Nicola Water Use Management Plan – Plan Synthesis | |
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Year
|
 |
2008 |
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Proponent
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Nicola Watershed Community Roundtable |
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Project type
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Governance |
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FSWP funding source
|
|
Living Rivers |
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Grant amount
|
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$47,950.00 |
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Total project value
|
|
$184,850.00 |
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ID number
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08 PDM LR 4 |
Location: Thompson,
Governance
Project Summary
Since November 2004, a community-driven planning process has been underway to develop a water use management plan for the Nicola watershed. In 2008, the planning process focused on
* assembling/collecting/reviewing all the information and data collected to date;
* identifying best management practices;
* conducting an options assessment for one of the main issues identified at the start of the planning process;
* preparing a draft water use management plan with recommendations and a timeline for their implementation
2008 funding provided under the Fraser Salmon and Watersheds Program was added to funding secured from the Real Estate Foundation of BC, Highland Valley Copper and the City of Merritt. The combined funding paid for a facilitator (Compass Resource Management Ltd.) to work with the Steering Committee and the Multi-Stakeholder Committee. This funding also went towards administrative support for the planning process, advertising and information dissemination to the community; maintenance of a web site; a series of meetings; and the preparation of the draft plan.
The project, plan synthesis, is the final step of Phase 2, plan development. Plan development is the second stage of a four-phase planning process. The first stage was called plan initiation. Phase 3 is plan evaluation and approval and Phase 4 is plan implementation.
Further information, including a description of the structure of the planning process, its mandate, the role of the various entities and participants, as well as the studies that have been conducted over the past fours years can be obtained from the following web site: http://www.nicolawump.ca.
See also:
http://www.nicolawump.ca
Interim Progress
Plan Synthesis was well underway by August 31, 2008, the date of this Interim Report. Plan Synthesis, the last stage of Phase 2 - plan development, consists of the following activities:
· water budget analysis
· collating, compiling and reviewing all information and data collected to date through the Nicola WUMP planning process;
· identification and assessment of options for solutions to identified issues;
· identification and assessment of best management practices;
· recommendations; and
· a draft plan document.
As of August 31, 2008, the following actives have taken place:
· A final report on the water budget analysis - this work was done by Canadian water Management Consultants. The draft report was presented to the Multi-Stakeholder Committee in June 2008.
· A review of possible options for completing the Nicola dam and improving/enhancing its operations to maximize benefits for all stakeholders and the needs of fish.
· Development of a preliminary action plan for a water management plan (WMP) designation under Part 4 of the BC Water Act - application to the Minister of Environment (April 2008) - exploratory meeting held with the City of Merritt and the Ministry of Environment in June 2008.
· Work on identifying the preliminary best management practices has begun.
· Recommendations from the Fish Water Management Tool feasibility report (report prepared by ESSA Technologies Ltd.) were reviewed and discussed in relation to the best management practices that will be included in the draft Nicola water use management plan.
The Steering Committee’s role was expanded for this portion of plan development. Working with Compass Resource Management Ltd., the Committee is involved in the preparation of briefing documents and agenda topics for the Multi-Stakeholder Committee meetings. The Steering Committee has met three times since April 1. The Committee met on April 18, June 17 and again on July 21, 2008. There were two meetings of the Multi-Stakeholder Committee since the start of April. One took place on June 18 and the second on July 10.
Final Results
Plan Synthesis consisted of the following:
* a water budget analysis;
* collating, compiling and reviewing all information and data collected to date through the Nicola WUMP planning process;
* identification and assessment of options for solutions to identified issues;
* identification and assessment of best management practices;
* recommendations; and
* a draft plan document.
A draft Nicola Water Use Management Plan was approved by the Multi-Stakeholder Committee on March 23, 2009. It contains 37 recommendations, 24 of which focus on water quantity, 2 on water quality, 4 deal with the environment, 3 on learning and raising awareness and 4 on management. The plan calls for the establishment of a community driven governance authority system to inform water management systems. In terms of the sequencing of the recommendations, the plan gives the highest priority (immediate) to initiating a water management plan (WMP) under Part 4 of the BC Water Act.
It is called a draft plan because it needs to be presented for feedback to the larger community, First Nations, government and regulators and adopted. Once that has occurred it will become a final plan, but will continue to be a living document.
With the completion of the draft Nicola Water Use Management Plan, Phase 2 of the planning process draws to a close and sets the stage for phase 3 - plan evaluation and approval.
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