Esquimalt Lagoon - Interesting Facts

Size of harbour (total area)
Total area of watersheds and land that drain into harbour	1850 hectares
Main creeks that flow into harbour	Colwood Creek, Bee Creek, Selleck Creek
Depth of harbour (max, avg)
Main physical features	Estuary enclosed by barrier spit; dual tidal delta; restricted tidal flushing; sand dunes on outer spit.
Main biological features	Eelgrass beds (15 ha); historic herring spawning; abundant shellfish; kelp at northern end; significant bird habitat and feeding grounds; salt marsh fringe; sand dune habitat; limited salmon spawning in Colwood Ck.
Main environmental concerns	Seasonal algae blooms due to poor water quality; invasive species; human disturbance of wildlife.
Number of stormwater drains monitored in harbour
Number of monitored stormwater drains with fecal coliform contamination
Number of monitored stormwater drains with environmental contamination
Number of monitored stormwater drains with no significant contamination
Total length of shoreline
Percent of shoreline altered / hardened
Shoreline types (%)
Intertidal area
Intertidal flats – total area
Subtidal area	82 hectares
Dominant subtidal substrate type	Mud/sand (57%)
Other subtidal substrate types	Mud (28%); gravel (9%); gravelly mud/sand (6%)