Our Work in the Regions > Northern Interior Region > Nechako Watershed Roundtable

Nechako Watershed Roundtable

The Nechako Watershed Roundtable is a collaborative initiative to protect and improve the health of the Nechako watershed for future generations

About the Roundtable

The Nechako Watershed — a magnificent river system in north-central BC — is facing significant challenges such as wildfire and drought, impacts of the mountain pine beetle epidemic and salvage logging, climate change, and the diversion of water out of the Nechako watershed. Effective stewardship of the Nechako Watershed is now critical to all future generations.

The Nechako Watershed Roundtable is working on these issues and advising on water stewardship activities to further its Strategic Plan 2022-2026. The Roundtable includes representation from BC First Nations, the Province of BC, local governments and other agencies and organizations having responsibilities and interests in the watershed. It is guided by core leadership committee and has secretariat support from FBC.

For some years it was agreed that the watershed activities could be better coordinated, limited resources be pooled more effectively, and decision-makers and the public be given more opportunities to learn about and engage for the health of the watershed. In 2015 the Fraser Basin Council collaborated with the then Nechako Watershed Alliance and the Community Mapping Network to prepare an overview map and a Nechako Watershed Health Report. Participants that year formed a watershed roundtable that included representatives of government (Provincial, Local and First Nations), community groups, academic and research communities, and the general public.

Annual Meetings

Water_NWR/nwr_meeting_1500px.jpg

The Nechako Watershed Roundtable held its 2023 Annual Meeting on November 7 at the Vanderhoof Community Event Centre. The event featured a panel and speaker series called "Fire, Flood & Drought: Climate Adaptation in the Nechako Watershed" on how major climatic events have impacted the people, environment and industry in the Nechako Watershed. There were updates from around the watershed and discussion on how the NWR could facilitate dialogue on climate adaptation and resiliency.