A summary of issues from the Downstream sub-region facilitated discussion

Morning Session

• Similar to other regions: acreages, agriculture, wetland loss, drainage – loss of wetlands and illegal drainage, preservation of existing wetlands.
• Beaver:  Land use planning plays a part.
  • Sustainability initiatives: trying to conserve the inventory of agricultural land, building up more agricultural land near existing urban development.
• Landowners/farmers – don’t want anything done to limit or prevent their ability to drain wetlands in their fields as it is their land and they might be able to enhance their production, return and operation of farm machinery if they drain a slough.
• Counties lack the authority past the edge of a drainage ditch to address drainage on farm land.
• Counties can address wetland issues only under a sub-division proposal but can’t address drainage issues in a farm field.
• Vermilion River: now has provision for four parcels out (sub-division of four parcels out of a quarter section of land). Beaver County has provision for one parcel out.
• Counties need tougher provisions in their Municipal Development Plans or Land-use By-laws to control land use and restrict the size and number of parcels in a subdivision.

• Rurals remain on wells; urbans get hooked up to the mainstem.
• Because of the drought there are less surface water supplies.
• We rely on groundwater, but have very little data on it.
• Less water available for fighting fire (Sturgeon/Lamont/Strathcona Counties).

• Thorhild: all hamlets have regional water. Installing meters resulted in consumption dropping in half. Start measuring and people can see their use and conserve or be aware of their water use.
• Non-potable use may increase demand for irrigation and recreational opportunities. Defining recreational lake levels caused water use issues.
• Information needs:
  • Lack of information about some aspects of groundwater, like amount, quality, location, reliability of delivery, etc.
  • Lack of availability of current information or it doesn’t relate to the important issues.
  • Translation of water quality information into useful information for land-use decisions.
  • Farmers and developers lack of information, awareness and understanding of environmental value of wetlands and sloughs.
• Need information about the value of ecological goods and services (EG&S): the cost of operation for a farmer versus the value of leaving a wetland. Where do municipalities get funding to finance preservation and restoration of wetlands?

• There’s a huge difference between needs of the mainstem of the river and needs of a tributary.
• A basic definition is needed especially for tributaries. Problems arise from working from some presumed value. How does IFN affect rural areas? GoA has never studied that. No baseline for that. (Note: NSWA is planning to prepare major report in 2010, tackling the IFN in the mainstem.)

• High Gate Dam: Vermilion River participated. There were challenges from First Nations, although Pound Maker Band came on side and were willing to put money into it. There were also concerns about sturgeon fish. We need a supply to draw from – we would be at the headwaters of this dam.

• Lack of available drinking water through a regional pipeline.
• Thorhild got rid of their last water treatment plant a while ago. Cannot justify having trained personnel for 200 people. Community wells and tank loaders are now all they have.  If there is a problem, they lack the resources to manage the water quality. The second last plant was decommissioned in 1995.
• North East Alberta Water Management Coalition (NEAWMC) and Vermilion are seeking diversion from mainstem to combine 15 communities on one municipal water system. 
• Source water protection is key for EPCOR and its regional distribution.
• Equity in pricing is an issue for communities on the system - those farthest out pay the most. EPCOR pilot at Bonnyville water treatment resulted in price increases from $2/cu m to $7 cu m.

• There is flooding due to a big flush of water in the spring and lack of water holding capacity on the land to slow down the flooding.

• Conservation of land now includes conservation of wetlands. No net loss policy. Developers have to replace any loss. Municipalities with this policy can enforce their own protection of wetlands. Developers can choose their own approach, which may include compensation to the municipality.
• Counties need tougher provisions in their Municipal Development Plans or Land-use By-laws to control land use and restrict the size and number of parcels in a subdivision.
• Lack of coordinated action among counties, and different approaches by neighbouring counties.
• What to do when dealing inter-provincially as well as inter-municipally?  Vermilion River often has to be concerned about what is happening on the Saskatchewan side of the border.

Afternoon Session

In the afternoon, participants were split into smaller groups to to discuss topics more in-depth. Please see the Report from the Table Discussion for all comments gathered during the discussions.

• Loss of wetlands; illegal drainage.
• Lack of accessible/usable information.
• Ecological Goods and Services.
• Lack of coordination between development permits.
• Lack of inter-municipal/inter-provincial (with Saskatchewan) discussion/coordination.

• Cows and Fish (Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society).
• Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA).
• Agricultural Producer Groups.
• Oil and Gas and Pipeline companies.
• Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Public Land Management and Planning.

• Restoration of dry lakes.
• Emergency preparedness for grass and brush fires, and available water supplies to fight fires.
• Agricultural inter-relationships with development/subdivisions.
• Oil and gas companies and their practices for dealing with water on private land.