For now these notes draw heavily extracts from our monthly FWC "Which Creek Is It" Competition, from our Salt Spring Island FreshWater Catalogue Watershed Stewardship Group Facebook page, with "field note" addendums where additional information has become available.  Additional volunteer resources will enable us to do more!

The data collected from any FWC field work in the Cusheon Creek watershed would gather year-round flow and chemistry baseline data, investigating watershed surface water and groundwater baseflow(?) discharge to the sea.  These are a key component to any planned watershed, or areal water budget/water balance, and input to validating developing groundwater recharge potential models.

General Watershed & FWC Creek(s) Information:

Cusheon (Blackburn) Creek is located in the Central Island, in the Cusheon Creek (CUCK, or the 306) watershed.  The principle (Cusheon) creek year-round flow is supported by recharge/discharge from multiple upstream lakes (Roberts, Blackburn, Cusheon, ?) and various wetlands, in the valley and in the more elevated watershed areas.  There is little information available on the seasonal (or perennial) flow in contributing creeks in the watersheds upland and middle reaches.  Salt Spring Island Conservancy is located alongside Blackburn Lake, and manages important and significant freshwater ecosystems in this lake area. 

The Salt Spring Island Salmon Enhancement Society manages aspects of the creek's aquatic ecosystems.  Cusheon Lake is the source of the Beddis Water District's community freshwater system.

A Cusheon Creek field site was a February 2021 Which Creek Is It competition entry.  The image locations for this WCIT come from the Cusheon Creek - Weston Lake watershed divide - an example of an important upland rainfall catchment area (for surface AND groundwater).

Historical & Other Watershed Insights: 

Anecdotal sources (EL) indicate that some 25 years ago Cusheon Creek salmon ponds were located just below the Jarad's Grove bridge.  The in-stream concrete dams created a series of shallow pools for salmon habitat, these were netted for protection. 

The Salt Spring Island Salmon Enhancement Society plays a key role in managing freshwater ecosystems within the Cusheon Creek system.  Cusheon Lake water level monitoring is currently ongoing as part of a SSIWPA run surface freshwater lake monitoring project on selected SSI Lakes. The area is stewarded by a local stewardship group - the Cusheon Lake Stewardship Group. 

Note - any other local insights, or interested in contributing to the historical/other notes on our islands' watersheds, please contact the SSIFWC Project Lead.

FWC "Citizen Science" Watershed Reporting: 

As at 2020/12 we have almost no FWC data from the Cusheon Creek watershed area.  

An extensive Squires and Bodaly (2017) Blackburn and Cusheon Lake study was undertaken between 2014-2016.  This study was supported by the WPS, with funding from the SSI Foundation, and the main field locations measured from this work are available on the SSIFWC webmap.   This Squires and Bodaly reporting gave early reporting indications of year-round groundwater lake inflow within this watershed's (and SSI) lakes.  This groundwater inflow information is an important aspect of any lake-based groundwater budget development - as additional freshwater 'in" lake (and creek) components, outside of normal, and seasonal rainfall!

From the 112109 GW Consultants report the mapped CUCK watershed area has a “high” topographic wetness, and high "groundwater recharge potential" upstream.  These characteristics are in-line with the area's terrain and natural groundcover - a key SSI watershed.

The CUCK watershed is another good candidate for gathering field data for a “ground-truthed” groundwater recharge potential (watershed recharge efficiency) model for a key island’s watersheds.  Local data collection gives improved insights into how this watershed (and related freshwater ecosystems) work, are impacted by seasonal (or climatic…) changes, and will help with an improved understanding of how surface water catchments in the island’s watersheds contribute to aquifer recharge and local water resource availability...

FWC Images and Videos:

Cusheon Creek watershed images. Note - all FreshWater Catalogue images & videos copywrite belongs with the WPS and the FWC.  We are grateful for due acknowledgement of copywrite in any use or publication of these educational resources.  

Other Local Area Resources:

Local area web-based insights include those from the  Cusheon Lake Stewardship Group, the SSI Salmon Enhancement Society and the Salt Spring Island Conservancy.  Other relevant Cusheon Lake watershed literature is as follows: 

• Barnett et al., 1993., Salt Spring Island Water Allocation Plan.

• Hodge, W. S., 1995., Ground Water Conditions on Salt Spring Island (eg. section 8.5)

• SSI Salmon Enhancement Society, 1998., Habitat Restoration and Salmon Enhancement Program

• Sprague, J. 2009., “SSI Nine Lakes” study.

• McCullough M., 2011., Anadromous  Coastal Cutthroat Trout Habitat Reconnaissance. FLNRO.

• Larocque, I. Allen, D. M.  & Kirste, D., 2015., The Hydrogeology of Salt Spring Island, SFU.

• GW Consultants.,  2019., Salt Spring Island Groundwater Recharge Potential Mapping for IT,  circulated with 2019/10 meeting reporting.

• Squires, M. & Bodaly, 2017.,  Blackburn Lake Citizen Science Project, Salt Spring Island, BritishColumbia: Linking Watershed Exports & the Ecology of Blackburn & Cusheon Lake, 2014-16.

• Salt Spring Archives, Place Names.