Stay Connected
Sign up to receive updates on local watershed projects, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help protect streams and ecosystems across the Fraser Valley.
Who We Are
The Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition is a registered charity based in British Columbia, working to restore, protect, and care for the natural systems that sustain life.
We bring together communities, Indigenous Nations, volunteers, governments, and passionate individuals to create real, lasting environmental impact, one creek, one forest, and one partnership at a time.
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is an area of land where all rain, snowmelt, streams, and groundwater eventually drain to a common body of water, such as a creek, river, lake, or the ocean. Everyone lives in a watershed, whether you are surrounded by forests and farmland or living in the middle of a city.
A watershed includes much more than the water itself. It includes the mountains where water begins its journey, forests and wetlands that help filter and store it, streams and rivers that carry it, agricultural lands and communities that depend on it, and the wildlife that relies on these interconnected habitats.
The salmon in the river, the beaver shaping its habitat, the bear along its banks, the eagle overhead, the heron in the wetlands, the farms downstream, and the communities nearby are all part of the same system. What happens in one place can have effects far beyond it.
That is why watershed stewardship can take so many forms. Restoring a stream, protecting habitat, planting native vegetation, caring for wetlands, improving how land is managed, or making thoughtful choices about water use can all contribute to healthier watersheds!
At the Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition, we work across these interconnected landscapes because caring for one part of a watershed helps strengthen the whole. The water, the wildlife, the land, and the communities that depend on it.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
1. Snowpack & Headwaters
Snowpack and rainfall in the mountains feed the headwaters, where many streams begin.
2
2. Forests
Forests help slow runoff, filter water, prevent erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife.
3
3. Streams & Rivers
Streams and rivers connect the whole watershed, carrying water, nutrients, and sediment downstream.
4
4. Groundwater
Not all water stays on the surface. Groundwater moves underground and helps feed creeks, wetlands, and ecosystems.
5
5. Wetlands
Wetlands store water, reduce flooding, filter pollution, and provide important habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife.
6
6. Riparian Areas
Riparian areas are the vegetated lands beside streams and rivers. They stabilize banks, shade water, and support biodiversity.
7
7. Farms & Communities
Watersheds support farms and communities by providing water for people, food production, and local livelihoods.
8
8. Salmon & Wildlife
Healthy watersheds support fish and wildlife at every stage, from mountain habitats to downstream channels and estuaries.
Original illustration by Maria Alejandra Serna Serna.
Partners