Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | Urban Systems Ltd. 2014. Regional Surface & Ground Water Management & Governance Study, Draft Report. Prepared for Cowichan Valley Regional District. |
|---|---|
| Organization | Cowichan Valley Regional District |
| URL | http://www.cvrd.bc.ca/DocumentCenter/View/64766 |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | In recent years, there have been significant water-related challenges all across the Cowichan Valley. In dry years, low water levels in rivers have impacted salmon populations, reduced the amount of water available for domestic, recreational and ecosystem use, and even threatened closure of industrial operations. Water quality issues are also a concern. This has called for enhanced water governance and management of surface and ground water in the Cowichan region. In response, the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) established a Regional Water Management Committee to oversee a Regional Water Management and Governance Study with the goal of developing recommendations for water governance and management in the Cowichan region that address the following six priority areas: ▪ Governance structure ▪ Delegated authority ▪ Oversight ▪ Coordination ▪ Reporting ▪ Funding To provide input on the development of recommendations to address the issues in the Cowichan, the Committee established a Task Force with representatives from over 55 distinct organizations involved in water governance and management in the Cowichan region. Task Force members were engaged in a facilitated process that was carried out through collaborative workshops and ongoing communications regarding study progress. To guide the development of recommendations, a working vision was established with the Task Force, as well as a set of governance objectives to address primary problems. Additionally, water governance specialists from across Canada provided suggestions for the Task Force and project team to consider. Collectively, the vision, six priority areas, and a suite of governance criteria guided the identification of opportunities for enhanced water governance and management in the region. The highlight of this guidance was that co-governance with First Nations is a primary condition for success. Opportunities for enhanced water governance and management include a set of new functions to be carried out to address primary problems (of which most should be carried out at the regional scale), and the formation of a regional entity to carry out the functions. These various alternatives, together with the functions, were evaluated against the governance objectives and criteria, and a preferred approach was identified. Primary recommendations for enhanced surface and ground water management and governance in the Cowichan region include the following: 1. Establish a legislated Regional Water Authority, founded on a principle of co-governance with First Nations, to provide regional coordination for stewardship of surface and ground water resources and regulation of environmental standards in high-risk watersheds. 2. Transition to the Regional Water Authority under CVRD leadership from 2015-2020. 3. Fund the transition to the Regional Water Authority through the establishment of a CVRD watershed protection service ($860,000 over four years). 4. Under Regional Water Authority leadership, follow a risk-based approach to decisionmaking and management across the region. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Vancouver Island South |
| Sub-watershed if known | Cowichan |
| Aquifer # | |
| Comments | |
| Project status | |
| Contact Name | Ehren Lee |
| Contact Email | [email protected] |