The Solution

Passage of the “Water Act Modernization” (WAM) initiative in a manner that achieves, among other things, the following goals:

1. protection of environmental flows sufficient to maintain key habitat and ecosystem functions as a priority over other water uses;
2. province wide regulation of groundwater;
3. increased public participation in development of watershed and water allocation plans that support licensing and allocation decisions;
4. update the water allocation system to promote conservation and sharing by giving priority by use, rather than by date (as is currently done under the archaic “first in time, first in right” system);
5. enshrinement of the “public trust”;
6. explicitly recognize water management as an adaptation issue in the face of climate change;
7. consistent application of regulations governing groundwater uses for all sectors (e.g. the Oil & Gas Commission currently regulates water usage for oil and gas wells); and
8. identification of priority watersheds and aquifers (e.g. community watersheds, watersheds with significant fish populations and protection of water for basic human needs and fish and wildlife habitat) to focus protection and restoration efforts.
9. independent oversight, investigation and fact finding to help resolve conflict and build public confidence
10. enable those affected to have a say in the process of decision making

This legislation, if passed, has the potential to positively shape virtually all commercial, industrial and agricultural initiatives in the province.

The Challenge

The Opportunity