The Cowichan Watershed Board (CWB) is a local governance entity that promotes water and watershed sustainability in the Cowichan/Koksilah watersheds, ancestral home of the Quw’utsun First Nation. The CWB is co-chaired by the Chief of Cowichan Tribes and the Chair of the Cowichan Valley Regional District, with 10-12 other members appointed jointly by those partners, including nominees from the federal and provincial governments.
The CWB was formed in 2010 to carry out the Cowichan Basin Water Management Plan (2007), which includes goals, objectives, and actions concerning water conservation, supply management, quality, habitat and biodiversity, governance, and communications. The CWB represents a unique partnership between First Nations and local government. Through this model, Cowichan Tribes and the CVRD work together to advance whole-of-watershed health, demonstrating a commitment to moving down the path of reconciliation.
