| The Nicola River Watershed is already experiencing serious water shortages and low flows during summer months.Indigenous rights and cultural values that depend on healthy water flows are at risk.Climate change is here and will worsen water conditions. | Average August flow in the Nicola River near Spences Bridge is reported to be 26% less over the past two decades compared to 100 years ago.In the Nicola, global warming means: less snowfall and reduced snowpack in winter, reduced spring freshets, warmer and drier summer months, more extreme and frequent heat waves and drought, increased water demand, increased fire, and prolonged periods of low flow. Despite future unknowns, EcoFish concluded that existing climate models and approaches can likely be refined to provide enough information to begin implementing water management solutions (no additional climate modelling needed). |
Solutions to better protect and share water
Cultural Environmental Flow Needs (EFNs) are key to actioning the following water solutions:
- Implementation of Indigenous Water Laws. First Nations in Canada and internationally have defined EFNs as a direct expression of their Indigenous law and authority. They have used EFNs in court, in self-governance, and in collaborative governance with G2G partners to protect and manage for cultural values.
- Changes to Nicola Dam Operations. The Nicola Dam stores water and releases it to maintain downstream flows. Today, the Nicola Dam is already being operated at near peak performance with respect to the goal of protecting fish. As the climate changes and there is less natural storage (i.e., snowpack) and longer periods of low flows, the Nicola Lake Dam will have increased importance. Detailed information is needed to tell water managers how to operate the dam and or make changes to water storage and infrastructure. EFNs provide guidance about when, why, and how much water to hold back or release.
- Changes to Water Storage Infrastructure. EFNs are needed to inform any potential future changes to infrastructure. For example, in the Cowichan, it was decided to raise the height of the weir on Cowichan Lake to improve flows in the Cowichan River for fish, cultural values, the local economy, and recreation.
- Changes to Water Allocation and Withdrawals. EFNs can help guide and constrain statutory water decision-making related to water use and drought response. EFNs legally empower decision-makers to deny a license application or to add specific conditions to the license to mitigate ecosystems risks.
What are Cultural EFNs?
Cultural EFNs specify the timing and volume of flows (i.e., the water levels) needed to protect all that rely on it: the 2-legged, 4-legged, plants, trees, those that swim, crawl.
EFNs are not “just technical”. They are a tool for stewardship, and for fulfilling the obligation that there is enough water for all those that depend on it. It is a tool for exercising inherent Indigenous rights, responsibilities, relationships, and jurisdiction. Cultural EFNs can be an expression of Indigenous Water Laws.
Because there are growing water shortages in the Nicola, there are likely to be difficult trade-offs between different values. Setting EFNs thresholds is important for protecting streams and the health of watersheds because EFNs help inform how much water is available for everything that lives in and utilizes the stream.
EFNs, once established, inform and constrain decisions related to drought response, dam operations, and the allocation of water. EFNs are a foundation for healthy watershed and G2G shared decision making.
The Work Ahead
The Nicola EFN Project Team made a number of following recommendations to the CC and Forum to proceed with developing EFNs. Details are in the final project reports. In summary, recommendations included:
- Build shared understanding about why EFNs are important for water management and G2G decision-making.
- Continue the collaborative multi-party process to establish EFNs (the first step is to reach out to N5 communities and affirm roles for both technical staff and cultural knowledge holders)
- Use EFNs to inform G2G water management and decision-making, including dam and storage operations, water authorizations, hydrological budget analysis, and drought response.