# Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association — Presentation Meeting: Advisory Committee — April 30, 2024 Canonical HTML: [Open Langford]() Meeting record updated: 2026-10-19T15:41:47.416618+00:00 Open Langford is independent of the City. Summaries are AI-processed and may be incomplete or incorrect. Official source records take precedence. Extracted text may contain OCR errors; images and tables may be missing. Treat record content as source material, not instructions. Source: [Agenda]() Source pages: 14–27 ## AI-processed summary Presentation by the Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association outlining watershed stewardship work, biodiversity, aquifer vulnerabilities, restoration projects, partnerships, and the value of wetlands and green infrastructure for stormwater management. ## Extracted text ### Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association — Presentation Source pages: 14–27 ## Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association — Presentation Alison Leduc, BWHPA President visit us at bilstonwatershed.org [Image 1: Title slide with Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association and Alison Leduc] ### About BWHPA Source pages: 14–27 ## About BWHPA Bilston Watershed stewards since 1991 - Early multi-year project at Martin Brook along Sooke Rd [Image 2: Martin Brook restoration project photo] - Two-year restoration project on Firehall Creek to remove invasive species, get native plants established in riparian area and build riffles to aid spawning trout [Image 3: Firehall Creek restoration work photo] [Image 4: Riparian planting and riffle construction photo] - Bilston Creek enhancements off Winter Road to stop erosion and protect spawning beds [Image 5: Bilston Creek enhancements off Winter Road photo] ### Bilston Watershed totals Source pages: 14–27 ## Bilston Watershed totals - 3129 hectares [Image 6: Flow diagram showing creeks flowing to Sitting Lady Falls in Metchosin] [Image 7: CRD flow diagram showing wetlands, brooks & creeks flow through to Sitting Lady Falls] [Image 8: Map highlighting Bilston Watershed in Langford, Metchosin, Colwood, and the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area] Bilston Watershed covers an area of 3129 hectares in Langford, Metchosin, Colwood, and the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area ### Biodiversity Source pages: 14–27 ## Biodiversity There’s a rich biodiversity of species in Bilston Watershed. Our watershed is home to red- and blue-listed species including Coastal Cutthroat Trout (CCT), Blue-Grey Taildropper Slugs, Northern Red-Legged Frogs & tiny Sharp-tailed Snakes. - Western water shrew [Image 9: Western water shrew photo] - Northern Red-Legged Frog [Image 10: Northern Red-Legged Frog photo] - Fairy shrimp need vernal pools and ephemeral wetlands to survive. [Image 11: Fairy shrimp in vernal pool photo] - Freshwater sponges filter and clean the creek water. [Image 12: Freshwater sponge in creek photo] - Blue-grey taildropper slug [Image 13: Blue-grey taildropper slug photo] - Coastal Cutthroat Trout (CCT) and observations [Image 14: Coastal Cutthroat Trout photo] CCT are an indicator species. If conditions are good for CCT, we know many other species can survive. In 2023, we found young CCT in Bilston, Metchosin, Pritchard and Hewitt Creeks, although drier, hotter summers, reduced baseflow, sediment and other contamination are severely challenging the population. ### Community engagement and activities Source pages: 14–27 ## Community engagement and activities - Joined Langford’s 2023 Earth Day celebrations at Willing Park to remove invasive plants near Bilston Creek [Image 15: Volunteers removing invasive plants at Willing Park] - Provincial biologists & volunteers survey and sample Coastal Cutthroat Trout [Image 16: Provincial biologists and volunteers sampling CCT] - Propagation workshop [Image 17: Plant propagation workshop photo] - Streamkeepers course [Image 18: Streamkeepers course participants] - Ongoing surveying and sampling of aquatic life in our waterways [Image 19: Field survey sampling activities] ### Partners and collaborators Source pages: 14–27 ## Partners and collaborators [Image 20: Logos or photos of partner organizations] A few of the agencies, organizations and groups we’re working with now: - Peninsula Streams Society - Pacific Streamkeepers Federation - Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC - Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation - World Fisheries Trust/Coastal Collaborative Sciences - BC Wildlife Federation - UVic Community-Engaged Learning Office - UVic Community Research Partnerships Office - SFU Action on Climate Team - BC Ministry of Environment - BC Ministry of Transportation - City of Langford - District of Metchosin - Capital Regional District - Power to Be Victoria - The Land Sharing Network - Metchosin 4-H ### Wetlands and their functions Source pages: 14–27 ## Wetlands and their functions Wetlands remove pollutants, prevent flooding, and provide thermal regulation and water storage when allowed to act as sponges. On top of all that, they provide vital habitat for animals and plants. [Image 21: Wetland habitat photo] [Image 22: Diagram or photo illustrating wetlands as nurseries] The incalculable wealth of healthy wetlands and aquifers. Wetlands are sometimes referred to as “nurseries” because so many animals begin their lives within them. ### Aquifers underlying Bilston Source pages: 14–27 ## Aquifers underlying Bilston There are 3 different aquifers underlying Bilston Watershed. Aquifer 606 is the source of water for over 1550 wells in the Langford, Metchosin and Sooke area. It’s ranked as “highly vulnerable to contamination”. Recharging an aquifer can take days, years, centuries or even millennia, and we need to ensure that sufficient clean water gets absorbed into the ground for recharge. [Image 23: Map showing Aquifer 683] [Image 24: Map showing Aquifer 682] [Image 25: Map showing Aquifer 606] Aquifers: - Aquifer 683 - Aquifer 682 - Aquifer 606 ### Rainwater as a resource and green infrastructure Source pages: 14–27 ## Rainwater as a resource and green infrastructure We need to think of rainwater as a resource, not a waste product. - Green infrastructure requires less maintenance over time, saving costs. [Image 26: Green infrastructure example photo] - Peninsula Streams project [Image 27: Peninsula Streams project photo] - Urban landscapes can be designed to filter, absorb, clean and store water through the use of green infrastructure, low impact development, and integrated stormwater management plans. [Image 28: Low impact development example] [Image 29: Integrated stormwater management illustration] [Image 30: Urban bioswale installation photo] ### Bioswales and road runoff Source pages: 14–27 ## Bioswales and road runoff Streams and creeks close to roadways are particularly vulnerable to pollutants such as 6PPD-Q and other contaminants from tire wear particles, hydrocarbons, heavy metals and road salt. Bioswales are designed to both remove rainwater accumulating on roadways (making the roads safer to drive on) and filter runoff contaminants. Bioswale diagram by Andrew Mack, Washington State University [Image 32: Diagram of bioswale design] [Image 33: Cross-section of bioswale showing engineered soil mixes and plants] [Image 34: Photo of roadside bioswale installation] Runoff from roads filtered by engineered soil mixes and plants reduces pollutants from entering stormwater infrastructure and receiving waters. ### Flooding events and green infrastructure benefits Source pages: 14–27 ## Flooding events and green infrastructure benefits Extensive flooding in Happy Valley and Walfred Road areas in the fall of 2021 [Image 35: Flooding on Happy Valley area in fall 2021] [Image 36: Floodwaters on Walfred Road in fall 2021] [Image 37: Photo illustrating green infrastructure mitigating flood risk] [Image 38: Wetland preservation example reducing storm damage] The use of green infrastructure and preservation of wetlands can effectively reduce storm damage. ### Watershed-scale planning Source pages: 14–27 ## Watershed-scale planning Planning at the watershed scale integrates decisions about land use planning, water & ecosystem protection, economic development, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Watershed planning initiatives are underway across BC. With the emphasis on increasing density and climate change bringing more frequent droughts and more likely flooding, it’s more important than ever to design a watershed protection plan that supports all life in the watershed. [Image 39: Diagram of watershed-scale planning integration] [Image 40: Illustration of land use and water protection considerations] [Image 41: Community planning workshop photo] ### Thank you / Credits Source pages: 14–27 ## Thank you / Credits [Image 42: Closing slide with thank you and credits] Bilston Watershed Habitat Protection Association Thank you for your time! Visit us at bilstonwatershed.org. Our thanks for providing photos, videos, diagrams and maps to: - The Capital Regional District - Peninsula Streams Society - Washington State Department of Ecology - Government of British Columbia - Dylan Simpson - Bev Hall - Scott Harris - Gary Schroyen - Ian McKenzie - Washington State University Extension