Esquimalt Lagoon Watershed Model
The Stream Team has built an interactive 4'x8' model of the Esquimalt Lagoon Watershed to demonstrate how water moves through the watershed, and how non-point source pollution can affect water quality in the lagoon. Volunteers at special events and school presentations use the model to demonstrate how and where pollution occurs around the home and community, and how rain transports this pollution from around the watershed into creeks and ultimately into Esquimalt Lagoon. The Esquimalt Lagoon watershed model promotes watershed awareness, aquatic stewardship and environmentally protective behaviour while educating children and adults about actions we can all take to protect and restore the Esquimalt Lagoon environment. The model has farms, hills, wetlands, highways, malls and subdivisions. It is a working river system with a groundwater pump and surface and storm drain runoff.
Model Objectives:
- Increase public awareness of actions that can be taken to prevent pollution in local watersheds and protect local salmonid populations and habitat
- Educate and empower the local community to be responsible for aquatic stewardship and watershed management through a "hands-on experience"
- Develop a long term community volunteer stewardship program involving members of the Stream Team
- Encourage high school Stream Team members to mentor younger students
- Encourage the development of a personal watershed and stewardship ethic
ELSI partnered with Stream Team to develop this working model of the Esquimalt Lagoon watershed, complete with hills, creeks and streams, roads, buildings, and golf courses and the ecological features of the lagoon.
