SWC Advocacy Correspondence for Watershed Health

The Shuswap Watershed Council plays an important role as an advocate for the Shuswap watershed. The SWC has called on provincial and federal authorities to take steps to ensure a healthy watershed. Here is the correspondence from the SWC that addresses the issues and encourages preventative and corrective actions.

• SWC Correspondence on Water Quality
• SWC Correspondence on Invasive Mussels

Water Quality Correspondence

SWC Letter of October 12, 2022 and attached images (below)

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to the Hon. George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, to express concern about deteriorating water quality in the Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake, and to ask for the ministry’s leadership in restoring and protecting this waterway. In particular, the SWC referenced the ministry's jurisdictional responsibility for ensuring environmentally protective agricultural practices through implementation and compliance with the 2018 Agricultural Environmental Management Code of Practice.

Letter attachments:

• Map of 2022 Algal Bloom Advisory: Cautionary Area
• Sample of water affected by 2022 algal bloom (photo courtesy of Linda Franklin)

Reply (by email) of March 2, 2023 from George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

 Letter of October 11, 2022

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to the Assistant Deputy Minister of BC Parks and Conservation Officer Service Division to express concern about the lack of watercraft wastewater pump-out and disposal facilities around Shuswap and Mara Lakes.

Invasive Mussels Correspondence

For background, see Invasive Mussels.

Letter of November 15, 2022

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to the Hon. Josie Osborne, BC Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship to call for a greater investment of resources in the province’s Invasive Mussel Defence Program.

 Letter of November 26, 2021

Joint letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council, Shuswap Waterfront Owners Association, and Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society to federal Fisheries Minister, Hon. Joyce Murray, outlining concerns for the Shuswap and British Columbia, calling for more federal funding and resources to protect BC from aquatic invasive mussels, and for better containment of aquatic invasive species in infested waterbodies.

 Letter of April 16, 2021

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to the Provincial Minister of Environment, Hon. George Heyman, calling for additional measures to protect British Columbia from invasive mussels and invasive freshwater clams.

 Letter of December 17, 2019

Joint letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council and the Okanagan Basin Water Board to federal Fisheries Minister, Hon. Bernadette Jordan, calling for more federal funding and resources to protect BC from aquatic invasive mussels, and better containment of aquatic invasive species in infested waterbodies.

Letter of March 26, 2019

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to Hon. Ken MacDonald, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, requesting the SWC appear as a witness in a national study on the federal Aquatic Invasive Species Program.

Letter of December 13, 2018

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to MP Ken MacDonald, expressing support for a review of the federal Aquatic Invasive Species Program, and expressing concern about the threat of invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussels to BC and the Shuswap region.

Letter of September 25, 2018

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to federal Fisheries Minister, Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, calling for additional federal funding and resources to protect BC from aquatic invasive mussels, and better containment of aquatic invasive species in infested waterbodies.

Letter of August 30, 2018

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to MP Mel Arnold, expressing concern about the threat of aquatic invasive mussels to the Shuswap and calling for more federal funding and resources to protect BC.

Letter of February 2, 2018

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to Hon. Premier John Horgan and provincial Minister of Environment, Hon. George Heyman, requesting the Province to expand the Invasive Mussel Defence Program.

Letter of January 5, 2017

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to Hon. Premier Christy Clark and provincial Minister of Environment, Hon. Mary Polak, requesting the establishment of permanent watercraft inspection stations at all highway entry-points to BC.

Letter of April 21, 2016

Letter from the Shuswap Watershed Council to Hon. Premier Christy Clark and provincial Minister of Environment, Hon. Mary Polak, expressing support for enhancements to the provincial Invasive Mussel Defence Program.