The application intake for the 2020 program is now closed!
We work in partnership with Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre (SGRC) at Selkirk College to support watershed groups. Every summer, four groups work with a supervised GIS Co-op student to find mapping solutions. Watershed groups engage their communities through research and mapping.
The program is open to all CBWN member groups. Learn more about this program – see “Mapping Your Watershed With CBWN” webinar here!
Past projects are listed below – maps available at the Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre website, (quick index here).
To sign up for the summer mapping program click here.
Questions? Contact CBWN Senior Manager cbwn.coordinator(at)gmail.com
2018 Summer Mapping Program
Arrow Lakes Environment Stewardship Society: Box Lake 3D Wetland Modelling for Communication
Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society: Mapping the Bullfrog: Potential Routes of Entry
Columbia Lake Stewardship Society: Lakeshore Levels, Lake Hydrology and Aquatic Health
Living Lakes Canada: Update of the Flathead River Biomonitoring Program
Many thanks to our project partner, the Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre, and to Columbia Basin Trust for their support of this program. The Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre and the Columbia Basin Watershed Network have been working together to assist CBWN members with their mapping needs since 2008.
2017 Summer Mapping Program
Mainstreams Environmental Society: Mather Creek Watershed Mapping Project
Arrow Lakes Environmental Stewardship Society: for base maps and initial wetland delineation
Glade Watershed Stewardship Society: for baseline mapping to support ecosystem planning.
Wasa Lake Improvement District: for flood contour mapping to support land use planning.
2016 Summer Mapping Program
Friends of Kootenay Lake Society: update existing maps with Shoreline Inventory and land ownership categories, to support land use planning.
Blewett Watershed Committee: for base maps and any available data on watershed activities and aquifers, to support participation in land use planning.
Slocan River Streamkeepers: development of internet mapping server tool, to test on Slocan watershed group maps initially, and to improve CBWN member use of online mapping.
Wildsight Golden: Updates to Columbia Waterbird Survey, including new study sites and private land ownership.
Selkirk College GIS Program Coop Student Profile: Kayln May
By Kalyn May
My name is Kalyn May, a recent graduate of the Advanced Diploma in Geographic Information Systems at Selkirk College. After this program, I was fortunate to be accepted as a co-op student with the Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre to work with the Columbia Basin Watershed Network, and several of its member groups this summer. Primarily providing them with GIS and mapping support towards watershed protection and management projects and to also be used in other initiatives within their communities.
The Arrow Lakes Environmental Stewardship Society was interested in maps of watersheds near Burton, British Columbia to be use in community presentations as wells as for wetland restoration, water quality monitoring, and community capacity building. Glade Watershed Protection Society was looking to enhance ecological watershed management efforts in the Glade Creek watershed recovery from past logging activities. The Wasa Lake Land Improvement District was interested in updating base maps of the area as well as identifying properties that are vulnerable to seasonal flooding. Lastly the Mainstreams Environmental Society was looking to identify human and wildlife uses within the Mather Creek watershed and to use these maps to increase awareness and the value of water resources in their community.
This has been a really great learning opportunity, which has helped to strengthen the skills and mapping techniques from my education (as well as learn a few new ones). There was great communication between the groups and helped me to tailor each of project to their needs. This co-op wasn’t without its challenges, especially with upgrades to the GIS lab that had me prepared against unsuspecting power outages and other technical issues…. In addition there is still limitations and constraints when it comes to certain spatial data that hopefully will be addressed in the future.
Nevertheless, this experience has provided me with valuable lessons that have really helped me to strengthen my skills and techniques that will benefit my GIS career in the future as well as gain confidence in the transition from practice to real life application.
We are grateful to the Columbia Basin Trust for their support of this program.