Connecting the school to the stream...a collaborative restoration
Presentation Abstract
A successful collaboration enabled restoration of the section of Bowker Creek through Oak Bay High School in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Its completion achieved a key short-term priority in the Bowker Creek Blueprint: A 100 Year Action Plan to Restore the Bowker Creek Watershed which sets out a long term vision and opportunistic plan to restore hydrological function to this highly urbanized watershed.The Blueprint was developed by the Bowker Creek Initiative (BCI),a partnership of local governments, community groups, and institutions.
Key restoration objectives were to ensure safe conveyance of flood flows, improve aquatic and riparian habitat, provide accessibility to the creek with trails and a greenway, and create an outdoor classroom and viewing platform. A multidisciplinary project team consisting of District of Oak Bay, School District 61, the BCI and the Capital Regional District (CRD) worked with engineering consultants and landscape architects to design the restoration. Student and community input was obtained through a design charrette and the students were engaged in many aspects of creek restoration and monitoring.
Removing the creek from containment in a straight concrete channel transformed this reach into a more natural meandering form with native riparian and aquatic habitat. An outdoor classroom, built into the bank of the restored creek, will be used to deliver watershed focused curriculum developed to give students experiential, creek-side learning on freshwater biology, urban creek hydrology, and the adaptive capacity of waterways, while contributing to the long-term monitoring of the creek.
The restored creek acts as a sustainable demonstration showcase that will result in improved water quality and habitat, increased storage of high flows, decreased downstream flooding, and improved climate adaptability and carbon sequestration. This project would not have been possible without Oak Bay, the Bowker Creek Initiative, the CRD, the school district, the design and construction teams and funding from the Federal Gas Tax Fund.
Session Title
Bringing Communities Together to Embark on Major Estuarine Restoration
Conference Track
Protection, Remediation and Restoration
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Stream restoration--British Columbia--Victoria--Citizen participation; Wildlife conservation--British Columbia--Victoria; Wildlife habitat improvement--British Columbia--Victoria
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Victoria (B.C.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Connecting the school to the stream...a collaborative restoration
2016SSEC
A successful collaboration enabled restoration of the section of Bowker Creek through Oak Bay High School in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Its completion achieved a key short-term priority in the Bowker Creek Blueprint: A 100 Year Action Plan to Restore the Bowker Creek Watershed which sets out a long term vision and opportunistic plan to restore hydrological function to this highly urbanized watershed.The Blueprint was developed by the Bowker Creek Initiative (BCI),a partnership of local governments, community groups, and institutions.
Key restoration objectives were to ensure safe conveyance of flood flows, improve aquatic and riparian habitat, provide accessibility to the creek with trails and a greenway, and create an outdoor classroom and viewing platform. A multidisciplinary project team consisting of District of Oak Bay, School District 61, the BCI and the Capital Regional District (CRD) worked with engineering consultants and landscape architects to design the restoration. Student and community input was obtained through a design charrette and the students were engaged in many aspects of creek restoration and monitoring.
Removing the creek from containment in a straight concrete channel transformed this reach into a more natural meandering form with native riparian and aquatic habitat. An outdoor classroom, built into the bank of the restored creek, will be used to deliver watershed focused curriculum developed to give students experiential, creek-side learning on freshwater biology, urban creek hydrology, and the adaptive capacity of waterways, while contributing to the long-term monitoring of the creek.
The restored creek acts as a sustainable demonstration showcase that will result in improved water quality and habitat, increased storage of high flows, decreased downstream flooding, and improved climate adaptability and carbon sequestration. This project would not have been possible without Oak Bay, the Bowker Creek Initiative, the CRD, the school district, the design and construction teams and funding from the Federal Gas Tax Fund.
