BY SSI WATER PRESERVATION SOCIETY
The Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society (WPS) was founded in 1982 to protect the sources of drinking water on Salt Spring Island, promote research into local water resources and increase public awareness of the value of water resources.
Over the last 42 years, members have provided important input to ensure public policies recognize the vulnerability of our freshwater supplies, and safeguard this critical gift of nature. A special event in 2024 was the granting of a well-deserved B.C. Community Award to longtime WPS members Wayne and Doreen Hewitt, in recognition of their 30 years of persistent work to protect water resources on Salt Spring Island.
One of the most significant WPS accomplishments in recent years is the Freshwater Catalogue. This has been a very successful citizen-science project, collecting data and local knowledge to improve our understanding of the diversity, quantity and quality of the island’s surface and groundwater. We appreciate the valuable contributions of numerous volunteers who’ve monitored streams, lakes, ponds, springs and wells over a six-year period. Loads of detailed information and links, including one to an interactive web-map, is available at sites.google.com/view/freshwater-catalogue/home. Anyone interested in contributing to this important research project would be very welcome, and is asked to contact us at ssiwps@gmail.com.
WPS is a partner with the local Climate Action Research Lab group, which is working to improve the hydrology and fire resistance of the Maxwell Lake watershed, one of Salt Spring’s main sources of potable water. This project is increasing knowledge about restoration practices, and is gaining the attention of experts throughout B.C.
Over the past year, WPS also collaborated with Raincoast Conservation Foundation and other local groups studying the health of the waters of Fulford Bay. Peter Ross, who oversees Raincoast’s Healthy Waters program that monitors water pollution, presented a very interesting and informative public talk about invisible pollutants impacting freshwater, oceans, wildlife and humans in June. In addition to providing information on the Freshwater Catalogue and WPS websites, we submitted an article to the Driftwood for World Water Day in March, explaining how our interconnected watersheds and natural systems are key to our island’s continued freshwater sustainability.
We enjoyed talking to people at our booths at the annual film festival and fall fair, and are always open to hearing water-related concerns and feedback from the public. We offer personalized water catchment tours, and hope to have more public education events in the coming year.
Currently, WPS has concerns regarding the North Salt Spring Waterworks District’s proposed lifting of the moratorium on water connections. We look forward to discussions with NSSWD and the community about this critical issue in the coming months. We will continue to monitor local, regional and provincial policies that affect water, and provide thoughtful input to safeguard sustainability into the future. WPS owns 337 acres of watershed lands, mostly under strict conservation covenants, and stewards these to protect the ecology and thus the health of the water resources they provide.
This past summer, students from Ocean Wise helped us remove garbage from a legacy landfill site near critical wetlands on the Larmour lands. Every year we remove invasive weeds such as broom and tansy, plant native shrubs, grasses and forbs, and monitor all of these special properties. We were pleased to learn that endangered sharp-tailed snakes have been found on our St. Mary Lake Watershed and Nature Reserve this year. It’s very important that people walking in this sensitive reserve near Channel Ridge stay on the trails, keep dogs on leash, and refrain from riding bikes and horses. Signs outlining the rules are posted, and we ask that everyone abide by them to protect the drinking water used by numerous households.
Members of the public can help safeguard our island’s water resources by being mindful of their water usage and conserving water as much as possible, especially during the summer. Letting lawns go golden, mulching and using water catchment systems for gardens, taking short showers, flushing less often, running only full loads in dishwashers and washing machines, installing low-flow fixtures and asking visitors to avoid wasting water are simple changes that add up to important savings.
Another role for citizens is to work toward creating change in provincial and federal water conservation policies. Writing letters to elected officials supporting improved stewardship of water resources, and joining stakeholder organizations such as WPS that amplify the voices of individuals, are concrete actions we all can take to protect this most precious resource.
We encourage anyone interested in learning more or becoming a member of the Water Preservation Society to contact us at ssiwps@gmail.com.
Editor’s note: The above is one in a series of “looking back/looking forward” retrospective pieces submitted by community groups and leaders to the Driftwood for its Jan. 1, 2025 edition.