusion in our analysis. Kathy O’Donnell provided information on the history of Sh-hwuykwselu (Busy Place Creek). Genevieve Singleton and Roland Brown shared information regarding Bright Angel Park, as well as of the many stewardship initiatives that have and continue to occur in the watershed. We appreciate the time and field tours provided by Molly Hudson, Pam Jorgenson, and Domenico Iannidinardo of Mosiac Forest Management and Ken Epps of Island Timberlands. Nick Temos provided a flight tour of the Koksilah watershed. Dave Leversee developed the maps for this report and assisted with data location and interpretation. The residents of the Koksilah watershed have provided valuable firsthand
knowledge of the watershed. Our deep thanks to the Koksilah Working Group of the Cowichan Station Area Association for leading this initiative and seeing an opportunity to build community capacity for watershed stewardship and awareness.

And finally, we appreciate the following organizations for providing the funding that allowed us to conduct this ecosystem-based assessment of the Koksilah watershed: Real Estate Foundation of BC, Shawnigan Basin Society, Cowichan Valley Regional District Directors for Areas E, B, C, and A, Sidney Anglers Association, the HUB Film Club, and area residents through local fundraising events.

Introduction

The approximately 30,000-hectare Koksilah River watershed is a place of deep human history and immense ecological richness. Like all watersheds, it is a drainage basin comprised of many smaller drainage basins—where mountains and hillsides are like the edges of a bowl, guiding water to drain downhill into streams, rivers, lakes, and aquifers. From the sub-basins that feed the 44 km-long Koksilah River, to the smallest puddles found in the forest, each is a watershed that is connected to another that is larger or smaller. The highest ground in the watershed also creates a natural boundary, defining distinct (although still interconnected) ecological units. The use of ecological boundaries to define a study area is fundamental to undertaking an ecosystem-based assessment, and is the starting point for this assessment of the Koksilah River watershed.

The Koksilah watershed is located on Vancouver Island, south of the City of Duncan—the nearest urban centre. It is primarily located within the political boundaries of the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), with a small portion of the upper watershed located in the Capital Regional District. Within the CVRD, the watershed spans five electoral areas: B – Shawnigan Lake, C – Cobble Hill, D – Cowichan Bay, E – Cowichan Station/Sahtlam/Glenora, and F – Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls.

The mountains of the upper and middle watershed form part of the Victoria Highlands physiographic region, a transition zone between mountains and lowlands, that is characterized by gently sloping mountains interspersed with deeply incised valleys (Trofymow et al. 1997). Within this region, the Koksilah River and its many tributaries eventually join the Cowichan River, where together they flow into the Cowichan Bay estuary– the ecosystem where freshwater from the rivers meets tidal saltwater.

It is along Koksilah Ridge where one of the first Quw’utsun’ (Cowichan) people fell from the sky, and along the Koksilah River where, for thousands of years, many Quw’utsun’ people fished and called home. In addition to the Quw’utsun’ people, the watershed has been home to many species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. Even the water itself has a spirit, as discussed later in this report. In recent history, the watershed has become home to a large settler community, whose livelihoods and well-being also depend on the ecological health and integrity of their environment.

Full of life, the Koksilah watershed can easily be seen as a living entity in and of itself. We attempt to capture this essence in the descriptions of ecological character that follow. We then move on to a discussion of the watershed’s current condition, where we find many indications that the future of the watershed is in a delicate position. We hope that this report inspires both conversation and action, needed to ensure the stewardship of this wonderful place.

Objectives

gtg\This report has been commissioned by the Cowichan Station Area Association to describe the ecological character and current condition of the Koksilah River watershed, as a first step towards completing an ecosystem-based watershed assessment. This report represents Phase 1 of the larger project, Ecosystem-based Assessment of the Koksilah Watershed (the “Project”), the objectives of which are:

• To prepare an ecosystem-based assessment of the Koksilah watershed applying the principles and methods developed by Silva Forest Foundation and Silva Ecosystem Consultants;
• To ensure that the ecosystem-based assessment addresses questions of interest to the Cowichan Tribes community, and, where permitted, includes local and traditional knowledge shared by Cowichan Tribes community members;
• To maximize community participation in the project, including the inclusion of local knowledge in the ecosystem-based assessment; and
• To provide tools, such as the methodology and maps, for building local capacity in ecosystem-based management in the Koksilah watershed, and encourage wider use throughout the Cowichan region.

In Phase 2 of the Project, maps showing proposed protected landscape networks will be developed that show areas requiring restoration to protect key values in the watershed. Areas suitable for human use will also be identified. These land designations will be developed based on results from Phase 1, which, in its final version will include additional input provided by residents and the Cowichan Tribes.