3.2 Fraser–Lower Mainland drainage region 3.2 Fraser–Lower Mainland drainage region

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The Fraser–Lower Mainland drainage region extends across 233,104 km² from Vancouver to Prince George. The majority (94.2%) of its area was natural and semi-natural area, 4.8% was arable and natural land for pasture and 1.1% was built-up in 2011.
The population was 2,336,941 in 2011—third highest in the country—with a population density of 10.4 persons/km². Population was up 140% compared to 971,762 in 1971.
Surface freshwater intake for manufacturing, drinking water plants, irrigation, mining and thermal-electric production was 615.3 million m³ in 2013.
The average annual water yield was 129.3 km³ over the period 1971 to 2013. The water yield per unit area was 0.55 m³/m², compared to 0.35 m³/m² at the Canada level. Monthly water flows peak in June.
Some sources of nitrogen and phosphorus residuals in the environment include fertilizer application, livestock and poultry production, as well as industrial emissions. The risk of phosphorus release from agricultural soils was high, with 3.3 mg/kg of water extractable phosphorus potentially released in 2011. Phosphorus emitted by industrial facilities in the region directly to air, land and water in 2014 accounted for 86% of the national industrial emissions, which is largely attributable to the Mount Polley Mine disaster on August 4, 2014.^{Note 1}