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British Columbia's Fraser River Basin. It's unsurpassed in natural grandeur, human diversity and economic opportunities. All of Great Britain, or almost all of California, could easily fit into the Basin. Stretching 1399 kilometres from the Rockies to Richmond, it is the fifth largest drainage area in Canada. It covers some 240,000 square kilometers, or roughly one-quarter of the province. For two out of three British Columbians, the Fraser Basin is home.
The Fraser Basin is the geographical area drained by the Fraser River and its 13 main watersheds. The vast and intricate network of tributary rivers, lakes, streams, marshes, bogs, swamps, sloughs and waterways spreads like a system of veins through the heart of the province, flowing into the Fraser, the principal artery, from more remote districts. If the Basin is the heartland of British Columbia, then the Fraser and its tributaries are its lifeblood.
Mount Robson
A journey down the magnificent Fraser River begins on Mount Robson – the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains. On its way to the sea, the Mighty Fraser passes through five dramatic climatic zones – from alpine tundra and pine forests, to grasslands and desert-like canyons, through old growth rain forest and a fertile, lowland valley.
Along its way, the Fraser is joined by the Nechako and Stuart rivers at Prince George, the Quesnel and Blackwater near Quesnel, the Chilcotin south of Williams Lake and the Bridge-Seton at Lillooet. Waters from the Thompson-Nicola River system that drains the Shuswap, Kamloops and Merritt areas reach the Fraser at Lytton. The River then squeezes through the rugged Fraser Canyon, roars through the turbulent rapids around Hell's Gate and makes its way to Hope. On the last leg of its journey, it flows through the lush Fraser Valley floodplain to reach its world-renowned estuary. And finally, the "plume" of the Fraser River extends out across Georgia Strait to the Gulf Islands.
The Fraser Basin boasts one of the world's most productive salmon river systems, supporting five salmon species and 65 other species of fish, including steelhead and giant sturgeon. The Fraser River and its tributaries comprise BC's most productive waterfowl breeding and overwintering area, and a crucial staging area on the Pacific Flyway for massive flights of migratory birds. The mouth of the River in particular is recognized as a globally significant estuary. Hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, not to mention trees, plants and insects, form the basis of the Basin's diverse ecosystems.
First Nations Woman Drying Salmon
The Basin's key assets are its people, culturally diverse and educated, in a tolerant, open society, blessed with abundant resources and still relatively healthy ecosystems. Together, this vast eco-system is home today to 2.7 million British Columbians. That number is projected to rise to four million over the next two decades.
The aboriginal peoples – Sto:lo, Nlaka'pamux, Secwepmec, Stl'atl'imx, Tsilhqot'in, Carrier and Okanagan-speaking First Nations – were the first to recognize its special nature and enjoy its bounty. Archeological evidence confirms oral traditions that their ancestors have lived beside the river since the vast glaciers starting receding 10,000 years ago and the Fraser River, as we know it, was born. Some 70,000 aboriginal people in 91 First Nations currently live in the Basin.
Over the past two hundred years, people from all over the world – first from Great Britain, Europe and North America, then from China, Japan and India and most recently from other parts of Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa – have come here to live, work and play. In Vancouver alone, 70 different languages are spoken.
The Basin contributes 80% of the provincial economic output and 65% of total household income. It contains 21 million hectares of forest – more than three times the area of New Brunswick. Its farms, ranches and orchards compromise half of all BC's agricultural lands. Eight major mines in the Basin account for 60% of BC's metal mine production. In addition, some of the province's – and the world's – most spectacular natural beauty and recreational opportunities abound in this area, contributing 67% of total tourism revenue.
Vancouver from False Creek
The Fraser Basin – with its diversity of people and enterprise, staggering natural beauty, abundant resources and, most of all, its potential for preserving and protecting, for future generations, what much of the world has already lost – is a very special place and well worth taking care of. Because it is so special, we have special responsibilities to fulfill our commitment to sustainability. That is, to fulfill our commitment to our children, and to their children, so that their social, economic and environmental futures is no less promising for them than it is for us.
The Fraser Basin Council was formed in 1997 expressly to be an advocate for the sustainability of our home, the Fraser Basin. The Council is a custom-built, independent vehicle that helps to ensure that the decisions we collectively make now will protect and advance the Fraser Basin's economic, environmental and social sustainability, fully into the future.
For more information on the Fraser Basin Council, go to:
About FBC
For a description of each Fraser Basin Region, go to:
Greater Vancouver Sea to Sky Region
Fraser Valley Region
Thompson Region
Cariboo-Chilcotin Region
Upper Fraser Region
For more information on the Fraser Basin Council Programs, go to:
Programs