About the Shuswap Watershed Council

Interested in the work of the Shuswap Watershed Council? Take a look at some of our most Frequently Asked Questions!

The Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) was established in 2014 as a watershed-based partnership of several organizations with an interest or responsibility for protecting water quality. There are up to 22 members that represent three regional districts, two municipalities, the Secwepemc Nation, three provincial government agencies and Shuswap communities.

The SWC is a collaborative, non-regulatory group that focuses on strategic initiatives to protect, maintain and enhance water quality and to promote safe recreation in the Shuswap. The SWC works alongside organizations that have regulatory roles in managing the Shuswap watershed, complementing their work and carefully avoiding duplication.

Vision

Enhanced water quality that supports human and ecosystem health and the local economy in the Shuswap watershed.

Membership

The SWC is chaired by Rhona Martin, Director of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District for Area E – Rural Sicamous and Malakwa.

See the full SWC membership (as of August 15, 2024).

Program Administration and Management

The Fraser Basin Council (FBC), a BC non-profit organization established in 1997, provides staff services to the Shuswap Watershed Council. Healthy watersheds and water resources are a priority area for FBC, which regularly facilitates and supports multi-party collaborative initiatives focused on water issues and other sustainability challenges. There are two staff in FBC’s Kamloops office that manage all of SWC’s programs and initiatives.

Objectives

The SWC’s goals are laid out in the Strategic Plan for 2021-26, as follows:

1. Water Quality is maintained and improved in the Shuswap for the benefits of a healthy ecosystem, a thriving tourism economy and a desirable lifestyle for residents,
2. The SWC is the trusted, go-to source for water quality information in the Shuswap,
3. People in the Shuswap practice safe water-based recreation,
4. The SWC is a well-governed, transparent, collaborative organization.

Terms of Reference and Statement of Principles

To learn more about the Shuswap Watershed Council, see:

• Terms of Reference for the Shuswap Watershed Council, v.6 (approved Dec 8, 2021), which sets the governance framework for the SWC,
• Statement of Principles, intended to guide members of the SWC and its committees in their work.

For SWC meeting agendas, summaries and highlights, see SWC Meetings.

For information about the SWC’s work  such as the annual budget, work plan, and annual reports – see SWC Resources.