Final Advisory Letter
Final report of the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council in its role as advisors on wild Pacific salmon and steelhead stocks and habitat.
Backgrounder: Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for the Nicola River Basin
Submitted by michael on Thu, 10/04/2007 - 10:00.
The rolling plateau, more than 200 small lakes and tributaries of the Nicola basin are home to a range of fish species including coho, early and late run chinook, steelhead, pink salmon and numerous other resident fish species. Declines in coho and steelhead have been attributed to excessive harvest rates and extremely high water temperatures and low flows in dry years, which create poor spawning, incubation and rearing conditions. The hot summer climate and waters and ice flows and jams in winter can create serious challenges for salmon. If fish resources are unable to adapt to rapidly changing conditions, the risk of their extinction in the basin is high.
Water resources in the Nicola basin face increasing pressures due to population growth, extensive ranching, forestry activities, mining, recreational activities like resort development, climate change and other landscape disturbances such as the watershed’s large mountain pine beetle infestation. Water users that rely on streams, reservoirs or groundwater – especially ranchers – are already experiencing shortages in drought years, which has led to a growing trend of drilling for groundwater. The Nicola watershed has the highest per capita rate of new well permits anywhere in Canada. Water taken from wells reduces the supply of cool water that provides critical thermal refuge for salmon.
With its configuration of climate, population and dominance of unregulated tributary inflows, the Nicola basin is very much at the whims of Mother Nature. Climate projections for the region show less winter snow pack and water while human demands are growing, making low summer flow-high water temperature issues in the Nicola will become increasingly dire. To maintain the integrity of ecological systems, the local community’s standard of living, and economic opportunities in the Nicola region, improvements must be made in the way local interests manage water supply, including water storage, and demand for surface and groundwater water withdrawals.
Groundwater extraction should be regulated and restricted within the context of a proper water budget. Strategies would include developing water budgets and entrenching ecosystem rights to water. A water budget could then be used to properly inform water allocation decisions, especially surface and groundwater licensing. Fisheries management practices must also be adjusted to ensure that harvest rates are most consistent with marine survival and escapement goals.
Additional storage capacity must be built and water storage better managed. Completion of the Nicola Lake dam is technically feasible and cost effective, and would provide benefits to agricultural and fish interests as well as additional active water storage. Any new dams should be built with fish passage needs in mind, and water supplies managed to take into account ecological flow criteria. Priorities for allocating potential increases in supply should focus on ecological needs and drought management, not new growth. Then, storage facilities can be managed in a way where flow releases reflect and mimic natural flow patterns, which relate to biophysical requirements for fish and their habitats.
Surface and groundwater interactions must be managed to centre on ‘water banking’ opportunities and potential for increasing winter/fall groundwater recharge. Aquifers that feed valley bottom surface water streams should be a priority. Additional research and mapping is needed to improve our understanding of groundwater influenced portions of valley bottom streams. Riverside ecosystems must also be repaired to improve habitat quality and quantity.
Water resources in the Nicola basin face increasing pressures due to population growth, extensive ranching, forestry activities, mining, recreational activities like resort development, climate change and other landscape disturbances such as the watershed’s large mountain pine beetle infestation. Water users that rely on streams, reservoirs or groundwater – especially ranchers – are already experiencing shortages in drought years, which has led to a growing trend of drilling for groundwater. The Nicola watershed has the highest per capita rate of new well permits anywhere in Canada. Water taken from wells reduces the supply of cool water that provides critical thermal refuge for salmon.
With its configuration of climate, population and dominance of unregulated tributary inflows, the Nicola basin is very much at the whims of Mother Nature. Climate projections for the region show less winter snow pack and water while human demands are growing, making low summer flow-high water temperature issues in the Nicola will become increasingly dire. To maintain the integrity of ecological systems, the local community’s standard of living, and economic opportunities in the Nicola region, improvements must be made in the way local interests manage water supply, including water storage, and demand for surface and groundwater water withdrawals.
Groundwater extraction should be regulated and restricted within the context of a proper water budget. Strategies would include developing water budgets and entrenching ecosystem rights to water. A water budget could then be used to properly inform water allocation decisions, especially surface and groundwater licensing. Fisheries management practices must also be adjusted to ensure that harvest rates are most consistent with marine survival and escapement goals.
Additional storage capacity must be built and water storage better managed. Completion of the Nicola Lake dam is technically feasible and cost effective, and would provide benefits to agricultural and fish interests as well as additional active water storage. Any new dams should be built with fish passage needs in mind, and water supplies managed to take into account ecological flow criteria. Priorities for allocating potential increases in supply should focus on ecological needs and drought management, not new growth. Then, storage facilities can be managed in a way where flow releases reflect and mimic natural flow patterns, which relate to biophysical requirements for fish and their habitats.
Surface and groundwater interactions must be managed to centre on ‘water banking’ opportunities and potential for increasing winter/fall groundwater recharge. Aquifers that feed valley bottom surface water streams should be a priority. Additional research and mapping is needed to improve our understanding of groundwater influenced portions of valley bottom streams. Riverside ecosystems must also be repaired to improve habitat quality and quantity.