Beech's Creek Watershed

There are three main headwaters for Beech’s Creek, which flows into Deepwater Bay.

On the west side of the watershed is Long Lake, which drains into Beech’s Creek via Bishop’s Creek (project name). Over the past five years TimberWest has begun extensive road building and logging around Long Lake, on both its west and east sides, and further north toward Deepwater Bay.

At its northern end, the watershed reaches to Laurel Lake and Laurel Creek (project names) drains a number of small lakes as it flows southward. Drone flights show remnants of old forest throughout this area. Laurel Creek plunges over the steep cliffs above Beech’s Creek.

BC government mapping of streams shows Nugedzi Lake emptying into Beech’s Creek, but if this was ever the case, it certainly isn’t now. Nugedzi Lake is part of the Village Bay Creek watershed.

The eastern headwaters of Beech’s Creek are at Beech’s Lake, a small lake high up on the ridge known as Beech’s Mountain.

The project has not yet ascertained whether Beech’s Creek supports, or has supported in the past, salmonids. If anyone knows, please let us know in the comments section below.

There are significant remnants of old forest in this watershed, particularly along the steep slopes west of Nugedzi Lake. Large-diameter Douglas fir and western red cedar veterans along the lower reaches of Beech’s Creek are proof of this area’s capacity for safe carbon storage. The project has found one standing dead Douglas fir that measured approximately 28 feet in circumference at breast height (in 2020).

Beech’s Creek above its confluence with Bishop’s Creek and Laurel Creek.