About the Bowker Creek Watershed

Bowker Creek runs from the University of Victoria campus, through Saanich and Victoria and into the ocean at Oak Bay.

In the past, Bowker Creek was a natural, winding stream with small tributaries and wetlands. It was home to fish like cutthroat trout and salmon. However, as the area developed, much of the creek was buried in pipes, and its natural landscape was changed.

Today, Bowker Creek is highly urbanized which has led to problems like flooding and poor water quality. A majority of the creek has been enclosed in pipes and almost half of the watershed is covered by hard impervious surfaces, like roads and roofs, which prevents rainwater from soaking into the ground and instead directs polluted water into the creek.

Did you know?

A watershed is the area of land that drains surface water and groundwater to a common water body, such as a creek, stream, lake or the ocean. We all live in a watershed, regardless of how far we are from a body of water; therefore, the activities we do on land impact our water quality.

• 45% of the Bowker Creek Watershed is impervious and can’t absorb rainfall

• 66% of Bowker Creek has been enclosed in pipes

• 69% of the Bowker Creek Watershed doesn’t have tree cover