Cowichan River - Duncan, BC - National Wild and Scenic Rivers on Waymarking.com

The text on the plaque is written in three languages: Hul’q’umi’num’, the language of the local First Nations people; English, and French. The English text reads:

THE COWICHAN RIVER
The first people of Cowichan came to earth from the sky. They found a rick land, warmed by the sun and nourished with a river teeming with salmon, which they called Quw'utsun Sta'lo'. For thousands of years, this 47 km river has provided their descendants with abundant food, transportation and water. When settlers arrived in the mid-1800's, they also relied on the gifts of the river and prospered through fishing, farming and logging.

The people of this valley have benefited greatly from the gifts of the river, reaping natural wealth from its waters and the lands it flows through, living on its shores, playing in its waters, and enjoying its beauty. Today, the people of the valley are working together to give back to the river - to conserve the Cowichan.

Designation of the Cowichan River as a Canadian Heritage River is testimony to its significance as a national treasure. The commitment of local communities to conserving the river will be measured by the strength of the salmon culture. This plaque honours that commitment and the river.

A summary of the reasons for designation from the Canadian Heritage Rivers System website reads:

The Cowichan River encompasses an impressive balance of natural, human heritage and recreational values. The river also supports hundreds of species of fish, mammals, birds, insects and amphibians in a lush oasis just minutes from urban areas. Not only is it a pillar of economic stability in the region, but it also allows for a myriad of recreational activities from swift water kayaking to peaceful nature walks, all taking place around a river flowing through a glaciated valley in a stunning landscape. With over 88,000 visitors yearly to Cowichan River Provincial Park alone, it is certainly a premier destination within British Columbia.

For these reasons, in 1997 the British Columbia Heritage Rivers Board nominated the Cowichan River for the Canadian Heritage Rivers System. With a management strategy complete, the Cowichan River was accepted as a Canadian Heritage River in 2003, making it the third river in British Columbia to bear this distinction.

WILD: yes Number of WILD miles: 29 SCENIC: yes Number of SCENIC miles: 29 RECREATIONAL: yes Number of RECREATIONAL miles: 29 River Link: [Web Link] Support documentation: Not listed

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