Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | Fraser Basin Council and BC Ministry of Environment. 2010. The Fraser: A Canadian Heritage River, 10-year Monitoring Report (1998-2008). Prepared for The Canadian Heritage Rivers Board. |
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| Organization | Fraser Basin Council |
| URL | http://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/_Library/Water/report_chr_fraser_river_2010.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | Travelling 1,370 kilometres from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to its mouth at the Strait of Georgia, the Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia. Renowned for its biological diversity and natural beauty, the Fraser drains more than a quarter of the province. The Fraser River Basin is now home to 2.73 million people or 67% of British Columbia’s (BC) population. The main stem of the river was nominated as a Canadian Heritage River in 1997 and designated in 1998 in recognition of its exceptional natural, cultural, and recreational values. Over the past 10 years, the key natural and cultural heritage values, and recreational values of the Fraser River that supported its Canadian Heritage River designation remain and are described in this report. The Fraser River is somewhat vulnerable to the impacts of human population growth, habitat loss and degradation, pollution and invasive species, and to the overarching threat of climate change, which is projected to impact both water flow regimes and water temperatures. Climate change is also predicted to result in sea level rise with significant potential impacts to the ecosystem of the Fraser River estuary. For the most part, the cultural and recreational heritage values of the Fraser River have remained intact since the time of designation in 1998. The most significant exception involves those cultural and recreational values related to fishing. Aboriginal, commercial and recreational fisheries have all been adversely impacts by declines in salmon stocks and corresponding reductions in harvest rates. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Lower Fraser |
| Sub-watershed if known | Fraser River |
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