Downstream Perceptions of Upstream Environmental Flow Decision-Making
Evan Andrews MES Candidate, School of Environment & Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan
Why is this research
important?
• Many dams will be up for relicensing in the next 10 years, including the E.B. Campbell Dam
• Research gap: Lack of stakeholder engagement in environmental flow decision-making (Pahl-Wolstl et al., 2013)
Problem
Stakeholder engagement in
environmental flows
• There are a variety of
perspectives with differing
levels of access, standing, and
influence in environmental flow
management
• Technical demands are difficult
articulate and address in
management of flow regime
• Complexity of interacting
perspectives is problematic
• No mechanism for perspectives
to be furthered equitably
•
•
Impacts of environmental flow decision-making are documented,
but local solutions are unknown
Lack of research to identify stakeholder and rights holder
perspectives and how stakeholders and rights holders can be
engaged to identify local solutions
Purpose
To examine how downstream rights holders and stakeholders
perceive the range of flows released from the E.B. Campbell Dam and
the extent to which these perceptions can influence provincial
decision-making
Objectives
• Disagreement over problem
definition: Scale? Scope?
• Exclusionary decision-making
processes
• Inter-stakeholder
misconceptions
• Issues relating to compensation
agreements/programs
• Limited, ineffective use of
alternate ways of knowing
(Traditional Knowledge is
underused)
1)
Stakeholder engagement in
dam relicensing process
• Dam relicensing is an
impending process imbued with
uncertainty
• Likely a Duty to Consult process
will be triggered as a result
• This important process is
limited in its scope and likely
will not be satisfactory for
downstream residents
• There needs to be a mechanism
or other avenue that will allow
for increased and ongoing
influence over decision-making
Saskatchewan River Delta
Describe the current environmental flow
decision-making process
2) Examine the implications of current flow
regulations on downstream communities
3) Compare stakeholder and rights holder
perceptions of environmental flow decisions
4) Identify opportunities and barriers for change to
the current decision-making process
Barriers to common interest
solution implementation
Solution…
•
•
•
•
Any solution must serve the common interest:
integrating a range of valid perspectives
Technical demands on the system require
evaluation and assessment of all perspectives
Dam relicensing is the opportunity to implement
an ongoing, real-time, joint fact-finding
mechanism
Law and policy need to support this through
integration within relicensing conditions
Acknowledgements: Dr. Toddi Steelman (Supervisor), Dr. Maureen Reed & Dr. Tim Jardine (Committee), Graham Strickert (Guidance), Kiri Staples (My Idea Partner!), (Renee Carriere,
Solomon Carriere, Lily McKay-Carriere, Clifford Carriere, Gary Carriere (Some of the Environmental Champions), The Northern Village of Cumberland House, The Chrlebois Community
School, The Cumberland House Cree Nation, SaskPower, The Water Security Agency, The Ministry of Environment, & The School of Environment and Sustainability.
References
Pahl-Wostl, C., Arthington, A., Bogardi, J., Bunn, S.E., Hoff, H., Lebel, L., Nikitina, E.,… Tsegai, D. (2014). Environmental flows and water governance: Managing sustainable water uses.
Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. Photo 1 Wilderness Committee (2012). Saskatchewan River Delta
https://wildernesscommittee.org/manitoba/news/province_mulls_protecting_river_delta_near_the_pas Photo 2 Saskatchewan River Sturgeon Management Board (n.d.) Area of concern
map. http://www.saskriversturgeon.ca/maps/area_of_concern .html Photo 3 (Middle): Travelling Luck (n.d.). Welcome to Cumberland House.
http://travelingluck.com/North+America/Canada/Saskatchewan/_5933900_Cumberland+House.html
Opportunities for common
interest solution
implementation
• Previous multi stakeholder
working groups have had some
success
• Environmental champions in
the Delta promoting dialogue
• Institutional stakeholders want
to use Traditional Knowledge
• Dam relicensing process could
be the opportunity for a
common interest solution.
Communities