Watershed Planning and Capacity Building


Year 2011
Proponent Horsefly River Roundtable
Project type Governance
FSWP funding source Living Rivers
Grant amount $16,200
Total project value $34,000
ID number FSWP11-LR5-G

Location: Cariboo-Chilcotin, Horsefly River Watershed

Project Summary

SUMMARY

This is a key time in the Horsefly Watershed as there are a number of processes that will be implemented over the next two years.  This project will allow the Roundtable to gather information, engage local residents and to participate more meaningfully in the Fisheries Sensitive Designation Process, the Sensitive Habitat Mapping Project, and the Lakeshore Protection guidelines in an unbiased and active manner.

The technical committee will use past reports, current activities and their broad representation to prioritize field activities and develop one prescription that can be endorsed by the technical committee and the Roundtable.

DESCRIPTION

To continue with watershed governance development, capacity building within the community and priority setting within the watershed.


The Key issues are a limited collective watershed knowledge sharing and decision making at the local level.  This is primarily due to the rural nature of Horsefly and all government representation being based out of Williams Lake and beyond.  By increasing local and regional awareness o f salmon and salmon habitat and providing a venue (The Horsefly River Roundtable) for communication between decision makers and local residents there will be better informed decisions made and increased engagement in local land use planning such as the Fisheries Sensitive Watershed Designation and Lakeshore Development Regulation and Sensitive Habitat Mapping.

A technical committee made up with representation form Ministry of Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Northern Shushwap Tribal Council, UNBC research Centre, Scout Island Nature Centre, BC Conservation Foundation, a Hydrologist, and The Land Conservancy will set some priorities for work in the Woodjam and Moffat sub-basins using the following five criteria:
- Has a stewardship component,
- An entity that will insure involvement and long term management of the project
- There is a biological need for the project
- There are useable and known techniques to employ on the project
- there is funding for the project

One prescription will be developed and recommended to the Roundtable for future funding consideration.

OBJECTIVES

  • To increase awareness of the importance of the Horsefly River Salmon and Salmon Habitat
  • To increase capacity of local residents to be involved in all local land use planning that impacts salmon and salmon habitat
  • To collaborate with partners to develop a list of restoration field work activities

METHODS

The technical committee is working through past recommendations completed through the FSWP Planning and other Process’s.  They will attempt to secure information on current activities, projects and   processes.  Through compiling updated information and past reports, they have identified the Moffat or Woodjam sub-basins as priority.  The technical committee includes:  The Land Conservancy, Fisheries and Oceans, Ministry of Environment, Northern Shushwap Tribal Council, Forest Hydrologist, Environmental Educator, Fisheries Sensitive Designation Biologists, UNBC Research Centre, and others as their capacity allows.

The technical committee will review potential field projects in the Moffat and Woodjam and come up with a list of priority projects that is endorsed by the members of the technical committee.  This list will then be recommended to the Horsefly River Roundtable for future funding consideration.  The technical committee will work with a local consultant to develop one prescription determined by the technical committee and approved by the whole of the Roundtable.

BENEFITS

Continued education and awareness projects, activities and events will increase the awareness locally of attributes and impacts of the Horsefly system and why it is necessary to protect it.  This increased awareness will facilitate increased local involvement in decision making and better informed decision making.  The priority setting with the technical committee will provide a coordinated effort to stay current on the fisheries information in the watershed and ensure that field work is completed collaboratively and meeting a wide variety of needs.

The Horsefly River Roundtable provides a venue for government and research agencies to outreach to, to discuss local watershed issues, to solicit local and historical knowledge and to share information with local residents.