SSI, CENtral Watersheds
Okano Creek (OKCK) Watershed "Notes"
- Ganges, Booth Inlet Area -
LAST UPDATE 2022/11/04
SSI Central Area - overview watersheds (colour coded, CRD, 2018) & watershed note area
Central Island, Okano Creek Watershed
From our ongoing Central Island, Freshwater Cataloguing - notes on the Okano Creek (OKCK) watershed 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. We need volunteers 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!
We have no significant FWC data collected from the Okano Creek watershed. A local volunteer effort would help establish year-round flow and chemistry baseline data, investigating an important urban watershed, supporting the Booth Canal estuarine area, and analysis of watershed surface water and groundwater baseflow(?) discharge to the sea. The latter surface/ground water flow parameters are components of any planned watershed/areal water budget or water balance work, with potential uses for validating areal groundwater recharge potential models, and the potential impact of local Ganges area developments on Okano Creek, it's watershed and on the adjacent estuary and coastal ecosystems...
General Watershed & FWC Creek(s) Information:
Okano Creek is located in the Central Island, Okano Creek (OKCK, or the "303") watershed. The creek's path and drainage/catchment areas (and potentially water quality) are likely strongly influenced by Ganges village infrastructure and modifications to natural systems. The Okano creek systems combine to form a principle creek, feeding, and influencing the Booth Canal estuary. Okano Creek was our December 2020 Which Creek Is It (WCIT) competition entry, with images taken from the Aitkin Road side (close to that questionable corrugated plastic(?) culvert under this road). The Aske Creek secondary feeder creek for the Okano Creek Booth inlet discharge was our September 2022 WCIT entry.
Local watershed area maps and creek images
Okano (OLCK) Watershed
Okano Creek at it's sea outfall is one of several creeks supporting the OKCK watershed surface freshwater flow. The lower parts of the watershed are largely urban, agricultural and/or light industrial land. The WCIT images site shows the creek at it's crossing with Aitkins Road, adjacent to signage outlining a brief cultural history for the area (reference details of collaborative group in the attached image)
The Okano watershed creek outflows and discharge to the sea in Booth Canal, in the west of the Ganges Valley. The creek system is located largely in the central island area, with flows originating from within the northern slopes of the Mount Belcher Heights area (like those of the adjacent Sharpe Creek watershed to the west).
The OKCK watershed is moderate in size, some 190 hectares (468 acres) in size (similar in size to the Old Lowther Creek, CENTRAL island; and Monty Creek, SOUTH island watersheds)
Feeder creek systems at the foot of a forested northern flank of the Okano Creek watershed (Belcher Heights) uplands area may support seasonal creek-flow in the lower reaches of Okano Creek prior to its sea discharge.
The OKCK watershed receives something like 1,799,300,000 litres (475,325,000 gallons) of rainfall (precipitation, or surface water) per annum. By comparison with some of the island’s biggies(!) this is a small but (always) important potential rainfall catchment (and aquifer recharge) watershed area, particularly as this and the adjacent Ganges Creek watershed are the source of some of the Ganges urban freshwater supplies (largely via private wells), the watershed water flow contributes flow to the Booth Canal's estuarine ecosystems
The watershed has a moderately low number of subsurface (ca 25) wells. It is not clear to what degree there is local shallow water and surface creek abstraction.
Note - abstractions from shallow wells and surface creeks are candidates for "casual" water intake (and ecosystems!) contamination by anthropogenic activities, and it has happened, so please look after our creeks!
Historical & Other Watershed Insights:
For a brief cultural history of Okano Creek have a look at the above information board on Aitkins Road (with due acknowledgement to the First Nations, Island Pathways, Heritage BC, SSI Historical Society, Japanese Garden Society and other sources (the information board creators).
From other anecdotal sources (courtesy of the Japanese Garden Society) "the creek was originally known as Sharp Creek because of its proximity to Sharp Road. The creek was officially renamed Okano Creek through the efforts of one of the Board members Caroline Hickman. The change was initiated to recognize the Creek's connection to a community of SSI residents who had had a common ancestry in Japan. One family -- the Okano family -- had the Creek flowing through their property. Caroline's parents purchased that property after WW II (when it was confiscated along with farms of the other 10 families who were then forcibly moved from the coast in 1942)".
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 Notes - Reporting:
As at 2020/12 we have almost no FWC data from the Okano Creek watershed area. It is quite possible that the “major faults” within and along the south side if the Ganges Valley play a role in groundwater inflow into the various valley creeks (thought there are no local springs recorded…) - this and other area insights TBD!
From the 052109 GW Consultants report the mapped OKCK watershed area has a “low”, topographic wetness, very likely given the areas terrain and groundcover, and moderate to high "groundwater recharge potential" though perhaps some map(s) ground truthing is required?
The OKCK watershed is another good candidate for gathering field data for a “ground-truthed” groundwater recharge potential (watershed recharge efficiency) model for one of our 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:
Okano Creek watershed FWC field 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:
The Okano watershed area has been the subject of ongoing Salt Spring Island Salmon Enhancement Society works for some years, cf:
Island Stream and Salmon Enhancement Association, 1998., Habitat Restoration and Salmon Enhancement Programme.
McCullough M., 2011., Anadromous Coastal Cutthroat Trout Habitat Reconnaissance. FLNRO.
Manley, D., & Stewardson, M., 2014., Salt Spring Island Riparian Areas Regulation Mapping Project. Mainstream Biological Consulting, sponsored by IT.