Funded Projects

The Bridge River Valley Community Association, in partnership with Xwísten, a neighbouring community of the St’át’imc Nation, is advancing a project to support watershed recovery and long-term health.

The key objectives are to develop a collaborative draft plan to guide long-term watershed stewardship, establish a partnership framework with neighbouring Indigenous communities and local stakeholders to formalize collaboration, and coordinate land-based seeding activities to support ground stabilization and reduce runoff in severely burned riparian zones and fire-affected tributaries. To achieve these objectives, a consultant or contractor will be hired to coordinate and oversee all project activities, including engagement, consultation, and planning meetings focused on both immediate and long-term watershed needs. The consultant will also lead land-based seeding efforts under the guidance of a professional environmental organization, working closely with Indigenous member communities of the St’át’imc Nation.

Activities will include engaging Indigenous communities and stakeholders through planning meetings on watershed health, safety, security, and land use governance; collaborating to develop a watershed care action plan that addresses both short- and long-term priorities; and implementing land-based seeding in priority fire-impacted areas to improve water quality and enhance watershed resilience.

“Property owners on Gun Lake have long been very proactively involved in conservation and protection of the Gun Lake watershed due to the unique and special quality of the water in Gun Lake and the number of water licences for drinking and other uses on the lake. The extreme impacts of the Downton Lake Wildfire in 2023 increased the requirements to advocate and plan for the long term security of the Gun Lake Watershed. The Watershed Security Funding will support our community in partnering and collaborating with the St’at’imc First Nations to secure and plan for the long term health of the Gun Lake Watershed. We are grateful and relieved to have this opportunity.”
—Michelle Nortje, community member, volunteer and BRVCA executive board member