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Watershed Tours
Summer Camps

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Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant Official Opening
SCFP
Salmon Return to Coquitlam Lake
Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve: Geomorphology
Alpine Watersheds
Watershed Tours 
 

WHY THESE WATERSHEDS ARE SO SPECIAL
Metro Vancouver manages three protected watersheds to provide 2.3 million residents with a clean, reliable and affordable supply of drinking water. Every summer, we open the Capilano and Coquitlam Watersheds to the public by hosting guided bus and walking tours. The Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve is open to the public year round but our guided tours give you a chance to discover sites that are otherwise only accessible by foot.

These watersheds are places where few people go, wildlife abounds, trees tower in mountains and valleys and water moves through natural landscapes to our water supply system.

WHY WE WANT TO SHARE THESE PLACES WITH YOU
It is our hope that all the residents of Metro Vancouver would get a chance to know where their water comes from, understand the value of this resource, recognize their connection to it, develop a sense of pride and confidence in protected watersheds, and become champions for sustainability in our region.

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THREE GREAT LOCATIONS
Tours are offered at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, the Capilano Watershed and the Coquitlam Watershed.

Thursday-Sunday
July –September

 Watershed map
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Capilano Watershed
Four hour tours
Tour registration opens Friday June 1st.
 
Bus Tours
Discover the Capilano Valley and how it was shaped first by the glaciers, then by the pioneers of our province. Learn about where our water comes from, how it’s managed, and the infrastructure to get it safely and reliably to our homes. Take in the spectacular views of the Coast Mountains and alpine storage lakes as you experience our coastal temperate ecosystem and forest
management practices.
 
 
 
Sun Jul 8 8:15
Sun Jul 8 12:30
Sat Jul 14 12:30
Sat Jul 21 12:30
Thu Jul 26 9:00
Sat Aug 4 12:30
Sat Aug 11 12:30
Fri Aug 17 9:00
Sun Aug 26 12:30
Sat Sep 1 12:30
Fri Sep 7 9:00
Sun Sep 9 12:30
Sat Sep 15 12:30

Little Capilano Lake Walk
Explore three different ecosystems on this peaceful 2 km trail around Little Capilano Lake. Decend through a second-growth hemlock forest, cross a meandering creek, and skirt the edge of a living bog as you discover the role that water plays in all three habitats. This is a moderate hike on un-surfaced trails with steep entrance and exit sections.

Thu Jul 12 9:00
Sat Jul 14 8:15
Sat Jul 21 8:15
Fri Jul 27 9:00
Sat Aug 4 8:15
Sat Aug 11 8:15
Thu Aug 16 9:00
Fri Aug 24 9:00
Sun Aug 26 8:15
Sat Sep 1 8:15
Sun Sep 9 8:15
Sat Sep 15 8:15
Lower Seymour Valley
Four hour tours
Tour registration opens Friday June 1st
 
 
Bus/walking tour of the Lower Seymour Valley
Take a bus ride to a limited access area and enjoy sights and sounds of the Seymour River, pockets of old growth forest, salmon habitat, the hatchery and they Seymour Falls Dam.  Learn about where your water comes from, the new Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant and the water demands of a growing population.  This tour includes a 2 km walk on rough, unsurfaced  but flat trail. Bus transport will be provided to these remote sites during the tour.
 
 
Thu Jul 5 9:00
Fri Jul 6 9:00
Sun Jul 22** 8:15
Sun Jul 22 12:30
Sun Jul 29 8:15
Sun Jul 29** 12:30
Fri Aug 3 9:00
Sun Aug 12** 8:15
Sun Aug 12 12:30
Sun Aug 19++ 8:15
Sun Aug 19** 12:30
Thu Aug 23 9:00
Fri Aug 31 9:00
Sun Sep 2** 8:15
Sun Sep 2++ 12:30
Thu Sep 6 9:00
Fri Sep 6 9:00

** Kids of all ages and parents are encouraged to participate in these family-oriented tours. Sorry, no strollers.

 

++ Join us on a special opportunity to explore the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant as part of our regular LSCR tour. Complete your understanding of the drinking water story in this state-of-the-art facility.
Coquitlam Watershed

Three hour tours
Tour registration opens Friday June 1st.

Bus Tour
Enjoy beautiful views of Coquitlam Lake. On this tour, stops showcase everything from drinking water infrastructure to giant old-growth Western redcedar and Douglas-fir. Catch a glimpse of the past as you visit the 1913 water intake tower. Participants should be capable of getting off the bus and walking at 4 scenic locations.

Sat Jul 7 9:00
Sat Jul 7 12:30
Sun Jul 15 12:30
Thu Jul 19 9:00
Sat Jul 28 12:30
Thu Aug 2 9:00
Sun Aug 5 12:30
Fri Aug 10 9:00
Sat Aug 18 12:30
Sat Aug 25 12:30
Sat Sep 8 12:30
Sun Sep 16 12:30

 

Old Growth Trail Walk
Enjoy a scenic bus ride through the watershed to the start of a 2.5 km trail. Take a guided walk through Western redcedar and Douglas-fir trees. Learn about forest ecology and discover how old-growth stands play a role in maintaining water quality. This is a moderate hike on a rough un-surfaced trail.

 

Fri Jul 13 9:00
Sun Jul 15 9:00
Fri Jul 20 9:00
Sat Jul 28 9:00
Sun Aug 5 9:00
Thu Aug 9 9:00
Sat Aug 18 9:00
Sat Aug 25 9:00
Thu Aug 30 9:00
Sat Sep 8 9:00
Thu Sep 13 9:00
Sun Sep 16 9:00

SPECIALITY TOURS

Resources

BOOKING INFORMATION
Advanced registration is required for all tours.
Registration begins Friday, June 1st
The Registration Office is open M-F from 9am-3pm
Call 604-432-6430 to register
toursreg@
metrovancouver.org for more information

CANCELLATION POLICY
There is no cost for the program but we ask that you respect our cancellation policy: We offer a limited number of tours each year and they book up quickly. If you know that you or someone in your party won’t be able to make it, PLEASE call to cancel with plenty of notice (min. 4 days). There are many people who would be glad to take your place.

HOW TO PREPARE

HOW TO GET THERE

Fast Facts

Metro ’s tap water is arguably some of the best drinking water in the world, and it costs you only about $0.8 per 1,000 litres, or $0.0008 per litre. A single-use one litre bottle of water can cost you as much as $1.75 a litre.
 Learn more about out Tap Water Campaign