A major new study on riparian areas in the Kettle River watershed will soon be underway thanks to funding from the Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition (SIBAC).
A $50,000 grant from SIBAC to the Granby Wilderness Society is supported by over $30,000 of in-kind support from the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB), government agencies and other organizations.
Discussions are underway for supporting contributions from local communities.
Riparian areas are the lands along lakes, wetlands, streams and springs that have vegetation and soils that are adapted to water. The study will contribute key information to the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan about threats to riparian health, current conditions, and possibilities for restoring riparian areas.
“What this means is that the whole Boundary – from Big White to Christina Lake – will have the science we need to make informed decisions about our streams and lakes,” said Grace McGregor, RDKB Area C director and chair of the Kettle River Stakeholder Advisory Group.
Graham Watt, co-ordinator for the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan, notes that the study will build public understanding of riparian health by filling critical information gaps.
“There currently isn’t enough information to develop management and policy recommendations for riparian areas,” said Watt.
“When riparian areas are healthy and covered with native plants, they provide habitat, protect drinking water and prevent erosion and loss of farmland. But when urban and agricultural development, roads or recreational activities damage vegetation and soil, riparian areas aren’t able to provide these important services,” according to the study’s project manager Jenny Coleshill,
The project is a collaborative effort of the Granby Wilderness Society and the RDKB’s Kettle River Watershed Management Plan.
The project will be overseen by the Kettle River Riparian Working Group, which is composed of stakeholders and various government experts.
SIBAC is a coalition of regional districts, First Nations Tribal Councils, and Community Futures organizations that supports research, planning and economic development projects related to sustainable forest management (www.sibacs.com/).
SIBAC also provided funds for initial planning of the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan and State of the Watershed report.