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Content: The Salmon River Watershed Management Partnership (S.R.W.M.P.) is a cooperative
effort
of watershed residents, federal and provincial government agencies and the Township of
Langley. The Partnership was established to move the management of the Salmon River
Watershed towards sustainability. Langley is a rapidly developing community and as a
consequence its many rivers and wetlands are facing unprecedented development pressures.
The Salmon River, one of the last remaining near pristine salmon producing streams in the
Lower Mainland, was identified by senior government agencies as an index watershed
requiring immediate protection from further negative impacts.
The mission of the Salmon River Water Management Partnership is: "To establish cooperative, community based stewardship of the Salmon River Watershed which balances economic, environmental and social needs of the watershed." "Community based stewardship" refers to all stakeholders who directly influence the Salmon, be they government or non government in nature, working together to sustain the watershed
GOALS OF THE SALMON RIVER WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP "To undertake and encourage a comprehensive, flexible and integrated approach to all aspects of watershed stewardship and management activities that effect the Salmon Watershed; balancing views and needs of various stakeholders" "To create and implement a coordinated management plan for the Salmon River watershed which is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable while incorporating rehabilitation and enhancement needs." "To move toward community based governance of the watershed. Where all stakeholders participate in planning future land and water use management".
The Salmon River Watershed has a rich history of trade, culture and fisheries resources. Historically, the Salmon River was one of the most productive salmonid habitats in the Lower Mainland, known for rich populations of coho and chum salmon, cutthroat and steelhead trout. The Salmon River played an important role in the regions communication, transportation and economic development. The Stó:lo Nation used the river as their main communication route and the lumber and fur trade was built along its banks. In 1827, the Hudson's Bay Company established Fort Langley near the confluence of the Salmon and Fraser rivers. By 1829, the first commercial fisheries in southern British Columbia were established with active trade between the First Nations people and the fort. Since the time of this first trading post, the area has developed into a rich agricultural area, an industry today that makes up the majority of the watershed's economic base. The Salmon River Watershed drains approximately 8,000 hectares into the Fraser River. It makes up approximately one quarter of the entire area of Langley and its tributaries include Coghlan, Davidson, Otter, and Union Creeks. The watershed provides an interesting mix of ecological and geological features that make it unique in the Lower Mainland. As a result of glacial action the area is underpinned by significant gravel deposits that store huge volumes of fresh water. This water, held in the Hopington Aquifer, supports over 4000 residences, five hundred farms, as well as, contributing spring fed water to the stream. It is this extensive spring activity that provides the river with optimum fish habitat in the form of cool pockets of water and gravel beds forming important nursery habitat over the dry summer months. This is one of the primary reasons why the Salmon River is one of the premier coho spawning streams in the Lower Fraser Valley. The aquifer is a valuable watershed resource that needs immediate protection from over-utilization and contamination. The condition of the aquifer has a direct impact on the quality of surface and ground water reserves. Studies conducted by the University of British Columbia on stream water quality show elevated nitrate levels in the aquifer during the late summer directly attributed to groundwater contamination (Schreier et al. 1996). This report indicates that commercial agriculture, hobby farming and residential septic tanks are the main sources of water contamination in the Salmon River Watershed. Extensive commercial fish harvesting eventually lead to the extinction of the River's pink and chum stocks. Despite extensive harvest and the increasing pressures of urban and agricultural development, coho salmon and cutthroat trout along with 12 other species of fish including the endangered Salish sucker call the watershed home for all, or part of their life cycle. The Salmon River Watershed is considered one of the last few remaining watersheds in the Greater Vancouver Regional District that is still able to support productive fish stocks. The Salmon River Watershed although altered by development pressures still supports substantial good quality fish and wildlife habitat. For the past 13 years the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has designated the Salmon River an index river for coho. This means that the stream is closely monitored for fish production with no hatchery enhancement of stocks allowed in the system. This allows researchers to monitor the survival rates of coho and the effectiveness of habitat enhancement techniques and land management in the watershed. Historically, wild coho stocks in this watershed have shown much higher survival over their life cycle than stocks in other streams. Returning numbers, however, have dropped in recent years to approximately 2,000 fish from highs of 8,000 in the 1980's. With the inevitability of encroaching development in the Lower Fraser Valley, the protection of the natural resources in the Salmon River Watershed was seen as a priority for residents and users of the watershed. The rural atmosphere and the peace and quiet that prevails in this watershed are the most valued attributes by Langley residents. When questioned about what would cause rural residents to consider moving from Langley, the primary reason cited by 48% was the loss of the rural nature of the area. (Community Plan, Rural Langley) Commercial agriculture plays a significant role in the economic and social makeup of the Salmon Watershed. There are 6500 horses in Langley which is known as the "Horse capital of B.C". The estimated economic impact is in the order of $40 million dollars annually. Total gross farm receipts in the Township of Langley for 1991 from commercial agriculture was 118.4 million dollars. The Township of Langley ranks third in the province behind Matsqui and Chilliwack for total gross farm receipts. In 1991, Langley had 1,408 farms, (55% are horse farms) more than any other municipality in B.C. The Salmon Watershed makes up about one quarter of the Township of Langley and contains a significant proportion of the Township's commercial and hobby agriculture activity. If the Salmon River Watershed is to continue as a great place to live, where its unique fish and wildlife resources are maintained and fostered, and where farming continues to thrive, ways of managing land and water uses must be improved upon. The need to protect the integrity of the Salmon River Watershed is the reason behind the completion of the Salmon River Watershed Management Plan. By creating a comprehensive management plan based on partnerships and cooperation amongst all current and future watershed stakeholders moving towards a common vision, the Salmon River Watershed Management Partnership hopes to preserve and ensure a sustainable future for all watershed inhabitants.
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