Shared Waters Alliance

Who We Are

The Shared Waters Alliance (SWA) is an international working group taking a proactive approach to improve water quality for the Canadian-US shared waters of Boundary Bay. The SWA was formed in 1999 and is made up of a broad collection of representatives from different levels of government as well as community groups from both Canada and the United States.  The group includes representatives from:

Canada  City of Surrey, Township of Langley, the Corporation of Delta, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Environment Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Friends of Semiahmoo Bay, Semiahmoo First Nation, Little Campbell Watershed Society, A Rocha Canada, University College of the Fraser Valley, University of British Columbia, BC Ministry of Environment, BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Fraser Health Authority.

United States Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District, City of Blaine, the Puget Sound Action Team, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Department of Health, Drayton Harbor Community Oyster Farm. Whatcom County Public Works Department.

The groups focus is the Boundary Bay basin  particularly Semiahmoo Bay (Canadian side) and Drayton Harbour (US).  Boundary Bay’s waters support a rich and diverse ecosystem; however, as the region’s population has grown, these waters have experienced varying degrees of environmental degradation due to agricultural intensification and urbanization. One of the primary indicators of this water quality problem has been the effects on shellfish.

What We Do

A primary driver for the formation of this working group was the shellfish contamination that had closed Boundary Bay for harvesting since 1962.  Since then, the focus of the group has expanded to reflect emerging concerns, such as storm water runoff and community outreach. 

The primary goal of the SWA is:

“To meet shellfish harvesting standards through working with other jurisdictions, whether dealing with water quality, education or changes in practice initiatives”.

To meet this goal the following objectives have been set:

1. To characterize and identify key sources of contamination to Boundary Bay; and

2. To undertake outreach and pollution prevention projects that reduce contamination levels in tributaries and the Bay itself

The principal issues targeted in the Canada-US shared water of Boundary Bay are:

• Agriculture Waste Management

• Failing Septic Systems

• Urban Areas

• Spills

• Wildlife

• Shellfish

The group is currently undertaking the following activities to reach its objectives:

• Little Campbell River Water Quality Monitoring, which includes fecal coliform sampling

• Modeling of fecal coliform contamination in the Little Campbell River

• Ongoing information exchanges between partners to inform activities in the Boundary Bay watershed.

Past projects include:

• Circulation and fecal coliform loading model for Boundary Bay

•  Water quality monitoring programs in storm outfalls and watercourses feeding the Bay

•  Landowner contact/awareness programs in the Little Campbell Watershed

• Information exchange between US and Canada on pollution control initiatives

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