Bowker Creek Initiative
The Bowker Creek Initiative coordinates improvements to the Bowker Creek watershed.
Bowker Creek is about 8 kilometres in length, beginning at the University of Victoria and flowing through Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay before discharging into the ocean.
The Bowker Creek Initiative is a broad coalition of community, government, businesses and institutions who work collaboratively to protect and enhance the ecological, social and economic health of the Bowker Creek watershed.
In 2011, Council endorsed the Bowker Creek Blueprint: A 100-Year Action Plan to Restore the Bowker Creek Watershed (also supported by Saanich and Oak Bay) to provide guidance to manage and restore the watershed and the creek corridor over the next 50 to 100 years.
It is the Bowker Creek Blueprint's 10 Year Anniversary and the City has made significant progress improving the watershed, including the creation of:
- Stormwater Utility Program
- Rainwater Rewards Program
- Hillside Centre Rain Gardens
Daylighting Feasibility Study
Over the last 200 years, the Bokwer watershed was changed from its natural state to accomodate agricultural use and a current mix of residential, commercial and institutional uses. Much of the original creek channel has either been straightened or enclosed in underground pipes. Today only 2.9 km of the 7.9 km creek flows above ground with the entirety of the creek that runs though Victoria being piped underground.
The City is exploring opportunities to bring sections of the waterway above ground to help return the creek back to a naturalized condition. Restoring the waterway will improve the ecological health of Bowker Creek and provide a natural amenity for our communities to enjoy.
Read the report that went to Council in Feb 2021 to learn about Bowker Creek Initiative progress and updates to the Bowker Creek Blueprint.
