Wesley Henson, Alex Boswell-Ebersole, Molly
Carver, Cristian Pacheco
Skills Practicum, Summer 2012
Overview
 Introduction
 Project Scope
 Surface Water
 Groundwater
 Importance of hydrology in ecological systems
 Environmental Flow Analysis
 Stakeholder Analysis
 Law and Policy Framework Analysis
 Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Introduction
Scoping Questions
 Are the proposed environmental flows adequate for
maintaining the ecological integrity of the Tempisque
River?
 What changes in the Legal/Policy framework are
necessary to implement an environmental flow?
 What tools can be developed to enhance our
understanding of the system?
Surface Water
 Principle flow contributions
 precipitation
 return flows from irrigation District
 groundwater
 72% of rain from June to November
 Floods in the wet season
 Low/No flow during the dry season
 Available data is limited
Groundwater
 Often, groundwater is the only source of potable water for
population centers
 Over the last decade, 93% increase in well construction.
 Over 9,886 estimated wells
 Aquifers over-exploited
 Extensive tourism development
 Municipal Use
 Agricultural production
 Yet… VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE AQUIFERS
Importance of Hydrology in Ecological
Systems
The hydrologic regime:
 Shapes the evolution, distribution, and stability of
aquatic biota and ecological processes
 Retention of sediments and organic matter
 Pollutant transport
 Water depth and temperature
 Available dissolved oxygen for aquatic life.
 Can alter riparian habitats.
Environmental Flow
 Environmental flows should consider
 minimum amount of flow
 variation in flow regimes




low flows
seasonal highs
flood peaks
extraordinary events
 Environmental Flows Should be
 legally defensible
 scientifically defensible
 administratively feasible
Human
Needs
Ecological
Health
Evaluation of Proposed Environmental Flow
Proposed Environmental Flow
30
Streamflow in cubic meters/second
25
20
15
Current Concessions
Minimum Environmental Flow
10
Maximum amount for concession
5
0
Month
Stakeholder Analysis
 Agriculture Industry
 Subsistence Users
 Local and Federal Governments
 AyA
 MINAET
 MINSA
 SENARA
 SETENA
 ICE
 Local communities
 Aquaculture
 Tourism
 Fishing Industry (Gulf of Nicoya)
Current Water Law
 MINAET grants the concessions
 Concessions (required for all uses except domestic)
 Only two criteria
 Duration = 30 years max
 Creates a hierarchy of priorities for competing
applicants (but – based on values 1940’s values)
 Existing users still entitled to use water (even if they
cant prove acquisition of use was legal)
Problems with the Current
Framework
 The Water Law is old
 The hierarchy established is out of date
 No institutional coordination
 They operate pursuant to their own self-interested
regulations
 SENARA’s Fee for Irrigation water
 No incentive for conservation or efficiency
 No procedure for establishing environmental flow
Why Advocate for the Passage of
New Water Bill?
 Facilitates Institutional Coordination (Creates NDWR)
 Decisions made in consideration of hydrologic basin
scale
 Establishes a hierarchy of uses (like the current law)
BUT these uses are determined by standards set by each
Hydrologic Unit
 Maximum concession duration = 20 years
 Establishes procedure for setting environmental flow

“flow required to satisfy permanent ecosystem needs”
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
“All types of knowledge about the environment derived
from the experiences and traditions of a particular group
of people".
(Esselman, Opperman, 2000)
Citizen Driven Data Collection
 People have a vested interest in water management
 Data is limiting factor in decision-making
 Take advantage of Traditional Ecological Knowledge
 Train citizens to collect data about surface water and
groundwater
 Simple methods



Groundwater levels
River Stage
Flow velocity
 Establish a central data base to store collected data so it is
available to stakeholders
Take Home Message
 Proposed environmental flow methodology is sound
 New water legislation should be passed to facilitate
better water management
 TEK and Citizen Driven science may be able to fill the
huge gaps in understanding of the system
QUESTIONS?