SSI FreshWater Catalogue - Fulford Creek (FLCK)

SSI, CENTRAL/SOUTH Watersheds

Fulford Creek (FLCK) Watershed "Notes" & W̱ENÁ¸NEĆ, or HWUNE'NUTS (Fulford Bay)

- Maxwell flank, Bryant Hill, thro' Lee Hill, Mereside, Ford Lake, Fulford Valley (east & west) to sea -

LAST UPDATE 2024/07/10

SSI Central/South Area - overview watersheds (colour coded, CRD, 2018) & watershed note area

Central (and South) Island, Fulford Creek (FLCK) and Fulford Bay -W̱ENÁ¸NEĆ watersheds

From our ongoing Central (and South) Island, Freshwater Cataloguing - notes on the Fulford Creek (FLCK) and Bay - W̱ENÁ¸NEĆ or HWUNE'NUTS watersheds area. Cf. the SSI FWC webmap for field locations and charted information (where available).

The content of these "Notes" entries is dependant on the information that is currently available, from FWC volunteer work, FWC reporting or from other sources. A big thank you to our FWC volunteers for contributions in this area.

Note - if you have additional insights into this area (the watershed, it's creeks or wetlands), can help with site(s) access, or are interested in being involved in data collection for this project area, please contact the SSIFWC Project Lead.

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!

There are many sub-watershed areas in the extensive Fulford Creek watershed. The data collected from our FWC field work in the watershed locally gathers year-round flow and chemistry baseline data. Investigating surface water and groundwater baseflow(?) discharges into the creeks and lakes feeding Fulford Creek, on it's flow to the sea. Understanding what maintains freshwater surface flow, groundwater recharge/discharge, their sensitive ecosystems, and the key (principle?) SSI Fulford Creek riparian waterbody, are components of any planned areal water budget, water balance or watershed sustainability work in this important watershed. Baseline data collection over a number of years may enable insights into the impacts of climate change.

Well chemistry data is being collected at several watershed sites. This is to determine surface (groundwater inflows or baseflow) water to deeper groundwater chemistry relationships, and to investigate further a methodology for establishing groundwater from surface water runoff flow volumes (watershed, water quantity discharges) in the area's surface creeks.

General Watershed & FWC Creek(s) Information:

Fulford Creek is located in the Central and South Island, Fulford Creek (FLCK, or "67") watershed. The main creek runs from cumulative "source areas" in higher (Maxwell & Bryant Hill areas) and middle reaches (Mereside - Ford Lake area) of the watershed, and is locally supported by significant springs and lake/wetland areas. There is little information available on the seasonal (or perennial) flow in contributing creeks in the watersheds upland and middle reaches.

Fulford Creek discharges in the southeast of the Fulford Valley, with a sea-outfall into the estuary at the head of the Fulford Bay - W̱ENÁ¸NEĆ*. Fulford Creek was our July 2019 Which Creek Is It (WCIT) competition entry.

Garner Creek in the western watershed upland area was our June 2022 WCIT entry, and our July 2022 WCIT "FLCK Ford Lk inflw NW1 Ck u/s NW spur" was another western watershed upland creek, also joining the Dukes Road creek systems discharges into Ford Lake. These two WCIT creeks, and more(!) help maintain Ford Lake (mid-watershed valley), and the important flow and freshwater ecosystems of the main Fulford Creek in it's lower reaches.

Importantly, all of the various Fulford Creek watershed surface lakes and creek systems all discharge of freshwater into the Fulford Bay estuary, creating a rich, nearshore brackish-marine ecosystem in this bay area.

*Note - a dedicated, and more comprehensive, Fulford Bay - W̱ENÁ¸NEĆ watershed(s) notes "collaborative projects" webpage is currently in design. W̱ENÁ¸NEW̱ENÁ¸NEĆ

FLCK, Fulford Creek - watershed overviews (backdrops LiDAR, satellite)

Fulford Creek Watershed

The Fulford Creek Creek watershed is the largest watershed on the island, some 2,177.0 hectares (5379.4 acres) in size and receives something like 20,681,500,000 litres (5,463,390,000 gallons) of rainfall (or surface water) per annum. While Fulford Creek is the biggest watershed on the island, more than twice the size of the important Maxwell, Duck Creek (St Marys Lake) and Cusheon watersheds, there are no surface (or subsurface) SSI water district abstracts from this area, though there are multiple "light-industral" and domestic water abstraction licences (cf. Island Data Access - well licences).

Fulford Creek

Fulford Creek is an important, perennial, fish-bearing stream running through the watershed. In its lower reaches lower summer flows (eg 9th July, 2019, 0.01 m3/sec (10 litres/sec) indicate some potential, seasonal, freshwater aquatic system vulnerability. Fulford Creek is a (the most?) significant riparian area, and salmon-bearing stream, on the island. The creek is a designated "Sensitive Stream" and is one of the defined Island Riparian areas, the creek has an automated flow-level recording system monitored by the province with the data collected being available in Aquarius. Licensed water abstractions for the watershed are regulated by the province.

FLCK, Fulford Creek - upper reaches (Dukes Rd., Bryant Hill, Jones Creek)

Fulford Creek Watershed Creeks - Upland Reaches

Regular FWC sampling is being undertaken on the western flanks of the Fulford Creek watershed, with very sparse seasonal FWC sampling available for the Bryant Hill (eastern watershed) area, and nothing in the southwest. These upland freshwater datasets provide indications of seasonal surface flow and/or groundwater level variability in the upper watershed areas, and importantly an indication of levels of "feed" for the downsteam creek systems and lakes in this watershed.

In addition to the ephemeral creeks (eg Garner Creek) there are several important upland wetlands in these upland areas.

FLCK, Fulford Creek - middle reaches (Ford Lake, Mereside area)

Fulford Creek Watershed Creeks- Middle Reaches (Ford Lake - Mereside)

During 2020-2023 regular field data collection was restarted in this middle reaches watershed area. The Ford and Beaver lake and wetland areas of the Fulford Creek watershed, and the surrounding lake feeder creeks are likely to play a significant role in maintaining year-round lake ecosystems, and flow (or not...) in Fulford Creek (and in local groundwater recharge in the watershed) - TBD. The impact of freshwater flow and chemistry variability (natural and anthropgenically induced) may impact Fulford Creek downstream and /or the adjacent Fulford Bay marine systems.
Historically a Province freshwater sampling station (08HA026) was located at Ford Lake.

Local reports of freshwater spring entry points in the Ford Lake area, suggest scope for a depth/cjemistry profiling of the lake to see if potential groundwater base inflow can be confirmed (cf . Weston Creek Watershed Notes and the summer, 2020 Weston Lake profiling work).

FLCK, Fulford Creek - lower reaches to sea-outfall and intertidal Fulford Bay sea garden (clam bed) examples

Fulford Creek Watershed Creeks - Lower Reaches (Fulford Valley)

FWC fieldwork is ongoing in this area with regular data collection in Fulford and Jones (Kyler) creeks and an adjacent Fulford shallow-water body. Many other Fulford Creek feeder systems (Reid, Harris, ++) in this area are not currently being monitored.
The upstream Fulford Creek watershed catchment/source areas for these downstream sites indicate a combined contribution area of some 15 km2.

Further upstream and downstream streamflow and chemistry sampling is necessary to fully understand how changes/increase recorded in the lower Fulford Creek area, relate to and are impacted by the surrounding watershed creek inflows (both seasonal groundwater and surface water).

Field data for Fulford Creek was collected by the MOE from 1983 to 1993, and a new automated Fulford Creek sampling programme has been in place in the area since May 2017 (cf. Island Data Access for further information).

Historical & Other Watershed Insights:

Anecdotal sources refer to in-stream, middle-reach weir(?) timber-mill related infrastructure along the Fulford Creek. In addition to Fulford Creek itself, several of the Fulford Creek inflow creeks support salmon and anadromous cutthroat trout.

A local reports springs in Ford Lake, so this lake/wetland system may not be entirely stream-fed. Spring(s) inflow may indicate groundwater recharge in this area, supporting groundwater in (base)flow, and helping maintain a Fulford Creek system summer(?) flow. The size of Beaver Pond may have increased since the '80s.

In addition to Ford Lake water, and below it sustained flow in the mid-reaches of the Fulford Creek are supported by wetlands and ponds as a result of damming.

Garner Creek may have had a dam close to where the creek enters Ford Lake and it was used as a swimming hole. Close to the Garner Creek sampling site , a local family dammed up Garner Creek to generate electricity years ago (they were off grid for some time).

A local resident has indicated in the '80s and '90s Garner Creek and the Ford Lake inflow along Dukes Rd never went dry...

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 "Community Science" Watershed Notes - Reporting:

Fulford Creek is the main creek within the Fulford Creek watershed, with multiple (seasonal?) contributing creek systems and sub-watershed catchment areas across this complex (and the largest island) watershed. As at 2022/03 we have some three and a half years of baseline FWC data from selected "central" and "south" watershed watershed sites, this includes the data collection set in a more upstream/central area of the watershed - the FLCK Central "Local Detail" project area, which terminated in 2023/07.

More information on Fulford Bay, and associated watersheds discharging into, and impacting this area, is available from our 2022-2023 "Fulford Bay Stewardship Water Quality Pilot stewardship collaboration project - Pilot water quality report for streams discharging into W̱E¸NÁ¸NEĆ /Hwune’nuts (Fulford Harbour, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia) report, published and online.

We now have four, regular, FWC shallow/deep well chemistry sampling sites within the watershed.

Fulford Creek watershed CENTRAL and CENTRAL/SOUTH area overviews (Lidar backdrops), and various FWC wetland and creek field locations. For "active" FWC field site-specific flow, chemistry and precipitation charting based on FWC volunteer data collection and SSI school weather station data, Cf. the SSIFWC webmap.

FWC field data graphing - examples illustrating data used in developing watershed working models. For further site specific "dynamic" charting cf. the SSIFWC webmap

FLCK Fulford Valley - StreamSong area

Watershed notes for the southern part of the Fulford Creek watershed at it's bay entry are limited. To-date year-round creek FWC chemistry data are only available from Fulford Creek and Jones Creek. To-date no suitable sites for flow measurements have been identified within Jones Creek. Flow data from the provinces' Fulford Creek station remains to be integrated into our FWC surface water chemistry vs flow models and additional field sites may require definition.

FWC flow and chemistry data collection within the middle reaches of the Fulford Creek watershed system (Garner, Ford, Beaver creeks) is ongoing. This will enable determination of the lateral surface flow (and groundwater inflow) variability within the overall Fulford Creek system, and help determine the impact of the various upstream creek systems on the watershed's lakes, on Fulford Creek (and groundwater) recharge/discharge.

Discrete conductivity signatures for Fulford and Jones creeks suggest discrete (sub-watershed?) freshwater catchment/inflows for these creek systems. Both creeks exhibit inverse relationships between water temperature and air temperature (air warm, creek water cool and vica versa), with water temperature remaining relatively constant during the course of the year, while air temperature changes seasonally.

The creek temperature behaviour and conductivity trends suggest groundwater inflows (baseflow) in both Fulford and Jones creeks, supporting observations that Fulford Creek itself is a permanent (groundwater fed) creek, with relatively healthy groundwater inflow(s), even during the summer.

The data available from Jones Creek indicates groundwater contributions into Fulford Creek, though with more seasonal flow variability (no flow in late summer 2019). Jones Creek, along with other valley based creek systems may have a modified groundwater signature (lower conductivities) - possibly attributable to "agricultural land drainage systems (short freshwater residency times) - TBD?

Interpretation of water chemistry data from an adjacent Fulford shallow-water body ("pond") is less clear. Elevated summer water temperatures in this pond suggest little/no seasonal summer groundwater inflow (consistent with low flow and a lowered water table in the adjacent Fulford Creek?). Indications for winter groundwater inflow/contributions into the pond are, as yet, unclear.

There is insufficient FWC data on the Fulford Creek watershed systems, sampled to-date, to establish potential mechanisms for calculating seasonal variability in groundwater base load inflow and in total flow contributions (and from where) into the main Fulford Creek. Investigations of linkages between FWC chemistry (conductivity) and flow determinations from the province Fulford Creek monitoring station are TBD.

FWC field data graphing - examples illustrating developing watershed working models. For further site specific "dynamic" charting of creek and well sites cf. the SSIFWC webmap and/or FWC Pacific Datastream

FLCK Fulford Valley - Central (Mereside, Ford Lake & Uplands area) 202307 update

A FLCK Central/Mereside, and uplands, field "Local Detail" dataset for selected creek sites has been developed - investigating seasonal variability in principle Fulford Creek system inflows (and Ford Lake recharge), possible determinations of groundwater (baseflow) components (and where), and surface (rainwater) to groundwater recharge well variability!

Over two+ years of data acquisition in creeks in this Local Detail FWC project area show indications of increasing conductivity vs flow into the dry season. This variability is consistent with distinct groundwater inflow (baseflow) signatures within each creek. A single NW FLCK creek may maintain a Ford Lake surface inflow into the summer.

Surprisingly an increasing conductivity signature is apparent at the Ford Lake outflow site (often lake water bodies act as a blender, mixing all creek inflow components and seasonal rainfall then potentially masks a clear GW response), cf. a similar trend for Weston Lake in the Weston Creek watershed, in both cases summer trends are attributable to a predominance of groundwater lake inflow (baseflow) during the summer.

The developing relationship between surface temperature and water temperature and between creek conductivity and creek flow in these areas supports a conductivity-flow - groundwater baseflow working model (cf., Millson, 2019; Howe and Allen, 2019). Combined with flow data insights the aquired field data allows the definition of overall groundwater inflow (baseflow) contributions in the watershed's creek systems - a key input to local area water budget calibration (and freshwater sustainability studies).

Measured wells within this local detail area show local rainwater to groundwater infiltration rate variability (potential end members?) - instantaneous groundwater recharge (Kitchen Road) vs longer term groundwater recharge (Dukes Road).

Characterising Fulford Creek in-watershed (hydrological) flow components is important, having implications for the recharge/state of local groundwater levels, and in-watershed wetlands and lake(s) recharge (aka ecosystem health). Year-round and more ephemeral creek systems potentially provide a surface/groundwater baseflow component for the downstream area - key Fulford Creek surface flow contributions - the primary salmon-bearing island stream and related coastal ecosystems!

FWC field data graphing - bay watershed creek conductivity data used in developing freshwater models. For further site specific "dynamic" charting of discrete, regular sites cf. the SSIFWC webmap

FLCK Fulford Bay - W̱ENÁ¸NEĆ area

Watershed notes, and field data from discrete creek systems around the bay, and "watershed notes" from a number of these watersheds and related creek systems (south side: SOCK, GGCK, FNCK, LLCK, RUAL; north side, SWCK, WSCK; south end, 2011) are available.

Discrete conductivity signatures, within the discrete watershed creek systems suggest significant lateral variability in creek freshwater components. All creeks exhibit an inverse relationship between water temperature and air temperature (air warm, creek water cool and vica versa), with water temperature remaining relatively constant during the course of the year, while air temperature changes seasonally.

Creek temperature behaviour and conductivity trends suggest groundwater inflows (baseflow) in all bay creek systems measured, even during the summer. This land creek system data may support improved understanding of the evolution of bay marine systems - TBC.

FLCK AOI central/south Fulford Valley AOI - FWC field and well chemistry data (a Pacific Data Stream FWC data visualisation)

FWC Fulford Creek Watershed area - well chemistry

There is significant seasonal variability in shallow/deep well chemistry data from the FWC creek-well sampling sites within the FLCK watershed. This conductivity variability may indicate that well chemistry is (locally?) also influenced by groundwater vs surface water exchange (and groundwater dilution?), as is seen by groundwater baseflows in-creek. However, significantly higher, groundwater well conductivities at some sites, may indicate a discrete, deeper groundwater circulation system - TBC.

Potential groundwater inflows (“base flow”) within the Fulford Creek watershed (67) are likely to be from a diverse range of hard rocks - Salt Spring Intrusives, and/or sedimentary rocks - Comox, Haslam formation shales, conglomerates etc. Freshwater chemistry vs flow variability as a function of geology may impact models for determining groundwater inflow components correlations within the various creek systems within the watershed. More data is needed.

It is quite possible that the “major faults” within and along the flanks of the Fulford Valley play a role in groundwater inflow into Fulford Creek and spur systems. There are multiple in-valley, and its surrounds, local springs recorded, with spring locations possibly partly attributable to the fault lines…

From the 112109 GW Consultants report the FLCK watershed area maps have variable "topographic wetness" and "aquifer recharge potential", as a function of multiple factors across the larger watershed area. The FLCK watershed is a candidate for leveraring FWC field data for a “ground-truthed” groundwater recharge potential (watershed recharge efficiency) model for one of our island’s key watersheds, as has been done in the recent Weston Lake watershed study.

Additional local FWC baseline data collection may provide improved insights into how this important watershed (and related freshwater creek and pond/lake ecosystems) work, are impacted by seasonal (or climatic…) changes, and will help with an improved understanding of how surface water catchments in this watershed contribute to aquifer recharge, local water resources (water budgets) and how these impact the principle Fulford Creeks ecosystem health...

More volunteers are required to address explore potential refinements for this extensive watershed area. Well data from selected watershed sites is being collected, additional data on turbidity at selected locations is being considered.

FWC Images and Videos:

Fulford Creek watershed FWC 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:

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)
Greenwood, H. J., & Mihalynuk, M. G., 2009., BC Geological Survey, Open File 2009-11 Salt Spring Island Geology.
McCullough M., 2011., Anadromous Coastal Cutthroat Trout Habitat Reconnaissance. FLNRO.
Willmott, T. Lange, J, and Morgen, J., 2013., Salt Spring Island Riparian Area Regulation Stream Identification - Bullock, Fulford, Maxwell, Stowell and Weston Watersheds., Madrone Environmental Services Ltd.
Gorski, N. G., and Sacre, J. P. (Golder), 2019., Aquifer Mapping and Monthly Groundwater Budget Analysis for Aquifers on Salt Spring Island. BC Water Science Series WSS2019-01, Province of British Columbia.
GW Consultants., 2019., Salt Spring Island Groundwater Recharge Potential Mapping for IT, circulated with 2019/10 meeting reporting.
Howe K., & Allen D., 2020., - Linkages between Stream Chemistry and Groundwater Chemistry, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, SFU.
GW Consultants, 2022., Lake Weston Water Availability and Climate Change Assessment, on behalf of the CRD.
Salt Spring Archives, Place Names.
West Coast Region Low Streamflow Reports., including Fulford Creek (website).
Gulf Islands National Park Sea Gardens (website).
Pollution Tracker (Raincoast, OceanWise website)