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Fraser River Basin Case Study British Columbia, Canada

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Fraser River Basin Case Study British Columbia, Canada Fraser River Basin Case Study British Columbia, Canada Background Paper K.S. Calbick, Raymond McAllister, David Marshall & Steve Litke for the Fraser Basin Council December 2004 This paper is a product of the study, “Integrated River Basin Management and the Principle of Managing Water Resources at the Lowest Appropriate Level – When and Why Does It (Not) Work in Practice?” The Research Support Budget of the World Bank provided major funding. The project was carried out by the Agriculture and Rural Development Department at the World Bank. The Water Resources Management Group and the South Asia Social and Environment Unit at the World Bank have provided additional support. The study core team includes Karin Kemper and Ariel Dinar (Co- Task Team Leaders, World Bank), William Blomquist and Anjali Bhat (consultants, Indiana University), and Michele Diez (World Bank), William Fru (consultant), and Gisèle Sine (International Network of Basin Organizations). Basin case study consultants include Maureen Ballestero (Tárcoles - Costa Rica), Ken Calbick and David Marshall (Fraser - Canada), Rosa Formiga (Alto Tietê and Jaguaribe - Brazil), Consuelo Giansante (Guadalquivir - Spain), Brian Haisman (Murray Darling - Australia), Kikkeri Ramu and Trie Mulat Sunaryo (Brantas - Indonesia), and Andrzej Tonderski (Warta - Poland). The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to the World Bank. Table of Contents 1. CANADA IN BRIEF........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................... 3 1.3 GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM................................................................................................................. 8 1.4 NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ................................................................................................................. 8 1.5 REGIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT............................................................................................ 11 1.6 WATER RESOURCE CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS ........................................................................... 12 1.7 WATER GOVERNANCE .................................................................................................................... 13 1.8 RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................... 17 1.9 CONTEXT OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................ 18 1.9.1. Fish and Aquatic Wildlife .......................................................................................................18 1.9.2. Migratory Waterfowl............................................................................................................... 19 1.9.3. Other Wildlife.......................................................................................................................... 19 1.9.4. Forest Resources..................................................................................................................... 19 1.9.5. Agricultural Land.................................................................................................................... 20 2. THE FRASER RIVER BASIN......................................................................................................... 21 2.1 PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS................................................................................................................... 21 2.2 INTERNAL PHYSICAL STRUCTURE................................................................................................... 22 2.2.1. Tributaries............................................................................................................................... 22 2.3 UPPER FRASER................................................................................................................................23 2.4 STUART-TAKLA .............................................................................................................................. 23 2.5 NECHAKO ....................................................................................................................................... 24 2.6 QUESNEL ........................................................................................................................................ 24 2.7 WEST ROAD-BLACKWATER ............................................................................................................ 24 2.8 CHILCOTIN...................................................................................................................................... 24 2.9 MIDDLE FRASER ............................................................................................................................. 24 2.10 NORTH THOMPSON ......................................................................................................................... 25 2.11 SOUTH THOMPSON.......................................................................................................................... 25 2.12 THOMPSON-NICOLA........................................................................................................................ 25 2.13 BRIDGE-SETON ............................................................................................................................... 26 2.14 LILLOOET-HARRISON...................................................................................................................... 26 2.15 LOWER FRASER AND ESTUARY ....................................................................................................... 26 2.16 FRASER BASIN COUNCIL REGIONS.................................................................................................. 27 2.17 GREATER VANCOUVER-SQUAMISH-PEMBERTON REGION .............................................................. 30 2.18 FRASER VALLEY REGION................................................................................................................ 30 2.19 THOMPSON REGION ........................................................................................................................ 31 2.20 CARIBOO-CHILCOTIN REGION ........................................................................................................ 32 2.21 UPPER FRASER REGION................................................................................................................... 33 2.22 HABITAT DIVERSITY....................................................................................................................... 34 2.23 HYDROLOGY OF THE FRASER RIVER BASIN .................................................................................... 35 2.23.1. Climatic Characteristics ......................................................................................................... 37 2.23.2. Water Inputs............................................................................................................................ 37 2.23.3. Streamflow .............................................................................................................................. 38 2.24 HUMAN-BUILT RESERVOIRS ........................................................................................................... 41 3. HISTORICAL AND CURRENT DEVELOPMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ..................... 43 3.1 HYDRO DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................................... 43 3.2 IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE ........................................................................................................... 44 3.3 FLOOD CONTROL ............................................................................................................................ 44 3.4 GROUNDWATER .............................................................................................................................. 45 3.5 WATER USE CONFLICTS.................................................................................................................. 46 3.6 WATER QUALITY ............................................................................................................................ 47 3.6.1. Fraser River at Hope .............................................................................................................. 49 3.6.2. Fraser River at Marguerite..................................................................................................... 50 3.6.3. Fraser River at Stoner............................................................................................................. 50 3.6.4. Fraser River at Hansard.........................................................................................................51 3.6.5. Thompson River at Spences Bridge......................................................................................... 51 3.6.6. Nechako River at Prince George ............................................................................................ 51 3.7 SOCIAL CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................... 51 3.7.1. Demographics........................................................................................................................
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