About Us

Comox Valley Project Watershed Society was established in 1993 by a small group of local citizens concerned by declining fish stocks, water quality and rapid urban development in local watersheds. We are a registered non-profit society with Canadian charitable tax status. The organization is guided by a volunteer board and managed by staff. We are also a partner of the Comox Valley Conservation Strategy and have a representative on the Environmental Council.

Who are we… (view downloadable document)

What we do… (view our mission statement)

Rapid population growth and the corresponding urbanization of watersheds in the Comox Valley have led to large areas of environmentally sensitive land being utilized for development purposes. Fish and wildlife habitats in streams, wetlands and foreshore areas are becoming more and more degraded as a direct result of these pressures.

Since 1993 Project Watershed has been “promoting community stewardship of Comox Valley watersheds through information, education and action”. We often work in partnership with local stewardship organizations, industry and all levels of government, to meet these goals. For example, we partner with like-minded organizations to maintain offices at the "Comox Valley Conservation Center" at 2356A Rosewall Crescent in Tintown, Courtenay.

The society's purposes are:

to promote community stewardship of every watershed from Oyster River to Deep Bay Creek
to provide and promote environmental education and research
to acquire and disseminate environmental information
to enhance community understanding of local ecosystems and recognition of the requirements of indigenous species
to improve awareness of local action opportunities in watershed stewardship
to provide and promote employment opportunities in sustainable watershed activities
to work with government agencies, private companies and other interest groups to conserve, restore and develop habitat for indigenous fish, flora and fauna
to create and refine policies and regulations deemed necessary for the society to achieve its objectives
to raise moneys as required and appropriate

What is watershed stewardship?

Watershed stewardship is people working together and acting upon their collective sense of responsibility to take care of local land, air and water environments. Community watershed stewardship is essential to maintaining the health and integrity of our environment and our communities. It requires long-term commitment from the entire community: its organizations, its businesses, its government agencies and, especially, its citizens.

The challenge of fostering that level of commitment has been successfully met by the Comox Valley Project Watershed Society. During our history, we have learned that, in order for the community to take responsibility for clean air, land and water, people of all backgrounds must be encouraged to become involved in local stewardship activities and must be given the support required to make their efforts satisfying and effective.

Project Watershed’s mission is recognized locally and internationally for our ability to provide technical expertise in the area of watershed inventory and mapping, and for our ability to involve volunteers in diverse stewardship programs. The sensitive habitat mapping and inventory information that has been gathered by Project Watershed and others has contributed to significantly increased awareness about and improvement of land use activities affecting sensitive stream, wetland and coastal habitats.

Project Watershed has piloted numerous important initiatives and is frequently lauded as a role model for community stewardship organizations throughout British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. Our organization has been recognized with several community achievement awards.