Click to view larger image
The Fraser River Basin drains an area larger than Great Britain and about the size of California. It is known worldwide for its natural beauty, abundant resources and cultural diversity. Two out of three British Columbians live in the Basin – over two million in the Lower Mainland and another 500,000 in major communities and dozens of smaller towns and villages from the Rockies to the Fraser Valley.
From the time First Nations people first arrived in the area thousands of years ago, the Basin's resources have played a major role in determining, not only the economic development of each region, but also where people have built their communities. While a wide range of business and industry flourishes throughout the Basin, each region has particular areas in which certain sectors predominate. In many cases, communities are dependent on resource industries, often on a single industry. Over the years, major regional centres like Prince George, Williams Lake and Kamloops have been able to diversify their economic base. Greater Vancouver has traditionally had the greatest economic diversity, much of it dependent on the economic activity generated from resource industries located in other parts of the Basin. However, the community, business and personal services sector, including high technology and consulting, is now the largest employer in all regions of the Basin.
Many of the important sustainability issues facing Fraser Basin residents, governments, community groups and businesses are Basin wide – and even, province wide – in scope. Issues include preparing for the next great Fraser River flood, controlling the spread of invasive plant species, managing the effects of climate change, strengthening rural communities, developing a sustainable fish and fisheries strategy, building constructive aboriginal and non-aboriginal relationships and measuring our progress towards sustainability.
Other issues are of concern to specific regions of the Basin. Some of these regional issues include threats to property and navigation from waterborne debris in the Fraser Valley, maintaining a healthy estuary at the mouth of the River, developing a Sustainable Region Initiative in the GVRD, addressing deteriorating water quality in Shuswap Lake, developing a set of sustainability indicators for the City of Quesnel and resolving conflicts over water flows on the Nechako River.
What is becoming increasingly evident is the interdependence of the various regions in the Basin. What happens in Greater Vancouver has a profound effect on the sustainability of the whole of the Basin. Conversely, the fortunes and misfortunes of communities like Vanderhoof, Quesnel, 100 Mile House, Merritt and Kent have a direct impact on the economic, social and environmental future of the entire Basin, and indeed the province. If sustainability is to be achieved in the Basin, then important issues in all regions need to be identified, acted upon and resolved.
To ensure that the interests and issues of residents throughout the Fraser Basin are addressed, the Fraser Basin Council (FBC) has divided the Basin into five regions based on river watershed and regional district boundaries. A regional FBC office is located in each region.
For a description of each Region, go to:
Greater Vancouver Sea to Sky Region
Fraser Valley Region
Thompson Region
Cariboo-Chilcotin Region
Upper Fraser Region
For a description of the Fraser River Basin, go to:
Fraser Basin
For more information on Programs in each Region, go to:
Programs