Quick Facts and Next Steps for the NWGP Water Management Table
In 2020-2021, the Nicola Watershed Governance Partnership (NWGP) worked towards achieving sustainable flows on the Nicola River. A Flows and Storage Project team began exploring the ecological and cultural uses of water and what needs to be done to keep the Nicola River healthy. The objectives were 1) understand the risks and impacts to cultural and ecological values when water levels and flows change, and 2) establish a water flow and storage regime on the Nicola River (Environmental Flow Needs, or EFNs). Although the Project made only partial progress on the objectives in the original Phase 1 workplan, the learnings and completed work provide a strong foundation for moving forward.
This document summarizes take-home learnings about Nicola River watershed climate change and hydrology, and summarizes the next steps recommended by the Project Team to establish cultural EFNs.
Further information is available in the following reports:
- Cultural Values in the Nicola Watershed. Report prepared by Angie Bains for the NWGP, March 2021. This report provides initial guidance on cultural values, activities, and practices that may occur along the shoreline of Nicola Lake, along the Nicola River or within the Nicola Watershed. It makes recommendations about how to proceed respectfully with learning more about cultural values, both with communities, and from existing documentation.
- Environmental Flow Needs for the Nicola River – Hydrology and Ecology. Prepared by EcoFish Research Ltd., March 2021. A technical review of Nicola River hydrology and ecology was completed by EcoFish Research Ltd. in March 2021. When the EFN process is re-initiated, the EcoFish analysis will directly contribute to accelerating the development of cultural EFNs. The analysis will be particularly useful in evaluating how well ecological values are likely to be protected in different flow scenarios.
- Nicola EFN Project Interim Summary Report and Briefing Note. Report prepared by Compass Resource Management for the NWGP, March 2021. This report (and summary briefing note) summarizes the preliminary work completed by the Nicola Flows and Storage Project (the Project) from Fall 2020 – Spring 2021, the challenges and delays in completing the work as originally envisioned, and key recommendations to move forward with a multi-party, community-based process