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Important Update on Bouchie Lake Community Wastewater Feasibility Study
Updated 20th November 2025
The findings of the feasibility study on a Wastewater Management System for Bouchie Lake, dated September 22nd 2025, were made available to the public on November 7th 2025, through the publication of the Board Agenda for the November 14th 2025 Board Meeting.
The McElhanney report finds that “a wastewater system for the Bouchie Lake community is feasible and would improve the water quality of the lake”.
In their report McElhanney considered three options for the location of the lagoon and three phases for the extent of properties to be included in the system.
The costing of the project has two components: initial capital cost and ongoing annual maintenance costs. Both of which would vary depending on the lagoon option selected and the phase selection of the properties to be included. The initial capital cost to the taxpayers would also vary depending on the ability to secure grant funding for a portion of the capital cost.
Capital cost would be assessed by means of a parcel tax (i.e. a flat tax on each property unit within the phase) rather than included as part of a property tax which is assessed on the value of each property.
The ongoing maintenance costs would be assessed equally on each residential unit within the phase.
The CRD posted the following highlight from the November 14th meeting:
"Bouchie Lake Sewer Feasibility Study
The Board received the Bouchie Lake sewer feasibility study, including analysis of system design options, projected costs, and long-term service implications for the community. A public information session will take place in the new year, where residents will be able to review the findings, ask questions, and learn about the next steps in the decision-making process."
A short history of how we came to be:
There have been many informal groups over the years leading up to Bouchie Lake Watershed Stewardship Society being inaugurated as an official society under the BC Societies Act in 2016. Some groups were concerned only with Bouchie Lake (Bouchie Lake Stewardship Committee), others were concerned only with Milburn Lake (Milburn Lake Stewardship Society). In the case of Bouchie Lake the groups were formed in response to concerns over the water quality of the lake. In the case of Milburn Lake, the concerns were more focused on the state of the main public access site, unsightly garbage, lack of year round access due to flooding, other obstructions on the site and lack of toilet facilities.
As a result of these community groups, outhouses were installed both at Bouchie Lake (2007) and at Milburn Lake (2001). The outhouse at Milburn Lake was achieved through the hard work of Gordon Crick in getting the necessary permit from the Ministry of Transportation and the generosity of the Cariboo Chilcotin Outfitters Association, Gordon and Lucille Crick and Ted and Laura Ann Neville in providing the funding. The installation of the outhouse at Bouchie Lake was achieved through the combined efforts of four groups: the Bouchie Lake Recreation Commission, the Cariboo Chilcotin Guide Outfitters Association, the Cariboo Regional District Area B and the Bouchie Lake Stewardship Committee .
In 2016 the Bouchie Lake Watershed Stewardship Society was inaugurated as an official society under the societies act of BC, thanks to the work of Richard Armstrong. The society was initially registered under the name Bouchie Lake Stewardship Society (BLSS) but later, after considerable discussion on the scope of the society's interests and a proposal to rename the society the Bouchie-Milburn Lake Society, it underwent an official name change in 2019 to the current Bouchie Lake Watershed Stewardship Society (BLWSS). The inclusion of the term "Watershed" was intended to reflect the more inclusive nature of the society's interests beyond just the two main lakes themselves (Bouchie and Milburn) to include Mit Lake, and the streams feeding and connecting the lakes (Bouchie Creek and Purser Creek) and the surrounding landscape, all of which contribute to the overall water quality of the ecosystem.
Bouchie Lake was originally known locally as "Six Mile lake" and Milburn Lake was known as "Nine Mile Lake".
If anyone has more detailed information that could be included on the history of these groups, the people involved, dates and major milestones, we would welcome any contributions through our Contact Us links.
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