ALBERTA WATER COUNCIL
Recommendations to Improve Lake Watershed Management in Alberta ALBERTA WATER COUNCIL Recommendations to Improve Lake Watershed Management in Alberta
About the Alberta Water Council The Alberta Water Council (AWC) is a multi-stakeholder partnership with members from governments, industry and non- government organizations. All members have a stake in water. The AWC is one of three types of partnerships established under the Water for Life strategy: the others are Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils and Watershed Stewardship Groups. The AWC regularly reviews the implementation progress of the Water for Life strategy and champions the achievement of the strategy’s goals. The AWC also advises the Government of Alberta, stakeholders and the public on effective water management practices, solutions to water issues and priorities for water research. However, the Government of Alberta remains accountable for the implementation of the Water for Life strategy and continues to administer water and watershed management activities throughout the province. Alberta Water Council 14th Floor, Petroleum Plaza South Tower 9915-108 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 2G8 Tel: 780-644-7380 Fax: 780-644-7382 Email: [email protected] Web: www.awchome.ca
Copyright © July 2017, Alberta Water Council
Cover Photos Credit (left to right): Abraham Lake. Credit Anuja Ramgoolam, Alberta Water Council Sylvan Lake. Credit Anuja Ramgoolam, Alberta Water Council Jackson Lake. Credit Marie-Claire St-Jacques, Alberta Water Council JULY 2017
Contents Acronyms...... 2 List of Tables and Figures ...... 2 Executive Summary and Recommendations...... 4 1 .0 Introduction...... 10 1.1 Terminology ...... 13 1 .2 Methodology...... 15 2 .0 Lakes in Alberta ...... 17 2 .1 Importance of Lakes in Alberta...... 19 2 .2 Lake Diversity, Pressures and Concerns...... 24 3 .0 Current State of Lake Watershed Management in Alberta ...... 27 3 .1 Science and Knowledge...... 27 3.2 Lake Watershed Governance ...... 30 3 .3 Lake Watershed Management Planning...... 38 3 .4 Education, Stewardship and Tools...... 46 3 .5 Summary of Key Issues and Gaps...... 50 4 .0 A New Approach to Lake Watershed Management in Alberta...... 53 4 .1 Strategic Direction for a Provincial Lake Policy ...... 54 4 .2 Science and Knowledge...... 55 4 .3 Lake Watershed Management Planning...... 59 4 .4 Regulatory and Voluntary Tools for Managing the Uplands...... 66 4 .5 Improving Access to Tools and Education...... 72 4 .6 Timelines for Recommendations...... 73 5 .0 Conclusion...... 77 Glossary...... 78 Appendix A – Terms of Reference...... 79 Appendix B – Acknowledgements...... 83
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Acronyms AAF Alberta Agriculture and Forestry AAMDC Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties ABMP Agricultural beneficial management practice AEP Alberta Environment and Parks ALMS Alberta Lake Management Society ALSA Alberta Land Stewardship Act ALUS Alternative Land Use Services ASVA Association of Summer Villages of Alberta AUMA Alberta Urban Municipalities Association AWC Alberta Water Council BMP Best or beneficial management practice GIS Geographic information system GoA Government of Alberta IDP Inter-municipal Development Plan LUB Land Use Bylaw MDP Municipal Development Plan MGA Municipal Government Act NGO Non-government organization NRCB Natural Resources Conservation Board TEK Traditional ecological knowledge WID Western Irrigation District WPAC Watershed Planning and Advisory Council WSG Watershed Stewardship Group
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List of Tables Table 1: Visitation and Expenditures related to Selected Water-based Activities in Alberta (2014) ...... 22 Table 2: A Sample of Agencies with a Legislated Mandate in Lake Watershed Management...... 31 Table 3: Number of Completed or Ongoing Lake Watershed Management Plans...... 39 Table 4: Examples of Issues and Corresponding Actions that may be included in a Lake Watershed Management Plan...... 40 Table 5: Examples of Implementation Successes and Mechanisms for Accountability in Lake Watershed Management Plans...... 43 Table 6: Example of a Multi-scale Risk-based Approach to Incorporate Lake Watershed Management Actions into Provincial and Municipal Planning and Decision Making ...... 60 Table 7: Examples of Potential Conditions and Pressures to Prioritize Lake Watershed Management Needs...... 64
List of Figures Figure 1: Approximate Number of Permanent Named Lakes and Reservoirs in each Land Use Region...... 18 Figure 2: Distribution of Area Occupied by Named Lakes and Reservoirs in Alberta ...... 18 Figure 3: Key Stakeholders in Lake Watershed Management in Alberta and Associated Roles and Responsibilities...... 33 Figure 4: Lakes, Reservoirs and Watershed Boundaries where Lake Stewardship Groups are Active (AEP, 2016) ...... 36 Figure 5: Building Blocks for a Comprehensive Approach to Lake Watershed Management...... 53 Figure 6: Proposed Timelines for Implementing Recommendations ...... 74
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Executive Summary and Recommendations The Alberta Water Council established the Lake Management Project Team to provide recommendations for improved lake management in Alberta in support of Water for Life goals. This project also aligned with the 2013 Water Conversation outcomes and the Government of Alberta’s subsequent commitment to develop a provincial lake policy. Recognizing that lakes cannot be managed in isolation of the land uses around them, the work focused on the lake watershed as a management unit rather than the lake alone. The project documented the current state of four components of lake watershed management: science and knowledge; lake watershed governance; lake watershed management planning; and education, stewardship and tools. A stakeholder workshop held in September 2015 validated preliminary findings and explored potential solutions with representatives from provincial and local governments, Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils, Watershed Stewardship Groups, non-government organizations, and research and monitoring groups. This report presents 12 recommendations for a coordinated approach to lake watershed management in Alberta. Section 4 provides background information and context necessary to understand the intent behind each recommendation. In many cases, this section identifies existing work and specific partners that implementers should consider in their efforts to address a given recommendation. When implemented, these recommendations will support the Government of Alberta’s development of a provincial lake policy, foster greater provincial coordination of the stakeholders involved and contribute to improved lake watershed management.
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Strategic Direction for a Provincial Lake Policy Recommendation 1 The Government of Alberta, in setting strategic directions and developing a provincial lake policy: a . adopt an aspirational vision for sustainable lake watershed management; b . identify goals and objectives to improve the provincial, federal and local coordination of lake watershed management; c . adopt a comprehensive watershed approach that supports all three goals of Water for Life; d . define clear roles and responsibilities of all major groups (e .g ., the Government of Alberta, municipalities, Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils, Watershed Stewardship Groups and other groups) involved in lake watershed management; and e . define provincial processes for:
■■ setting provincial lake watershed monitoring and research priorities
■■ prioritizing lake watershed management needs and resources
■■ integrating lake watershed management planning into regional, sub-regional and municipal planning and decision-making . Substantial progress on this provincial policy should be made by 2018 and the policy should be completed by 2020 .
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Science and Knowledge Recommendation 2 In collaboration with partners, the Government of Alberta coordinate the development of a GIS-based, publicly available data layer of lakes in Alberta and their watersheds by 2019 .
Recommendation 3 In collaboration with partners, the Alberta Lake Management Society continue developing a comprehensive knowledge portal that provides one-window access to information and products available for each lake in Alberta, and an ongoing process to populate it .
Recommendation 4 The Government of Alberta, in collaboration with partners: a . identify provincial criteria and indicators of lake watershed health by 2018, to be informed by existing work; b . use these criteria to conduct a preliminary assessment of lake watershed health and information gaps by 2019; and c . identify provincial lake watershed research and monitoring gaps and needs to inform lake watershed management actions at provincial and local scales, based on the identified criteria and subsequent assessment . Substantial progress should be made by 2020 .
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Lake Watershed Management Planning Recommendation 5: The Government of Alberta identify a process by 2020 for all levels of government to engage in and support multi-stakeholder lake watershed planning initiatives where appropriate, and to incorporate lake watershed management plans and/or objectives into land use planning and decision-making . This process should be reflective of the scale and urgency of issues facing the lake and outline how existing lake watershed management plans and/or objectives are to be considered in statutory planning and decision-making .
Recommendation 6 The Government of Alberta work with partners to develop an iterative process, using environmental, social and economic criteria, to prioritize lake watershed planning, management and implementation actions, by 2020 .
Recommendation 7 By 2020, the Government of Alberta develop a process to designate a local lead to facilitate the collaborative development and implementation of lake watershed management plans and/or objectives where identified as a priority management action . The designated local lead could be a single entity or a group, and must be approved by municipalities in the lake watershed .
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Regulatory and Voluntary Tools for Managing the Uplands Recommendation 8 The Government of Alberta, through its periodic review of key legislation relevant to lake watershed management: a . seek alignment with the goals and outcomes of Water for Life and the new provincial lake policy, when completed; and b . strengthen legislative tools to enable consistent land-use practices to maintain or improve lake watershed health .
Recommendation 9 Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties and Association of Summer Villages of Alberta support greater collaboration and consistency in municipal planning around lakes by: a . working with the Government of Alberta and other relevant partners to identify existing gaps in tools and information and to assist in developing resources to fill these gaps; and b . continuing to promote information, tools and guidance documents related to lake watershed management planning . Substantial progress should be made by 2019 .
Recommendation 10 By 2019, the Government of Alberta work with all levels of government to identify regulatory or operational gaps relative to land development and other activities on and surrounding lakes, and develop and implement strategies to address such gaps .
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Recommendation 11 The Government of Alberta work with municipalities and partners to align and enhance beneficial management practices incentive programs in lake watersheds where non-point source priority management actions have been identified for lake watersheds . An ongoing process to achieve this should be initiated by 2019 .
Improving Access to Tools and Education Recommendation 12 The Government of Alberta continue to work with partners to coordinate lake education and outreach through the Respect our Lakes program . This includes identifying target audiences, developing consistent messaging and ensuring access to educational information, tools and resources for lake watershed management by 2018 .
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“Alberta lakes are healthy, reflecting natural conditions, functions and variability, and are resilient to impacts over time . Lake watershed management is well-coordinated, resourced and efficient at maintaining aquatic health or restoring health where degradation has occurred ”. — Lake Watershed Management Project Team’s vision for sustainable lake watershed management
1.0 Introduction
Albertans use and enjoy lakes for a wide variety of activities. Over the past several decades, population growth and a strong economy have contributed to increasing recreational demand on Alberta lakes, greater urbanization of lakeshores and changing land uses in the uplands (e.g., intensification of agriculture, increase in industrial development). More recently, an increase in the availability of scientific data and anecdotal evidence from lake communities has raised awareness about lake issues, such as fluctuating water levels, changes in water quality, harmful algal blooms and fish kills. This has led to an improved understanding of the connection between growth and development in the uplands and potential changes to lake and watershed health. Emerging issues such as invasive species and climate change are also bringing attention to the longer-term condition of lakes and watersheds.
What do we mean by lake health? In this report, the term “lake health” refers to the Alberta Water Council’s definition of aquatic ecosystem health:A healthy aquatic ecosystem is an aquatic environment that sustains its ecological structure, processes, functions and resilience within its range of natural variability.1
1 Alberta Water Council. 2008. Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems-- A Working Definition. Available online http://www. awchome.ca/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=dO4RIIJ9sSQ%3d&tabid=108. Accessed June 2017.
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In response to these concerns, many groups have spearheaded management initiatives to better understand the changes to individual lakes and their potential management solutions. Provincial and local governments, Watershed Stewardship Groups (WSGs), Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPACs) and many other stakeholders have become involved in lake watershed management, taking on various roles in assessing, planning, monitoring and education. In 2013, the province-wide Water Conversation undertaken by the Government of Alberta (GoA) brought the topic of healthy lakes to the forefront. Throughout this consultation process, participants expressed confusion about the roles of those involved in lake management, the need for more coordinated and consistent policy regarding activities on and development around lakes, and the need for a better foundation of information about lake watersheds to inform policy and management decisions. Following the Water Conversation, the GoA made a long-term commitment to “advance a provincial lake policy that supports an integrated approach to healthy lakes in support of economic, environmental and social interests.”2 Around the same time, the Alberta Lake Management Society (ALMS) brought forward a Statement of Opportunity to the Alberta Water Council (AWC) that emphasized two major challenges to effective lake management: ensuring sufficient information is available on the ecological characteristics of any given lake to inform management, and defining clear management roles and responsibilities. In October 2014, the AWC approved Terms of Reference (Appendix A) for a project team to recommend ways to improve lake management in Alberta to support Water for Life goals. Specifically, the project’s objectives were to: 1. Document and assess the current state of lake management planning and governance (e.g., roles and responsibilities) in Alberta.
2 Government of Alberta. 2014. Our Water, Our Future: A Plan for Action. p.20. Available online: http://aep.alberta.ca/ water/water-conversation/documents/WaterFuture-PlanAction-Nov2014A.pdf. Accessed August 2016.
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2. Identify gaps, redundancies and opportunities for improvements in lake management. 3. Develop recommendations toward effective lake management in Alberta, including roles and responsibilities. Representatives from governments, non-government organizations (NGOs) and industry participated in this project.3 The AWC acknowledges that Indigenous communities are important participants in lake watershed management and need to be involved in further work to advance a provincial lake policy and implement the recommendations presented in this report. Accordingly, Indigenous communities are included when referring to “partners” or “stakeholders” throughout the report and recommendations.4 However, Indigenous communities did not participate in this project or on the AWC while it was underway. This report documents the AWC’s findings beginning with terminology and methodology used to develop the report and recommendations. Section 2 provides an overview of Alberta lakes, the ecosystem services they provide and the key pressures they face today. Section 3 outlines the findings on the current state of lake watershed management in Alberta, along with gaps and opportunities for improvement. Finally, Section 4 presents the recommendations for improved lake watershed management in Alberta.
3 See Appendix B for a full list of team members. 4 See the glossary for descriptions of the words “partners” and “stakeholders” as used in this report.
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The Alberta Lake Management Society (ALMS) Formally established in 1991, ALMS works to promote the understanding and comprehensive management of lakes and reservoirs and their watersheds. Since 1996, ALMS’ LakeWatch program has supported volunteer-based water quality monitoring on selected lakes across the province, using this data to educate lake users, foster a sense of stewardship for Alberta lakes, and guide water restoration and management efforts. ALMS also organizes an annual workshop held at a different lake community every year, providing a forum to discuss water quality issues, technical aspects of lake and watershed management, and practical solutions to local problems. For more information about ALMS and its programs, see their website at http://alms.ca/.
1. 1 Terminology Much of the terminology associated with lake watershed management has yet to be officially defined in Alberta. For this project, the following descriptions were used to establish a common understanding of key terms and to delineate project scope.
1.1 1. Lake Only a few policies or statutory documents in Alberta define a “lake” and there is no consistent provincial definition. Instead, the term “water body” is often used. For example, the Water for Life strategy defines a water body as “any location where water flows or is present, whether or not the flow or the presence of water is continuous, intermittent, or occurs only during a flood. This includes, but is not limited to, wetlands and aquifers.” 5 Where lakes are mentioned, the focus is often on “fish-bearing lakes,” which tend to be described from a fisheries management perspective.
5 Government of Alberta. 2003. Water for Life: Alberta’s Strategy for Sustainability, p.30. Available online: http://aep. alberta.ca/water/programs-and-services/water-for-life/strategy/documents/WaterForLife-Strategy-Nov2003.pdf. Accessed August 2016.
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In this report, a lake is described as an inland water body where the water usually is deep enough to not freeze to the bottom over the winter. This includes permanent lakes and reservoirs with fresh or saline waters, but does not include other man-made structures (tailings ponds or other temporary holding ponds, end-pit lakes, dugouts, fish ponds, stormwater ponds, etc.) that are managed under specific regulations and authorization processes. The focus was on named lakes and reservoirs as they generally fit the above description, while unnamed lakes tend to be smaller and shallower. However, the distinction between small lakes and other water bodies such as wetlands is not always clear. The management of unnamed lakes should also be examined, and further work is required to formally define a lake. Although reservoirs were included, they typically require different management than naturally-occurring lakes. For example, most reservoirs are managed for irrigation, hydropower and/or water supply; specific operational rules (called rule curves6) are used to guide operators in determining how much water is held and released throughout the year. Recognizing that reservoirs were created for specific purposes, their priority uses and functions will differ from those of natural lakes. Legislation related to reservoir management is further described in Section 2.
Lake level changes All lakes have natural variability and lake levels fluctuate from year to year. In particular, shallow prairie lakes (such as Beaverhill Lake or Pakowki Lake) can be very shallow or dry in drought years but deeper in wet years.
6 See glossary for a description.
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1.1 2. Lake Watershed Lakes exist within a larger ecosystem and cannot be managed in isolation of the land-use activities occurring around them. This report focuses on the lake watershed as a management unit, which includes all the surrounding public and private lands and waters that drain into a lake and affect lake water quality and quantity. This is also consistent with the watershed approach promoted in Water for Life. Broadening the scope of management to the lake watershed is essential for a holistic approach. However, it also adds to the complexity of the issue, as several jurisdictions with legislated authority and private ownership are responsible for managing the lake watershed. This complexity is even greater in the case of on-stream reservoirs (i.e., dams built across a river channel), where the watershed includes the entire river basin upstream of the reservoir.
1.1 3. Lake Watershed Health A healthy lake is “an aquatic environment that sustains its ecological structure, processes, functions and resilience within its range of natural variability.”7 At the same time, Alberta lakes are valued and managed for multiple uses, including aquatic life (e.g., fisheries and biodiversity), drinking water supply, recreation and industry (e.g., irrigation, hydropower). Man-made lakes, including major reservoirs, ought not to be expected to maintain the same ecosystem functions as natural lakes.
1 .2 Methodology Many information sources were used to document the current state of lake watershed management in Alberta. Lists of key stakeholders involved in lake watershed management, legislation and policies, tools and resources and completed or ongoing lake planning initiatives were also compiled (see Appendices C to F). Subject matter experts added further insights on a variety
7 Alberta Water Council. 2008. Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems – A Working Definition. p.1. Available online: http:// www.awchome.ca/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=dO4RIIJ9sSQ%3d&tabid=108. Accessed August 2016.
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of topics, including legal aspects, policy issues and tools, approaches to lake watershed management planning, and education and outreach challenges. This information was used to document and assess the state of four components of lake watershed management in Alberta: science and knowledge; governance; planning; and education, stewardship and tools. Case studies and best practices from Alberta and other jurisdictions were considered where relevant. In partnership with ALMS, a stakeholder workshop was held in September 2015 to validate preliminary findings and explore potential solutions to key challenges. The workshop engaged approximately 120 people from diverse sectors, including provincial and local governments, WPACs, WSGs, other NGOs and research and monitoring organizations. Building on findings and input from the workshop, key components were identified that would inform a new approach to lake watershed management in Alberta. Recommendations were then developed to support the implementation of those components while aligning with the current provincial context, including the Land-use Framework regional plans and the GoA’s Water Conversation commitment to develop a provincial lake policy. The AWC process sets out clear guidelines to develop recommendations, and ultimately facilitate the commitment of all AWC sectors to their implementation. Of particular concern is the need to strike a balance between recommendations that are specific and results-oriented but do not constrain implementation options. All AWC recommendations: ■■ are based on consensus among the AWC membership; ■■ focus on what needs to be accomplished and who should do it, rather than how it should be done, which is left to the implementer of the recommendation; and ■■ include a clear timeline for implementation.
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“Alberta is graced with a wonderful variety of lakes – perhaps as many different types as in any other region in the country . Within Alberta, clear lakes with sandy beaches decorate the Lakeland Region, warm green shallow lakes dot the prairie and parkland, brown water lakes occur throughout the Boreal forest, and pristine, cold, mountain lakes reflect spectacular scenery . We have added to this variety by creating new lakes, called reservoirs, in the southern half of the province . But particular kinds of lakes are not limited to one area . Lakes that are deep or shallow, green or clear, salty or fresh, may be found in many parts of the province ”. —P. Mitchell and E. Prepas, Atlas of Alberta Lakes (1990)
2.0 Lakes in Alberta
Estimates of the number of lakes in Alberta vary The 10 largest lakes in Alberta are: depending on the source of information and the type 2 of lake considered. According to the GoA Fisheries and 1. Lake Athabasca 7,770 km Wildlife Management Information System, Alberta has 2. Lake Claire 1,436 km2 3,254 water bodies. Of those, Natural Resources Canada’s 3. Lesser Slave Lake 1,160 km2 Canadian Geographical Names Data Base lists 2,244 4. Bistcho Lake 413 km2 named lakes.8 Alberta has approximately 800 native fish- 5. Cold Lake 373 km2 bearing lakes and another 300 lakes are stocked annually.9 2 The ten largest lakes make up almost 1% of the provincial 6. Utikuma Lake 288 km land base, and total lake area is estimated to cover 7. Lac la Biche 234 km2 approximately 2.5% of the province. 8. Beaverhill Lake 139 km2 2 Regional landscape assessments conducted in 2012 as part 9. Calling Lake 138 km of forest management planning documented the number 10. Winefred Lake 123 km2 of permanent named lakes and reservoirs in six Land-use
8 Natural Resources Canada. The Canadian Geographical Names Data Base. Available online: www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth- sciences/geography/place-names/about-geographical-names-board-canada/9182. Accessed August 2016. 9 Government of Alberta. 2014. Fish Conservation and Management Strategy for Alberta. p.44. Available online: http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/fisheries-management/documents/FishConservationManagementStrategyAlberta- Sep2014.pdf. Accessed August 2016.
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Framework regions, based on available GIS data (see Figure 1).10 However, the lack of a clear definition for lakes and the blurry boundary between permanent lakes, ephemeral lakes and wetlands are key challenges in this analysis. The numbers presented in Figure 1 remain a rough estimate that would benefit from more extensive work. Most natural lakes are found in the boreal forest and parkland ecoregions of central and northern Alberta. In contrast, fewer natural lakes and more reservoirs are present in the more arid prairies. Accordingly, almost 60% of the lake area occurs in the Green Area, which includes most of northern Alberta, with a smaller percentage in the populated central and southern areas that make up the White Area (Figure 2).11
10 Government of Alberta. 2012. Regional Landscape Assessments – Forest Management. Available online: www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app21/forestrypage?cat1=Forest%20Management&cat2=Forest%20Management%20 Planning&cat3=Regional%20Landscape%20Assessments. Accessed August 2016. 11 For a map of the Green and White Areas, see: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/ formain15744/$file/GeneralBoundary-CurrentFactsAndStatistics-2011.pdf?OpenElement.
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