Managing the Fraser River Basin

Abstract

The Fraser River Basin is British Columbia’s largest watershed (240,000 km²) boasting a wide diversity of plants, wildlife and natural resources, and home to 2.7 million people. From its headwaters to the Fraser River Estuary, the Fraser River Basin is a place where people of many cultures, languages and religions thrive. Yet, there are social, economic and environmental challenges that confront communities of the Basin. These include serious impacts from climate change, air and water pollution, multiple demands on natural resources, strains on ecosystems, downturns in local economies, changing demographics and a growing demand for public services. How well people manage these issues over time will depend on a common understanding of – and commitment to – sustainability, that being ‘social well being supported by a vibrant economy and sustained by a healthy environment’. Drawing on over 20 years of experience working on these issues in the Fraser River system this chapter will focus on the evolution of river basin management in Canada ranging from traditional river basin management approaches to more comprehensive methodologies. The significance of recognizing that comprehensive river basin management extends well beyond water-related considerations to include other environmental media such as air shed and land use matters as well as economic, institutional, legal, social and political aspects will be revealed. Examples of this evolution and the translation of the theoretical goal of sustainability into tangible realities will be used to demonstrate the value and contributions to improved policy and decision-making. The importance of collaborative governance processes will be highlighted as well as the usefulness of measuring performance through the development and application of sustainability indicators. Links to recent court decisions will also demonstrate the emerging significance of the accommodation of Aboriginal interests in this new approach to river basin management. Lessons learned from the Fraser River Basin experience will be made to provide guidance to the management of river basins elsewhere.