The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is one of British Columbia’s largest regional districts in terms of geography, with an area of 80,000 km². With a population of 65,000 human residents, the regional district is also home to critical fish habitats, spawning areas, and salmon run. The rare wildlife and pristine mountains attract international tourists seeking out recreational activities like sports fishing, skiing, mountain biking, hunting, and boating.

 

Since the Quesnel Lake and Horesfly Lake areas are facing increasing development pressure, the local rural government authority has undertaken a strategic planning project to proactively manage the region’s development. The ultimate goal of the project is to encourage local development that appreciates intrinsic land value, conserves species and habitats, and enhances the social and economic well-being of the residents.

 

In order to ensure responsible land development the CRD, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) conducted foreshore habitat inventory and mapping, took a continuous video of the lakes’ shorelines, and captured digital aerial photos of the shorefront properties. Rick Brundrige of the CRD worked closely with the DFO on this project and explained, “This information will be handy for us to determine what the shoreline looks like from the air, ground level, and below the water. This way, we can contact the DFO about a particular property and find out if there are any concerns in regards to developing that property.” It is critical that resource managers identify the lakes’ environmentally sensitive areas so that they make better land use planning decisions; monitor shoreline changes over time; and measure to what extent land use decisions are protecting the natural environment. This is especially pertinent to Horsefly and Quesnel lakes since they are so important to the Sockeye salmon run. As a result of the DFO’s preliminary mapping, it has committed to undertake foreshore habitat mapping in other nearby regions.

 

As part of its sustainable development project, the CRD also created an information brochure educating Quesnel and Horsefly lakeshore property owners and developers about proper shoreline management practices. The brochure points out several facts about shoreline habitats relevant to shoreline property owners, like the fact that fish spend the majority of their time in vicinity of the shoreline; aquatic ecosystems are dependent on surrounding plants; and the most productive parts of lakes are the shallow shorelines. Given this, the brochure provides several suggestions about how lakeshore property owners can protect the shoreline such as refraining from using pesticides on lawns; choosing a floating dock not a solid one; and preserving native plant life.

 

In addition, CRD engaged residents and property owners in the project to ensure that future residential development meets their economic and social interests. Over 900 questionnaires were sent out to residents and property owners from within 100 km of both Quesnel and Horsefly Lakes’ shorelines and the CRD hosted two community meetings. The survey and gathering gave community members the opportunity to share their views and concerns about future development in the region. Eleven recommendations came out of the community engagement initiative, including the need for commercial enterprises on the lake like fuelling stations; the need for infrastructure and amenities such as boat launches; a greater consideration of First Nations’ interests; and more focus on environmental constraints. These recommendations will be used to assess development applications within the area of the two lakes to encourage appropriate development within the communities.

 

In 2008 the Real Estate Foundation granted the CRD $8,700 under its mandates of research (for the inventory and mapping) and public education, specifically in the area of land use planning. With the Foundation’s support, the Cariboo Regional District was also able to leverage funding from the DFO, so what began as a small project turned into a much larger initiative. As many communities in BC are facing increasing development pressures, the CRD is an excellent example of a regional authority that is taking responsibility for sustainable development in its area.

 

To see a copy of the brochure on proper lakeshore management practices [click here].

 

To see the foreshore inventory and mapping of the Cariboo Regional District area [click here].

 

While the video footage of the shorelines is not currently featured on the Community Mapping Network's website, the CMN, DFO and partners are working tirelessly to post the video. Once the video footage is online, [click here] to view.