Watershed Management Planning for the North Saskatchewan River Basin. Presentation to Strathcona County April

Transcription

1 Watershed Management Planning for the North Saskatchewan River Basin Presentation to Strathcona County April

2 North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA) A multi-stakeholder, non-profit society (2000) Appointed WPAC in 2005 Membership: 43 Individuals 76 Organizations Website Six staff

3 Watershed Planning Advisory Councils Eleven WPACs have been appointed in Alberta Mandate: Water for Life (2003) Prepare State of the Watershed Reports Prepare Watershed Management Plans Hay River Watershed Peace River Watershed Athabasca River Watershed Lesser Slave Lake Watershed Council Beaver River Watershed Alliance North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance Battle River Watershed Alliance Red Deer Watershed Alliance Bow River Basin Council SEAWA Oldman Watershed Council Milk River Watershed Canada

4 NSWA Executive Members President: Dr. Les Gammie (EPCOR) Vice-Pres: Reeve Pat Alexander (Clearwater County) Treasurer: Ted Bentley (Paddle Alberta) Secretary: Candace Vanin,, P. Ag. (AAFC)

5 NSWA Board Members Dr. L. Danielson (NCIA) Dr. N. Krogman (U of A) P. Gordeyko (County of Two Hills) B. Winship,, R.P.F. (Weyerhaeuser Co.) S. Lodewyk,, P. Eng (City of Edmonton) B. Kitching (Brazeau County) B. Fox (Alberta Beef Producers) R. Kause,, B.Sc. (TransAlta) T. Scott (Ducks Unlimited Canada) A. Schoepf J. Wuite,, P. Biol A. Rognvaldson (Prov. Gov. - AENV) (Prov. Gov. AARD) (Husky - Ram River)

6 The NSR Integrated Watershed Management Plan (IWMP) Objectives: Achieve Water for Life goals: strategies to protect drinking water, aquatic ecosystems and water supplies for future generations Integrate land and water planning Plan collaboratively with all watershed sectors Complete plan by fall 2011

7 57,000 km2 Km 0 64

8 Major features: 1.2 million people 20 counties 2 hydro-electric reservoirs 3 coal fired plants Large petrochemical sector Large agriculture sector Forestry Oil and gas exploration 12 water sub-basins

9 Jasper NP Green Zone Banff NP

10 Planning Challenges Several planning issues (water quality/quantity, groundwater, etc.) Several public jurisdictions Several private sector interests and NGOs Different scales of work: NSR mainstem versus sub-basins basins (tributaries and lakes) Large, complex river basin

11 Planning Initiatives (2011) Water for Life (NSWA) Industrial Heartland WMF (AENV) Capital Region Growth Management Plan (CRB) North Sask. Regional Plan (LUF) Municipal Development Plans National Parks, Forest Management Agreements, etc

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13 NSR near Drayton Valley

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16 Water Supply Studies Trend -1.4%/decade over 97 years 7.2 Billion m 3 /yr ~2% of annual flow from glaciers 50% of annual flow to Sask - PPWB (1969) Water supply to the Capital Region: ~90% comes from 4 upper sub-basins

17 Capital Region Industrial Heartland Water Use Reservoir Operations Overland Runoff Headwaters supply

18 Median Annual Phosphorus at Devon and Pakan 0.15 Total Phosphorus (mg/l) Total Phosphorus at Pakan Total Phosphorus at Devon Year

19 NSWA Initiatives ( ) 06) North Saskatchewan River Guide (2002) Community Watershed Stewardship Toolkit (2002) Canadian Heritage Rivers Program (2005) State of the Watershed Report (2005) Municipal Resource Guide (2006)

20 Completed Planning Reports 1. State of the Watershed (2005) 2. In-stream Flow Needs Methods (2007) 3. Water Use and Demand (2007) 4. Water Supply Assessment (2008) 5. Climate Change Effects (2008) 6. Water Quality Objectives (2009) 7. Mainstem Water Quality Model (2009)

21 Completed Planning Reports 8. Cumulative Effects Assessment 2009) 9. Basin Groundwater Overview (2009) 10. Vermilion River Water Supply and Demand Study (2009) 11. Rural Municipal Watershed Planning Forum (2009) 12. Socio-Economic Profiles of the NSR Basin (2010)

22 Completed Planning Reports 13. Economic Activity and the Value of EGS in NSR Basin (2010) 14. Watershed Model (2010) 15. Collaborative Planning Approach (2010) All reports at

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24 Content of IWMP IWMP provides advice for basin scale: Water quality management Water quantity management Aquatic ecosystem protection Groundwater protection Alignment of land and water planning at the regional scale

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26 Status of IWMP April 2011 Extensive consultation on IWMP Discussion Paper through early 2011 Final IWMP will be submitted at the end of 2011 Implementation: as per WFL Action Plan Implementation will involve many sectors and jurisdictions

27 Request to Strathcona County Review IWMP recommendations, provide a consolidated county response Promote watershed protection ideals in County land use decisions Collaborate over time with other stakeholders to manage the entire Beaverhill sub-watershed Support NSWA s watershed planning work

28 Thank you