Cowichan River Provincial Park
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Cowichan River Provincial Park
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 The Cowichan River in Cowichan River Provincial Park |
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| location | British Columbia (Canada) | |
| surface | 14.14 km² | |
| WDPA ID | 101637 | |
| Geographical location | 48 ° 46 ' N , 123 ° 54' W | |
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| Setup date | July 13, 1995 | |
| administration | BC parks | |
The Cowichan River Provincial Park is an approximately 1,414 hectare provincial park in the Canadian province of British Columbia . It is located about 20 kilometers west of Duncan and can be reached via Highway 18 . The park is located in the Cowichan Valley Regional District .
investment
The park stretches along the bank of the Cowichan River . In some places the park is on the north bank, in other places on the south bank and in still other places on both banks of the river. The park is only very narrow in places. For this it stretches in an east-west direction over about 20 km and consists of several parts. In places these parts are only separated by a street. However, the two parts of the park furthest to the east and west are spatially separated a little further from the more or less connected parts of the park.
The park is a category II protected area ( national park ).
history
The park was established in 1995. Over time, both its size and protection status have changed several times. When it was founded, it had a size of 741.5 hectares. Its borders were last changed in 2004. It grew from 753 ha to currently 1,414 ha.
Flora and fauna
British Columbia's ecosystem is divided into different biogeoclimatic zones using the Biogeoclimatic Ecological Classification (BEC) Zoning System . Biogeoclimatic zones are characterized by a fundamentally identical or very similar climate and the same or very similar biological and geological conditions. This results in a very similar population of plants and animals in the respective zones. Within this system, the park, like the surrounding parks, is assigned to the Eastern Very Dry Maritime Subzone of the Coastal Douglas-fir Zone (CWHxm1).
After intensive forestry use, mainly West American hemlocks and Douglas firs grow in the park area , as well as Oregon oak near Skutz Falls . The forest has an undergrowth of sword ferns and heather plants. Spring umbilicals and tooth lilies also grow there .
Numerous smaller and larger mammal species live in the park and adjacent area, such as elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti, Roosevelt elk) or Columbia black -tailed deer , raccoons and red squirrels . Black bears , wolves , pumas and wolverines also live in the hinterland .
The Cowichan River is home to silver salmon , king salmon , ketal salmon , cutthroat trout , rainbow trout and steelhead trout .
activities
The park is frequented by the residents of the region. Many paddlers and cyclists use the park. Hikers also use the park, especially since it is crossed by the Trans Canada Trail , which here follows a disused railway line. The park is also popular with anglers. In the western part of the park, at the Skutz Falls, there is a fish ladder .
The park is open all year round. It has 43 parking spaces (some of which can be reserved) for mobile homes and tents, some of which can also be used in winter. The park only has the simplest sanitary facilities ( outhouse ). In addition to the parking spaces for mobile homes and tents, the park also has a group tent site.
Neighboring parks
The closest provincial parks are Gordon Bay Provincial Park to the west and Bright Angel Provincial Park to the east . To the north is the Chemainus River Provincial Park .
Web links
- Cowichan River Provincial Park . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- Cowichan River Provincial Park . In: English language website of the park at BC Parks
- Information to the park on britishcolumbia.com (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Cowichan River Park (English)
- ↑ Biogeoclimatic Zones of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations , accessed August 23, 2017 .
- ^ Cowichan River Provincial Park - Purpose Statement and Zoning Plan. (PDF; 225 kB) British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks , March 2003, accessed on August 23, 2017 (English).
- ^ Ecosystems of British Columbia. (PDF; 10.31 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, February 1991, accessed on August 23, 2017 .