A new effort is being made to clean up the Gorge by focusing on areas upstream from the actual waterway.
Since the mid-1990s, most of the effort to clean up the Gorge has been focused on removing septic tanks leaching into the water.
Now the Habitat Acquisition Trust is promoting better water and runoff management for the creeks and watersheds that feed the Gorge.
B次元官网网址淚n the B次元官网网址�70s and B次元官网网址�80s it got quite a bad reputation for being a bit of a cesspool waterway,B次元官网网址� land care co-ordinator Todd Carnahan said. B次元官网网址淚t is a swimmable place today as a result of all the community effort.B次元官网网址�
A large portion of the Craigflower Watershed B次元官网网址� roughly the area between Mount Work and Thetis Lake B次元官网网址� drains into the Gorge and Portage Inlet. Carnahan said that with increased development there are increased diversions to waterways through ditching and storm drainage. Development leads to runoff, which then collects sediments and contaminants (such as oil from cars) and runs directly into the waterway instead of being absorbed and filtered by plants and soil.
B次元官网网址淭hey act like a kidney, filtering out the water before it gets into the main stem,B次元官网网址� Carnahan said. B次元官网网址淲e really have to do something now because itB次元官网网址檚 a bit of a bottleneck as a result of development.B次元官网网址�
His groupB次元官网网址檚 Good Neighbours project is working with homeowners to make their properties more water friendly.
One thing homeowners can do is plant more native vegetation rather than expanding their lawn.
In some circumstances, even disconnecting a down spout from the homeB次元官网网址檚 gutters and redirecting water into forest soils is more environmentally friendly than having it go straight into storm drains.
B次元官网网址淭hese are the people that IB次元官网网址檓 trying to reach, the ones that are upstream of the Gorge, that can actually have an influence on water quality,B次元官网网址� Carnahan said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 be very interested in hearing from folks that live in the Craigflower area and would like to learn more about their property.B次元官网网址�
A consultation from the Habitat Acquisition TrustB次元官网网址檚 Good Neighbours program is free, confidential and non-binding. The group will help with landscaping tips that are both beneficial for the homeowner and the environment.
B次元官网网址淲e can provide a vision for people as a goal for their land management strategy,B次元官网网址� Carnahan said. B次元官网网址淚f we can appeal to peopleB次元官网网址檚 desires and wants then weB次元官网网址檙e also going to have the result of improved water quality for all those other residents of the watershed.B次元官网网址�
For more information, visit hat.bc.ca or call Carnahan at 250-995-2428.
kwells@goldstreamgazette.com
