March 22, 2022 is the United Nations’ World Water Day. This year the focus is groundwater. That is particularly important for those of us living in the slopes of the Beaufort Watersheds because all of our drinking and household water comes from groundwater aquifers. The health and volume of our aquifers depend totally on the health of our watersheds. The watershed water cycle is an amazingly complex natural system involving the forest canopy, forest undergrowth, soil, humus, riparian vegetation, fish, insects, invertebrates, microorganisms and geologic sedimentation layers. These are all threatened by the climate crisis, logging, road runoff, industrial and residential development, and more. Public awareness and a collective will to act on sound evidence to protect our watersheds is essential to our future.
One way to learn more is through the following event. The POLIS Water Sustainability Project at the University of Victoria is sponsoring a free online event to mark World Water Day. It runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and you can REGISTER HERE to get your event link.