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British Columbians
take pride in their rivers! Few places
on earth can boast such a rich endowment of healthy, free-flowing water.
Established in 1995, the BC Heritage
Rivers System (BCHRS) is
the first provincial system of its kind in Canada, and helps to promote stewardship
of this natural legacy for all British Columbians.
Page
Contents:
The BC Heritage
Rivers System showcases outstanding examples of a representative range of our most important waterways.
While all rivers require
sound stewardship, some rivers deserve special recognition. Heritage status gives
these rivers a greater public profile and focus. Heritage Rivers represent the diversity of river landscapes in terms
of their natural characteristics, their historical and cultural importance to
the human story of the province, and the spectrum of recreational opportunities
they support.
What
Does Heritage Status Mean?
A Heritage River proclamation does not carry legal or regulatory
power. Rather,
the designation serves each river by:
- providing a greater emphasis on river-related values during land-use planning
processes,
- raising awareness of the importance of healthy river systems,
- helping to protect the special values of the river, and
- helping to build stronger public support for, and involvement in, stewardship of the river.
Selection criteria focused
on a combination of natural, cultural, and recreational values. Each of the
20 designated rivers represents a unique combination of some
or all of the selection criteria:
- Natural Heritage Values
- Physical examples of
evolutionary processes, and/or ecosystems or
species of particular interest.
- Cultural Heritage Values
- Influential role in the historical development of BC
- Significant to traditional territories or lifestyles of First Nations.
- Associated with people, events, movements, ideas, or beliefs of significance
to the cultural heritage of people today.
- Recreational Values
- Supports recreational activity, and is accessible to a large and diverse
group of recreationists.
- Provides a high-quality
recreational experience.
- Selection Guidelines
In addition to the selection criteria, candidate rivers were also evaluated according
to the following guidelines.
- Public support for the river from a variety of interests.
- First Nations relationship to the river.
- Integration of resource management around the river.
- Balance of regional representation in the provincial system.
- Contributes to a diversity of river types represented in the system.
- Balance of natural history, human history, and recreational values.
- Ability to recognize a river from source to mouth.
- Potential to achieve the stated vision for the river.
BCHRS Mandate
The BC Heritage Rivers System
was established by the British Columbia government with leadership and financial
support from the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and the Ministry
of Forests.
During the period from 1995 and 2000, a government appointed BC Heritage Rivers
Board recommended 20 rivers as BC Heritage Rivers, of which five were recommended for
nomination to the Canadian Heritage River System. Their work stimulated public
interest in river stewardship.
The Board has accomplished its task, having nominated 20 rivers that have been
proclaimed as BC Heritage Rivers.
Also, the profile of rivers has been raised around the province with a heightened
recognition of the role of rivers in sound ecological systems planning.
The designation of each BC Heritage River set a vision for the relationship between
the river and people. The continuing role of the BC Heritage Rivers program is
to encourage community-based stewardship, to provide a model for outreach and
participation and to reflect the vision for each river as we move into the future.
List of the Heritage Rivers
The system has grown rapidly, with 20 rivers now proclaimed by the BC Government.
Following is a list of the rivers and the year each was proclaimed.
The following reports are
available for downloading. They provide a detailed background
on BC Heritage
Rivers and how the system has developed.
-
What's
In It For The River? (252 kb pdf)
A 1993 advisory committee report to the BC Government,
outlining the benefits of BC joining
the Canadian Heritage Rivers System. This early report also suggests adopting
a provincial system of heritage rivers.
Annual Reports
The BC Heritage Rivers Board has
produced the following annual reports dealing with the activities of the Board
and presenting the river nominations for that year.
-
1995
Annual Report (275 kb pdf)
British Columbia's Heritage Rivers: Inaugural candidates for a provincial system.
- 1996 Annual Report (288
kb pdf)
British Columbia's Heritage Rivers: Candidates for a provincial system.
- 1997 Annual Report (307
kb pdf)
Candidate Heritage Rivers: A report of the British Columbia Heritage Rivers Board.
- 1999 Annual Report (274
kb pdf)
British Columbia's Heritage Rivers: A report of the British Columbia Heritage Rivers Board (Final Report).
BC Government Response Documents
When the BC Heritage Rivers Board
nominated rivers to the system, government reviewed those nominations and responded
to the Board publicly through the release of another document. These documents
outline the position of the government with respect to the Board's nominations
and reflect the accepted vision and management guidelines for those rivers
recognized within the BC Heritage Rivers System.
- 1996 Response (155
kb pdf)
BC's First Heritage
Rivers:
Government's response to the BC Heritage
Rivers Board's (1995) Nominations.
-
1997
Response (150 kb pdf)
Government's response to the BC Heritage
Rivers Board's (1996) Nominations.
- 1998 Response (211
kb pdf)
Government's response to the BC Heritage
Rivers Board's (1997) Nominations.
- 2000 Response (256
kb pdf)
Government's response to the BC Heritage
Rivers Board's (1999) Nominations.
During the active nomination
period, the BC Heritage
Rivers Board produced a newsletter called the Heritage Rivers Bulletin. The
following issues were produced and are available here for downloading.
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