Watershed Management Plan: Land Management Component Watershed Management Plan: WatershedWater QuantitQuantity Managementy Component Plan: Water Quantity Component Understanding the Policy Context for Riparian Areas of the Battle River and Sounding Creek Watersheds Susanna Bruneau Research and Stewardship Coordinator 11/30/2015 Policy Context for Riparian Management Battle River and Sounding Creek 2015 Front cover photo: Pipestone Creek (BRWA staff) Back cover photo: Ferry Point Reach on the Battle River (BRWA Staff) 2 | P a g e Policy Context for Riparian Management Battle River and Sounding Creek 2015 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the assistance of Alberta Environment and Parks for their financial and in-kind support of this project, and Environment Canada for their support of the Ferry Point Reach Riparian Restoration Program and the development of this report. Thank you to Nathalie Stanley for the hands-on work done with landowners of the Ferry Point Reach Riparian Restoration Program and beginning the research for this report. As well, Cows and Fish for their work with the Ferry Point Reach Riparian Restoration Program and for information and input in this report. Thank you to all who participated on the Ferry Point Riparian Restoration Committee. Thank you to all the landowners who have, either through our Ferry Point Riparian Restoration Program or on their own, protected and helped to restore their riparian areas. 3 | P a g e Policy Context for Riparian Management Battle River and Sounding Creek 2015 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. 3 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ 4 Table of Figures .................................................................................................................. 7 Table of Tables ................................................................................................................... 8 List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................ 8 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 9 1.1 Overview .............................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Battle River Watershed Alliance .......................................................................... 9 2.0 Riparian Areas ....................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Riparian Definitions ........................................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Riparian Areas ............................................................................................ 12 2.1.2 Riparian Management Area ........................................................................ 15 3.0 Background ............................................................................................................ 17 3.1 Battle River Watershed ...................................................................................... 18 3.1.1 Location ...................................................................................................... 18 3.1.2 Natural Landscape ...................................................................................... 19 3.2 Sounding Creek Watershed ................................................................................ 19 3.2.1 Location ...................................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 Natural Landscape ...................................................................................... 20 3.3 Riparian Areas in the Battle River & Sounding Creek Watersheds ................... 20 3.4 Cows and Fish Battle River Watershed Heath Assessment ............................... 23 4.0 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 25 4.1 Policy community approach ............................................................................... 25 4.2 Policy Research .................................................................................................. 26 4.3 Media Scan ......................................................................................................... 27 4.3.1 Results and analysis from media scan ........................................................ 28 5.0 Policies, Governance, and Legislation ................................................................... 31 5.1 Federal ................................................................................................................ 31 4 | P a g e Policy Context for Riparian Management Battle River and Sounding Creek 2015 5.2 Provincial ........................................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Alberta ........................................................................................................ 31 5.2.2 Other Provinces ........................................................................................... 35 6.0 Community ............................................................................................................ 36 6.1 Economics .......................................................................................................... 36 6.2 Ecological Services ............................................................................................ 37 6.3 Community Capacity for Riparian Restoration .................................................. 37 7.0 Ecology & Natural Areas ....................................................................................... 38 7.1 Protected Areas, and Environmentally Significant Areas .................................. 39 7.2 Fish and Wildlife Habitat ................................................................................... 41 7.2.1 Fish Habitat ................................................................................................. 42 7.2.2 Wildlife Habitat .......................................................................................... 44 8.0 Water Supply ......................................................................................................... 44 8.1 Water Quality ..................................................................................................... 45 8.2 Water Quantity ................................................................................................... 47 8.2.1 Flooding ...................................................................................................... 47 8.2.2 In-stream Flow Needs ................................................................................. 48 9.0 Land Use ................................................................................................................ 49 9.1 Agriculture ......................................................................................................... 49 9.2 Urban Development ........................................................................................... 50 9.3 Natural Resource Extraction .............................................................................. 51 9.3.1 Gravel Mining ............................................................................................. 51 9.3.2 Coal Mining and Oil & Gas ........................................................................ 52 9.4 Linear Disturbance ............................................................................................. 53 9.5 Recreation .......................................................................................................... 54 10.0 Riparian Health, Management, and Restoration .................................................... 55 10.1 Riparian Health Assessments ............................................................................. 55 10.1.1 Aerial Videography ..................................................................................... 55 10.1.2 Cows and Fish Health Assessment ............................................................. 56 5 | P a g e Policy Context for Riparian Management Battle River and Sounding Creek 2015 10.2 Management ....................................................................................................... 57 10.2.1 Framework .................................................................................................. 58 10.2.2 Buffers and Setbacks .................................................................................. 58 10.3 Restoration Approaches ..................................................................................... 59 10.3.1 Bioengineering ............................................................................................ 60 10.3.2 Wetland restoration ..................................................................................... 61 10.4 Beavers and Riparian Management ................................................................... 61 10.5 Implementation - Ferry Point Reach Riparian Restoration Program ................. 62 11.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 64 11.1 Recommendations .............................................................................................