SSI, SOUTH Watersheds
Arnold Creek (ARCK) Watershed "Notes"
- west, Bruce Peak and Hope Hill area -
Last Updated: 2023/03/01
SSI South Area - overview watersheds (colour coded, CRD, 2018) & watershed note area
South Island, Arnold Creek (ARCK) watershed area
From our ongoing South Island, Freshwater Cataloguing - notes on the "ARCK" 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 from our monthly FWC "Which Creek Is It" Competition, or from our Salt Spring Island FreshWater Catalogue Watershed Stewardship Group Facebook page, with "field note" addendums where additional FWC/other information has become available. Additional volunteer resources and research for watershed notes development will enable us to do more!
We have no regular FWC data collection in this more remote Arnold Creek "ARCK" watershed area. A local volunteer effort would help establish year-round flow(?) and chemistry baseline data, and support an analysis of watershed surface water and groundwater baseflow(?) discharge to the sea. These surface/ground water flow parameters are components of any planned watershed/areal water budget or water balance work, in this important Arnold Creek Watershed area.
General Watershed & FWC Creek(s) Information:
Arnold Creek is located in an extensive south island "Arnold Creek Watershed" area. This island watershed is one of the least (recently) modified, with significant forest cover and a larger number of wetlands. Arnold Creek originates at/close to the southwestern edge of Hope Hill, with associated, smaller, watershed creek systems feeding into this, from the west of Bruce Peak.
The watershed is partly protected by the Mill Farm Regional Park Reserve and by the Alvin Indridson Nature Reserve. Arnold Creek was our Feburary 2023 Which Creek Is It (WCIT) competition entry, with images taken from the within a local watershed property area.
Local watershed area maps and creek images
Arnold Creek, Arnold Creek Watershed
Arnold Creek is a principle creek within the watershed, with a significant number of tributaries contributing to inflow along this creek path. This watershed creek system has a single sea discharge into Satellite Channel. Further work is required to ground-truth the area's creek systems, discharge(s) seasonal flow, chemistry in this area of the island.
The ARCK watershed is moderate in size, some 550 hectares (1350 acres) in size (similar in size to the Stowell Creek watershed in the southeastern part of the central island area).
The ARCK watershed as defined receives something like 1,389,249,777 litres (1,389,249,777 gallons) of rainfall (precipitation, or surface water) per annum. .
The watershed has a a small number of wells! It is not clear if there is any local shallow water and surface creek abstraction within the watershed area.
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:
N/A
Note - any 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:
There is insufficient FWC data to report-out on this ARCK watershed/creek area. This watershed area is ideal for a field mapping project: watershed boundary refinements, old growth (stumps) mapping, wetlands monitoring and creek systems definition/refinements.
FWC Images and Videos:
ARCK 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:
Barnett et al., 1993., Salt Spring Island Water Allocation Plan
CRD, Salt SPring Island, Mill Farm Regional Park Reserve
Salt Spring Island Conservancy, Alvin Indridsen Nature Reserve