Community Watershed Monitoring Stewardship Group Profiles

The water quality monitoring of various sites along the Chase River, Cat Stream and Beck Creek is shared by the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI) and the Coastal Hydrology & Climate Change Research Lab (CHCCRL), both located on the Vancouver Island University campus. MABBRI is committed to spreading awareness about the importance of protecting the UNESCO-designated region and they do this by taking part in research projects and community engagement initiatives. Their area of focus overlaps with the Englishman River, French Creek and Little Qualicum water regions in the RDN. Forage fish spawning habitat monitoring, wetland mapping and running youth workshops are just a few of their current and ongoing projects. The CHCCRL’s primary focus is on researching the effects of climate change and natural resource management on watershed health and hydrology. They have a large network of weather and water observation stations along the Pacific coast of British Columbia and are currently working on techniques to measure snow depth using drones! For more detailed information about two organizations, their projects and how to get involved, visit mabrri.viu.ca and viu-hydromet-wx.ca.