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Rivers at Risk: the Status of Environmental Flows in Canada

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Rivers at Risk: the Status of Environmental Flows in Canada Rivers at Risk: The Status of Environmental Flows in Canada Prepared by: Becky Swainson, MA Research Consultant Prepared for: WWF-Canada Freshwater Program Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the river advocates and professionals from across Canada who lent their time and insights to this assessment. Also, special thanks to Brian Richter, Oliver Brandes, Tim Morris, David Schindler, Tom Le Quesne and Allan Locke for their thoughtful reviews. i Rivers at Risk Acronyms BC British Columbia CBM Coalbed methane CEMA Cumulative Effects Management Association COSEWIC Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada CRI Canadian Rivers Institute DFO Fisheries and Oceans Canada EBF Ecosystem base flow IBA Important Bird Area IFN Instream flow needs IJC International Joint Commission IPP Independent Power Producer GRCA Grand River Conservation Authority LWR Low Water Response MOE Ministry of Environment (Ontario) MNR Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario) MRBB Mackenzie River Basin Board MW Megawatt NB New Brunswick NGO Non-governmental organization NWT Northwest Territories P2FC Phase 2 Framework Committee PTTW Permit to Take Water QC Quebec RAP Remedial Action Plan SSRB South Saskatchewan River Basin UNESCO United Nations Environmental, Scientific and Cultural Organization US United States WCO Water Conservation Objectives ii Rivers at Risk Contents Rivers at Risk: The Status of Environmental Flows in Canada CONTENTS Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ i Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 5 What are Environmental Flows? ............................................................................................................... 6 Purpose of this Report .............................................................................................................................. 8 THREATS TO ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS IN CANADA ................................................................................... 10 METHODS .................................................................................................................................................... 13 River Selection ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Status Assessment and Data Collection Framework .............................................................................. 13 Data Collection and Analysis ................................................................................................................... 13 Status and Forecast of Environmental Flows .......................................................................................... 14 STATUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS - RIVER ASSESSMENTS .................................................................... 17 Athabasca River ...................................................................................................................................... 17 Fraser River ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Grand River ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Mackenzie River ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Nipigon River ........................................................................................................................................... 37 Ottawa River ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Saint John River ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Skeena River ............................................................................................................................................ 52 South Saskatchewan River ...................................................................................................................... 57 St. Lawrence River ................................................................................................................................... 62 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 67 APPENDIX 1: Glossary ................................................................................................................................. 69 APPENDIX 2: Data Collection and Status Assessment Framework ............................................................. 72 APPENDIX 3: Generic Key Informant Interview Protocol ............................................................................ 77 APPENDIX 4: South Africa’s River Health Classification System ................................................................. 78 APPENDIX 5: Numerical Scoring of Results Exercise ................................................................................... 79 APPENDIX 6: Endnotes ................................................................................................................................ 80 iii Rivers at Risk Contents LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Freshwater Living Planet Index (from WWF’s Living Planet Report 2008) .................................... 5 Figure 2 Status of Environmental Flows Classification System .................................................................. 14 Figure 3. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Athabasca River .................................... 21 Figure 4. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Fraser River ........................................... 26 Figure 5. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Grand River ........................................... 31 Figure 6. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Mackenzie River ................................... 36 Figure 7. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Nipigon River ........................................ 41 Figure 8. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Ottawa River ......................................... 46 Figure 9. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Saint John River .................................... 51 Figure 10. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the Skeena River ....................................... 56 Figure 11. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the South Saskatchewan River ................. 61 Figure 12. Summary of Environmental Flow Classification for the St. Lawrence River .............................. 66 LIST OF BOXES Box 1: Examples of Provisions for Environmental Flows in Canada ............................................................. 7 Box 2: International River Health Classifications ........................................................................................ 15 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Summary of Results ....................................................................................................................... 67 iv Rivers at Risk Introduction INTRODUCTION Across the Prairies, river flows are declining in an already changing climate, while more water is licensed for irrigation than even exists in the rivers at one time, leaving wetlands high and dry when they need water the most. In the boreal wilderness, the largest river flowing into Lake Superior, the world’s biggest freshwater lake, is the site of an ongoing struggle over how to share water so that there will be enough in the river for brook trout to spawn and survive. In the Maritimes, Atlantic salmon have stopped returning to large rivers that have been blocked and had their flows permanently changed by massive hydroelectric dams. While it is increasingly common to hear of conflict over freshwater in arid nations, it may come as a surprise to many that all across Canada — where we often fall under the misconception that water resources are plentiful and limitless — battles are raging over freshwater. And more often than not, when there are multiple, competing uses of water (and, more often than not, there are multiple competing uses of water), it is the environment — the birds, fish, insects, wetlands, trees, and ecosystems that need water just as much as we do — that ends up last in line. Freshwater systems are home to 40% of all fish species in less than 0.01% of the world’s total surface water, and when freshwater amphibians, reptiles and mammals are added to the fish totals, together they account for as much as one third of global vertebrate biodiversity. It is increasingly evident, regionally and globally, that this amazing freshwater biodiversity is severely endangered ― much more so than in terrestrial or marine environments. Even at a conservative estimate, freshwater invertebrates declined globally by 55% between 1970 and 2000, 1 and the Freshwater Living Planet Index shows that populations of
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