The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) invites the public to explore the Comox Lake Watershed during Watershed Awareness Days, taking place from May 26 to 30, 2026. This week-long event features guided walks, lakeside talks, presentations, and family-friendly activities. It’s a unique opportunity to experience the watershed firsthand and learn how it sustains the health and wellbeing of the entire Comox Valley community.
“The Comox Lake Watershed is one of our community’s most important assets,” says General Manager of Engineering Services Kris La Rose. “It provides clean, reliable drinking water for more than 50,000 residents and this year’s Watershed Awareness Days invite us all to discover, appreciate, and protect this vital resource, ensuring it can sustain us for generations to come.”
The CVRD’s Connected by Water program, developed through the Comox Lake Watershed Protection Plan, works with local partners to support education, stewardship, and water conservation. Get involved by attending one or all local events below:
Watershed Awareness Days event list
Tuesday, May 26
- BC Parks Ecological Reserve “Comox Bluffs” Guided Site Tour at 4 pm (registration required)
- Source Encounters Public Presentation at 7 pm (registration required through Courtenay Museum)
Wednesday, May 27
- Public Water Treatment Plant Tours, tours at 1 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm (registration required)
Thursday, May 28
- Perseverance Wetlands Walking Tour at 4 pm (registration required)
- Who Lives in the Watershed “Bat Night!” at 8 pm (open to public , learn more here)
Friday, May 29
- BC Parks Ecological Reserve “Comox Bluffs” Site Tour at 2 pm (registration required)
- Courtenay and District Fish & Game Site Tour at 4 pm (registration required)
Saturday, May 30
- Community Watershed Canoe from 9 to 11:30 am (fees and registration required)
- Watershed Activity Day from 1 to 3 pm (open to public, learn more here)
For more information about Watershed Awareness Days, event schedules, and how to get involved, visit: comoxvalleyrd.ca/connectedbywater
About the Comox Lake Watershed
The Comox Lake Watershed has been shaped by more than 140 years of settler activity, including logging, mining, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. While coal mining ended in the 1930s, much of the land remains privately owned and used for forestry. The lake is also managed by BC Hydro as a reservoir for power generation and to support fish flows in the Puntledge River.
Today, the Comox Lake Watershed supplies water to over 50,000 residents of the Comox Valley. Swimming, boating, sporting events and camping take place in designated areas at the eastern end of the lake. While some areas have also been set aside for conservation, much of the watershed remains vulnerable to further impacts. Visitors can help reduce these impacts. As the population grows and more people visit, it’s more important than ever to protect this vital water resource.
The Comox Valley Regional District is a partnership of three electoral areas and three municipalities operating on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of the land. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on providing sustainable services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.
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Media Contact:
Kris La Rose
General Manager of Engineering Services 250-334-6083