Discussion Paper 3 – Sustaining the flow: Managing water supply and demand to support ecosystem health and community needs

Discussion Paper 3 - Sustaining the flow July 2014_001

Conserving water to sustain human needs and ensure the health of fish and aquatic ecosystems is a central challenge in the Kettle River watershed. By carefully managing water quantity, our communities will be able to improve water security during drought, reduce infrastructure and water treatment costs, and improve overall stewardship of the watershed. Learning how to conserve water and adopting appropriate strategies will build our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Discussion Paper 1 proposed three overall goals with nine sub-goals in support of aquatic ecosystems, healthy communities, and sustainable economy and food system. It proposed several strategies to be developed in the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan, one of which is to “Improve the quality, reliability and security of water supplies through sustainable management of water resources.” Water supplies are also tightly linked to the integrity of riparian, wetland and upland systems (Discussion Paper 5, forthcoming) and the capacity of the community to plan for and adapt to watershed issues (Discussion Paper 2).

This discussion paper is the third of five papers presenting strategies and actions to be included in the Watershed Management Plan, which will be finalized in the summer of 2014. The Advisory Group invites a broader network of stakeholders and public to consider the issues, strategies and actions presented in these discussion papers and provide feedback towards the Watershed Management Plan.

[link to PDF file – 2 mb]