Welcome to the Rivershed Society of BC

The Rivershed Society of BC (RSBC) formed in the wake of Fin Donnelly`s 1995 "Swim for Life" down BC's longest river, the Fraser River. Since its inception in 1996, the RSBC has been actively delivering public education programs, community initiatives, and building stewardship capacity in the Fraser River Basin.

We are a non profit organization dedicated to improving the health of both the Fraser River Basin and all those who live within the Basin.

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What is a Rivershed?

A rivershed is a distinct land area whose border is geographically defined by high points of elevation. Groundwater and surface runoff within a rivershed flow toward a common destination through a system of streams, lakes, bogs and and other watercourses.

Riversheds are commonly viewed as ecosystems. As such, they contain a range of interdependent plant and animal species whose diversity is determined by climate, soils, moisture and other biophysical features and functions. Protecting rivershed ecology is essential to sustaining life within them – including human communities.

The term rivershed is gaining currency as one of the basic concepts of a sustainable society. Although synonymous with watershed, the term is more place-specific. It steers attention to a river in a particular geographical location (e.g. the Fraser River, the Lil'wat River) and all activities and phenomena related to that area. When a sense of place is organized around a river rather than a town or city, it encourages a mental shift from human settlement to the larger interconnected natural environment.

The Fraser River Basin

Consisting of 34 intricately linked and interdependant riversheds, the Fraser River Basin drains 21 million hectares (more than a quarter) of British Columbia. The Basin is the heart and soul of the province and is its economic engine with a current population of over 1.2 million people and a strong First Nations history going back thousands of years.

The Fraser Basin is experiencing a rapidly growing population and rapidly declining ecosystem health - the largest salmon river in the world is not healthy. But not all is lost. Each of us is connected with our river, and the decisions we make can help make our river strong.