Watersheds

The Neighbourhood Watersheds Map shows where water runoff from your property & your neighbourhood ends up.

We aim to show how one's actions as a resident may have distant and unexpected consequences.

Rain that falls in our neighbourhoods flows to the ocean. The same is true when watering your garden or lawn, or washing your car. Along the way, that water washes fertilizers and other chemicals from yards and streets into storm drains that flow into Esquimalt's marine environment. Whatever is carried - oil, anti-freeze, paint, soap, fertilizer, pesticides - can have harmful effects on plants and animals, and create an unhealthy place for us to swim and play.

How to use the map

  1. Find where you live on the map.
  2. Note the map colour in your neighbourhood. This colour represents your Neighbourhood Watershed.
  3. Look along the shoreline for a nearby watershed outflow that matches the colour of your neighbourhood. This outflow is where the water that falls in your neighbourhood flows into the ocean.
  4. Take a walk down to your watershed outflow location and see what living creatures might be affected by pollutants flowing into the water. Can you think of products that you use that affect water quality flowing from your neighbourhood?

Download full map or printer-friendly version of the map.

Current coastline projects

  1. Resilient Coasts for Salmon Project
  2. Green Shores for Shoreline Development Demonstration Site

Healthy watersheds

This map is the result of a partnership between the Township of Esquimalt and the Capital Regional District Integrated Watershed Management Program.

For more information on maintaining healthy watersheds, please visit:

Reporting a spill

If you notice a spill that enters municipal roads or waterways please report it immediately by noting the location and calling:

Esquimalt Public Works Department

Tel: 250-414-7108
Emergency After Hours: 250-995-7654 (VicPD non-emergency dispatch)

If you are unable to reach a municipal official, call Emergency Management BC at 1-800-663-3456