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Forestry accounts for 72 percent of total land area in the Saanich Inlet watershed. Logging can alter the
hydrology of an area in a variety of ways, including:
Increased water yield year-round, resulting from a decline in the amount of evapotranspiration
occurring in a watershed;
Shortened interval between rainfall and peak runoff (shorter, steeper runoff peaks);
Increased rates of erosion and sediment yield;
Increased number of mass wasting (landslide) events;
Reduced water-holding of surface soils in logged areas, resulting from decreased surface organic
matter; and
Altered patterns of runoff, as logging roads channel water in ways that differ from pre-construction
configurations.
Understanding the natures and extent of changes to hydrology resulting from logging requires site-specific
studies, monitoring, and expert assessment of affected sub-basins.
The Saanich Inlet watershed has a population of 2,219 people, residing mainly in the communities of Mill
Bay, in and around the Malahat First Nation Reserve, and towards the southern extent of the watershed
along the Trans-Canada Highway.
Saanich Inlet watershed, like Shawnigan watershed, is facing development pressure both in and around
existing residential communities, and on land currently in forestry use. The Bamberton proposal, a 437-
unit mixed-use development, was recently approved on vacant land south of Mill Bay. The Bamberton
proposal would convert land that is currently zoned for forestry activity to approximately 3,200 new
household units. The Bamberton development application, now being considered by CVRD, states that
1,046
housing units would be detached homes on urban lots, 1,072 would be attached units, and 1,109
units would be detached houses on the equivalent of suburban lots. The developer proposes taking water
from Oliphant Lake to satisfy water supply needs for this project (CVRD website).
The Malahat First Nation Reserve is located on the shores of Saanich Inlet, between Mill Bay to the north
and Bamberton to the south. The Reserve supports approximately 24 residential units, a community
building, a Treaty Association office, and a water reservoir. The total number of units serviced by the
reservoir is unknown (Daniels, pers. comm., 2008). The First Nation is in the early stages of developing a
community plan to guide economic development on the Reserve over the next decade. Implementation of
this plan may result in additional residential and commercial development. The Malahat First Nation is
concerned about the health of streams flowing through the Reserve. First Nation members have noticed
that summer flows now cease completely and that winter flows in streams on the Reserve are reduced
(
Daniels, pers. comm., 2008).
