the salmon river watershed - Learning Centre

A report by the Fraser River Environmentally Sustainable Task Force (1991) estimated the
amount of existing transportation and utilities infrastructure in the watershed as follows.
Anticipated Trends
Existing Transportation/Utilities Linear Extent (km)
Highways 84
Railways 45
Power Lines 112
Pipelines 41
There are several policies which regulate the development of land in the watershed. The
TNRD Central Sub-Regional Settlement Strategy and Zoning By-law No 940 covers the land
along the river to the south, north and east of the community of Westwold. The Salmon Valley
Land Use Bylaw includes the valley bottoms and forested upland in the CSRD portion of the
valley and the communities of Falkland, Glenemma and Silver Creek. The NORD administers
the Spallumcheen Official Community Plan and Zoning By-law for the small portion of the
watershed in this District. The District of Salmon Arm has an Official Community Plan for its
boundaries. These policies and regulations encourage preservation of the rural and agricultural
character of the area and attempt to ensure the continued viability of economic activities based
on agriculture and forestry.
To follow the objective of agricultural preservation established by the governing bodies, further
settlement within the watershed is likely to be located within existing settled areas. For
example, the CSRD Salmon Valley Land Use Bylaw encourages rural residential use to be
concentrated on parcels approximately 1 ha in size and located in areas where there will not
be a negative impact on agricultural activities. Falkland, with its two-family and multi-family
zones, offers the greatest potential within the rural portion of the watershed for infill and higher
densities. However, further residential growth in this area is constrained by the existence of the
Agricultural Land Reserve.
The area along the Salmon River within the District of Salmon Arm is designated for
agricultural food production in the Salmon Arm OCP. Areas along Foothills Road and on the
west side of the Salmon River, outside the agricultural area, are designated as Rural
Agricultural. Rural residential development in these areas must be at least two hectares in size
with soils capability rating of classes 4, 5, 6 or 7. Closer to existing developed areas, Low
Density Residential Areas are designated in the area on the south side of Foothills Road,
generally bounded by Foothills, 20th Ave., 10th St. S.E. and 10th Ave S.E. The Trans Canada
Highway corridor within Salmon Arm is designated as a Development Permit Area to ensure
that all development is compatible with the high profile tourist oriented vehicular traffic.
A “sewer development area” of approximately 1,700 ha has been serviced with main sanitary
trunks and water by the District to provide for expansion of the residential and business
community. It is estimated that the area contains approximately 185 ha for residential
expansion, sufficient to accommodate residential land demand for up to 20 years, depending
on the growth rate. Only those areas not designated “Agricultural Land Reserve” are reserved
for future development, and only after the Development Areas have been infilled will
development occur within the Rural Agricultural Areas.
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