MyWestworld

Saving the Island’s Courtenay Estuary Through Informed Recreation

Posted on 25. Mar, 2010 by Andrew Findlay in Environment & Sustainability

A call to action for the Comox Valley’s Courtenay River estuary

by Andrew Findlay

The Courtenay River estuary is an ecosystem under siege – hence the formation of  the Estuary Working Group back in 2008 to bring together environmental groups, individuals and government to safeguard this biologically diverse heart of the Comox Valley.

Estuaries form where rivers greet the sea, forming a rich interface of fresh and saltwater that teems with life. These biologically diverse bodies of water are also where humans generally settle, because they are where nature tends to be at its most generous, and the waters of the Courtenay River estuary are no exception. Five species of salmon, blue herons, bald eagles, loons and trumpeter swans, as well as many more migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, frequent the estuary itself, while on its fringes, incoming freshwater braids into numerous channels that thread through tufts of pondweed, Widgeon grass, Lyngby’s sedge and cattails.

And when the tide is out, the sprawling mud flats of the estuary are revealed, along with evidence of a remarkable, extensive pre-historic First Nations fishery, supported by a vast system  of cedar-staked fish weirs in chevron, spiral and other patterns. Some of these stakes date back more than 500 years, a testament to the important role the estuary has played in sustaining life in the region. Ingenuous in their simplicity, these fish weirs worked in a way that allowed First Nation fishers to collect as much fish and other seafood as was needed without the rapacious practices expensive fossil fuel-powered fishing fleets, which are the hallmarks of modern commercial fishing. In this way, the estuary and the  peoples who lived off its abundance for generations hold valuable lessons about sustainability.

Today, the estuary is also the watery link between the municipalities of Comox and Courtenay, two rapidly growing communities that are putting increasing development pressure on this vital ecosystem. However, the environmental degradation of the Courtenay River estuary is not a new problem. For many decades the Courtenay River has been dredged upstream to allow for the passage of tugboats, log booms and barges, destroying vital salmon habitat in the process. And more than 20 years ago, municipal governments authorized the construction of a Superstore on prime agricultural land upstream of the estuary, opening the door to intensive big-box and strip-mall development on adjacent properties. Invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and purple loosestrife have also altered and damaged the natural plant communities associated with the estuary. And shellfish harvesting in Comox Harbour is permanently closed because of contaminants such as fecal coliform. Most recently, a fierce battle has been fought over a proposed gas station on Dyke Road, which runs next to the estuary between Courtenay and Comox.

In many ways, it is argued that the estuary defines the Comox Valley both topographically and spiritually, making it easier, perhaps, to take this ecological treasure for granted. It’s just there:  we see it, we drive by it, we boat on it. And this is why the Estuary Working Group is encouraging Comox Valley residents as well as visitors to get reacquainted with the estuary through non-motorized recreation, whether by foot, paddle, bicycle or sail. Putting on our walking shoes and rollerblades, or saddling up a bike on the paved trails of the Courtenay Air Park, for example, provides an unparalleled shoreline view of the estuary, while paddling it by  sea kayak imparts a last sense of the power and beauty of this natural system, as one experiences close up the freshwater of the Courtenay River mixing with the sea in Comox Harbour. Harnessing the energy of the wind in a sailboat enables the adventurous to venture further, out into the bay, for an even greater perspective on the scale of the estuary and the interconnectivity between terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the valley. The message is: only by getting out to smell, feel and experience nature can we appreciate it, and this is key to a healthy future for the Courtenay River Estuary.

>>For more about the Estuary Working Group and its Courtenay River Estuary efforts, click here.

Lead photo courtesy Andrew Findlay.

Tags: Courtenay River Estuary, Courtneay Estuary Working Group, Vancouver Island's Comox Valley