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| Last Review/Updated: July 4, 2002 |
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NRBS - HomeTable of Contents |
Northern River Basins Study Final Report
3.0 Major Findings
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Introduction Who Are the Stakeholders? Consumptive and Non-Consumptive Uses of Water Consumptive uses Non-consumptive uses of water Stakeholder Issues and Concerns Public and Stakeholder Recommendations Related Documents |
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| 3. | Who are the stakeholders and what are the consumptive and non-consumptive uses of water resources in the basins? |
The northern river basins have experienced a great deal of change over the last century, especially during the 1980s. The amount of water used in the area has increased in response to growing industrial and agricultural development and regional population growth. With more than 266,000 people now living in the Alberta portion of the basins and 3,000 in the Northwest Territories portion, it is essential to understand who is using the water and how they are using it. Of particular interest are water quantity and quality requirements for consumptive water uses (e.g., town water supply and agriculture) and non-consumptive uses (e.g., recreation and transportation).
The NRBS Board commissioned a survey to gather facts on all aspects of water use to help formulate its recommendations on future management and monitoring of the northern river basins. The survey was also used to collect information on water management issues and concerns of importance to the residents and users of the basins.
Altogether, approximately 2,600 households were asked to complete the survey, of which 1,350 agreed to participate. In addition, surveys were sent to 602 stakeholder groups within the basins. Households were grouped into 12 separate regions, since presumably attitudes and perceptions of northern residents differ depending on where they live relative to the rivers. Eight different types of stakeholder groups were identified, and included organizations ranging from the Alberta Canoe Association to Zeidler Forest Industries. Responses were received from 718 households and 183 stakeholder groups. Census data and water licence information confirmed that this stratified sample was generally representative of the basin as a whole. However, readers should note that all statistics in this report pertain only to survey respondents.
The majority of the Study area population (57 per cent) resides in the Athabasca drainage, while only 42 per cent live in the larger Peace river basin. The remaining one per cent live in the Peace-Athabasca Delta and Slave River basin. Just over 23 per cent of the population resides in one of the two cities in the Study area: Fort McMurray or Grande Prairie. About 44 per cent live in rural areas. The rate of population growth is lower in this region than in the rest of Alberta, and residents tend to be younger and more mobile. Many more residents than the provincial average work in the primary industries of agriculture, energy and forestry. There is less ethnic diversity within the Study area than province-wide and a much higher proportion of aboriginal peoples whose first language is Cree.
More than one-half of survey participants (54 per cent) have lived in the NRBS area for more than 20 years. On average, they live within 17 km of one of the major rivers. In terms of how they might use or value water, other than drinking water, the survey found that:
Northern residents and stakeholders use water for a variety of consumptive or non-consumptive purposes.
| Figure 3.3.1 | Licenced Water Use from River Mainstems |
Consumptive uses
of water are those where water is removed from surface or groundwater sources, used, and then returned, usually in a lesser amount and with some change in water quality. Some of these consumptive users (e.g., industries, municipalities and irrigation farmers) require licences while others (e.g., rural households and small farm operations) do not.Licensed Water Use
Only two per cent of the water licences issued in the Alberta portion of the Study area allow users to draw water directly from the mainstem rivers. However, these 82 licences allow up to 291,000 acre-feet of water to be withdrawn from the rivers each yearóroughly half of the total volume of licensed water use in the basins. About 88 per cent of these licences are issued for industrial purposes and most are for the Athabasca River (Figure 3.3.1). There has been a steady increase in licensed water use for industrial and municipal purposes since the 1950s. Industrial uses are dominant in the Athabasca and the Peace Rivers, while the Slave River is used primarily for municipal purposes.
Drinking Water: Conventional Sources
The majority of survey respondents (56 per cent) obtain their drinking water from municipal water sources. Approximately 321 municipal water licences have been issued within the Alberta portion of the basins, allowing annual withdrawals up to 28,800 acre-feet of water. Nearly one-half of the licences were issued since 1980. The majority of responding municipalities (94 per cent) believe that their treatment facilities produce water that meets drinking water standards. However, one-third of participating households that draw their water from municipal treatment facilities report quality concerns. Their most common complaint is that the water has a strong chlorine tasteóa finding that is corroborated by studies within the Traditional Knowledge and Drinking Water components (Figure 3.3.2).
| Figure 3.3.2 | Water Quality Concerns for Conventional Water Sources |
Drinking Water: Non-Conventional Sources
Forty-four per cent of participating households in the Study area get their water from non-conventional sources such as groundwater wells, dugouts, river or lake water. About 31 per cent, especially farm households, draw water from wells or springs. One-third of these use some sort of treatment, such as distillation, filtration, mineral removal or chlorination. Twenty-seven per cent of well users complain about water quality, especially in terms of high mineral content.
Approximately four per cent of all participating households in the Study area draw drinking water from dugouts, but this practice is much more common in the Peace River basin, where more than ten per cent rely on dugouts for their water supply. Forty per cent of these households treat their water, most with chemicals to control vegetation and bacterial growth. Almost one-half of dugout users express water quality concerns, especially bad taste or odour.
Throughout the Study area, almost three per cent of households responding to the survey draw their drinking water directly from rivers. Forty-two per cent of these treat water either by filtering or boiling. Almost half the river water users express water quality concerns. Most report that water tasted or smelled bad during spring runoff (41 per cent), while some experience taste or odour problems throughout the year (26 per cent). Surprisingly, 24 per cent of these households perceive a chlorine taste in their water although apparently few use chlorine to treat their water. The source of the chlorine is unknown and field tests in the area have not detected chlorine in the rivers.
Members of some stakeholder groups, especially trappers, commercial fishermen and users of commercial recreational facilities, sometimes consume river or lake water. Most of these people treat this water by boiling, filtering or with chemicals. However, some groupsócommercial fishermen and fly-in fish camps in particularóuse water from surface sources without treating it, thereby posing a potential health threat to workers and clients.
Agricultural Water Use
Survey data indicate that there are about 21,600 farms in the NRBS area. Agricultural water use depends on the type of farm operation: grains and oilseeds, livestock, or mixed farms. In Alberta, farms using more than five acre-feet of water per year (sufficient for 200 head of cattle) from surface water sources or dugouts are required to obtain a licence. Licences are also required where water is being used for irrigation. Currently, only 1,080 agricultural and irrigation licences for about 10,540 acre-feet of water have been issued. Survey data also show that about half the farms in the entire Study area use herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. However, farms in the Peace River drainage are far more reliant on agricultural chemicals. At least 85 per cent of farms in the Peace River basin use one or more herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers.
Industrial Water Use
| Figure 3.3.3 | Industrial Water Use |
The volume of water allocated for industrial use in Alberta has increased significantly since the 1950s. Much of this growth occurred during the 1980s, when licensed water use almost doubled. The Study found that 71 per cent of the water used for industrial purposes is obtained from the Athabasca River basin while the larger Peace River basin accounts for 28 per cent. Only one per cent of licensed industrial water originates from the Slave River basin. Most industrial water is used for processing (pulp mills), cooling (thermal power production) and oilfield injection (Figure 3.3.3).
Non-consumptive uses of water
are those where water is not withdrawn or removed from a water body. These include human uses for recreation, fishing, trapping or transportation as well as ecological needs for fish and wildlife living in and around rivers, lakes or wetlands.
| Figure 3.3.4 | Primary Activity on Recreational Trips |
Recreation
More than 82 per cent of surveyed households in the NRBS area participate in outdoor recreation activities, and 72 per cent in water-based recreation. Sites along the mainstems of the Peace, Athabasca and Slave Rivers are heavily used and account for about 21 per cent of trips to preferred recreational sites. Fishing is the primary activity on about 29 per cent of recreational trips (Figure 3.3.4). On average, fishermen catch 23 kilograms of fish per year, mainly northern pike and walleye. Just over one-third of them eat part of their catch and they consume an average of 14 kilograms of fish per year. However, a small proportion (three per cent) report eating more than 100 kilograms of fish per year.
Other common recreational activities include swimming, camping, boating, hunting and canoeing. While on recreational trips, 22 per cent of survey respondents drink river or lake water, and water quality is a key concern. Forty-one per cent of households participating in outdoor recreation report a change in water quality or quantity. The most common observation is that the water is now dirtier. Another 13 per cent noticed a foamy scum on the rivers.
Commercial Recreation Operations
About 50 commercial recreation operations exist in the basin, most (87 per cent) with less than ten employees during the peak season. More than half of the clients of commercial recreation operations live in the NRBS area; another 11 per cent originate elsewhere in Alberta. Approximately one-third of clients live outside the province and visit the region. About 27 per cent of visitors to the basin use commercial recreation facilities. Nearly all commercial recreation operators indicate that water resources are important to the products and experience offered to their customers. More than 70 per cent of the operators have witnessed changes in the aquatic resources of the basins during the past ten years. Lower water levels are a major concern for tour boat operators on the Peace River.
Commercial Fishing
Currently, there are approximately 400 commercial fishermen in the NRBS area, down from about 600 in 1990/91. Over the past five years they have caught an average of 1.4 million kilograms of fish per year. This represents two-thirds of the total Alberta commercial fish harvest. Lake whitefish account for 70 per cent of the commercial harvest, while northern pike make up 17 per cent. Two-thirds of the fishermen surveyed report that fish populations have changed during the past ten years. The majority of comments (67 per cent) indicate that fish populations in the Lesser Slave Lake area have increased. Seventeen per cent feel that fish are smaller and have more deformities.
Trapping
Alberta trapping statistics suggest that there are about 3,470 trappers in the basin. The majority (62 per cent) have registered traplines. The remainder include trappers on private lands, licensed Métis and Indian trappers, and people licensed to trap in Wood Buffalo National Park. Only about 2,400 trappers were estimated to be active and in 1994/95 the value of fur production in the NRBS area was about $1.3 million. The most common trapping species include beaver, muskrat and coyote. Less than half the trappers (40 per cent) report having seen changes in the fur-bearing populations during the last ten years. Many suggest that numbers of furbearing animals have declined but some feel this is due to normal population cycles.
Ecological Uses
Ecological uses of water in a river ecosystem involve both aquatic (or instream) and riparian (or shoreline) uses. The aquatic component, which includes fish and other aquatic life, is dependent upon water quality, minimum stream flow and various temperature-related stream flow characteristics. The riparian ecosystem, which includes vegetation communities and wildlife on floodplains, is also dependent upon certain flow characteristics, such as floods and ice regimes. Human uses of water may directly affect the quantity and quality of water available for ecological uses. Dams and reservoirs, diversions of consumptive uses and effluent discharges can have dramatic effects on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics downstream.
The Other Uses Component also gathered information about northern residents and their values, needs, expectations and opinions regarding water management issues in the Study area. The survey focused on a number of issues, including the importance of water quality, key factors affecting water quality and quantity, threats to water quality and quantity, measures of ecosystem health, and preferred recommendations for consideration by the Study Board.
Importance of Water Quality
This Section of the survey included a set of statements. Respondents were asked whether they agree, partly agree, disagree or are unsure with regard to the statement. The results show that the surveyed public clearly rejects the statement Water quality is not a major issue. Seventy-two per cent of respondents disagree with this statement. In contrast, a range of 40 to 70 per cent of respondents from industries, municipalities, agricultural service boards, and other agricultural groups agree that water quality is not a major issue.
Roughly one-half of respondents from northern households (51 per cent) and the majority of environmental organizations, recreational groups and commercial recreation operators disagree with the statement Water quality issues are limited to a few locations. However, more than 70 per cent of the surveyed agricultural service boards and local governments agree. This reveals an important difference in views between some stakeholder respondents and the public.
| Figure 3.3.5 | Perceived Threat to Water Quality/Quantity: Comparison Among Stakeholder Groups |
Seventy-five per cent of surveyed households agreed, in whole or in part, that "Contamination of northern rivers is a major problem." This includes not only households living adjacent to river mainstems but also people living in regions away from the rivers. They agree that some industries or municipalities should be forced to reduce effluent discharges even if it means closing some operations. While contamination of water is a concern for the majority of basin residents, 45 per cent of industrial users disagree.
More than 90 per cent of surveyed households disagree with the statement that "Existing water management regulations interfere with economic development." The majority of the stakeholder groups, including industrial water users, also believe that regulations are not interfering with development. These views appear inconsistent with current Alberta efforts on deregulation, at least in regard to water management.
A large proportion (80 per cent) of all surveyed stakeholder groups and households agree, in whole or in part, that No further effluent discharges should be allowed until a river basin plan has been completed. However, there is less support for a river basin plan among industrial water users, local governments and agricultural service boards.
Key Factors Affecting Water Quality and Quantity
Both households and stakeholders were asked to identify the three factors that have had the greatest effect on the amount or quality of water in the Peace, Athabasca and Slave River basins during the last 20 years. Survey responses were grouped into 14 major categories. For surveyed basin households, pulp mills represent the most frequently mentioned threat to water quality and quantity. Municipal water use and sewage is the second most common concern while other industries rank third. In contrast, local governments rate agricultural practices as the top factor. Logging is identified as one of the top four factors affecting water quality and quantity by all stakeholder groups.
Most Important Threats to Water Quality and Quantity
In this Section of the survey, respondents were asked to rank 11 specific threats to water quality and quantity in the basin. In the opinion of surveyed households, pulp mills present by far the greatest threat to water quality (Figure 3.3.5). Industrial wastes and tailing ponds rank second. Discharges of municipal sewage are perceived to be the third most important threat.
| Figure 3.3.6 | Management Actions Perceived to be Most Effective: Comparison Among Stakeholder Groups |
Stakeholder groups were also asked to rank the same 11 threats. To municipal and local governments, pulp mills are less of a threat than either agricultural runoff or industrial effluent / tailing ponds. In addition, municipal and local governments are half as likely as the general public to identify their operationsódischarges of municipal sewageóas a problem. Environmental and recreational groups share the general public concerns about pulp mills. For them, the second most important threat is the effect of logging and agricultural practices.
Measures of Ecosystem Health
Although other NRBS components are developing procedures for assessing the health of river ecosystems from a technical perspective, households and stakeholders were asked to describe how they would measure river health. The three preferred measures of river health are water quality, fish health, and pollutant levels. For the majority of indicators, monthly monitoring was suggested. The frequency of monitoring reflects a perception of the immediacy of threats. Responding households generally preferred that governments or independent agencies should do the monitoring, but industries should pay the cost of monitoring where industrial effluent is perceived to be a problem. Representatives from local governments and agricultural service boards felt that governments should pay. Industrial water users believed that all users should pay monitoring costs.
Figure 3.3.6 illustrates those management actions perceived to be most effective among survey respondents. In addition, households and stakeholders had the opportunity to list up to three recommendations that they felt should be made by the Northern River Basins Study Board. The four most important recommendations include reducing effluent loads, monitoring industrial activities, enforcing stricter laws, and stopping selected activity. Some stakeholder groups also recommend the development of a river basins plan.
Reduce Effluent Loads
The top priority for 23 per cent of surveyed households is the reduction of effluent and chemicals discharged into the environment. Certain stakeholders groups, such as trappers and commercial recreation operators, also want an immediate decrease in effluent.
Monitor Industrial Activities
Surveyed households and trappers show relatively strong support for enhanced monitoring of industrial activity. Most suggest monitoring in general, while some propose that effluent from pulp mills and other industry be monitored. However, other stakeholders are less supportive of monitoring. Only 16 per cent of responding local government officials and agriculture groups propose more monitoring.
Enforce Stricter Laws
The third most common recommendation of surveyed households is the need for increased enforcement of stricter laws on pollution and the use of chemicals. Suggested action includes zero tolerance on second infractions and increased inspections. Responding industrial water users, agricultural groups and local governments, however, did not consider the enforcement of stricter laws to be a priority.
Stop Selected Activities
More than 30 per cent of surveyed environmental groups and commercial fishermen recommend that certain activities must be stopped. Suggestions include: zero effluent discharge from new industry, the cessation of clear cut logging, no more dams and the establishment of buffer zones between industrial, logging and farming and basin water courses to protect water quality and reduce sedimentation.
Results of the household survey strongly suggest that residents want the Study Board to make recommendations that will act to quickly resolve current problems. Emphasis is placed on the immediate reduction of effluent loads, more monitoring and enforcement of existing pollution laws, stopping certain activities, followed by the development of a management plan for the basin. In comparison, municipal and local governments, industrial water users and agricultural stakeholders favour more research and planning as part of a long-term solution. This shows an important difference in views between the public and some stakeholder respondents.
MacLock, B. and J. Thompson. 1996. Characterization of Aquatic Uses within the Peace, Athabasca and Slave River Basins. Northern River Basins Study Synthesis Report No. 7.
NRBS Technical ReportsDrobot Contracting Services and Praxis Inc. 1996. Water Resources Use and Management Issues for the Peace, Athabasca and Slave River Basins: Implementation of a Householder Survey, January to April, 1995. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 70.
Golder Associates. 1995. Water Resources Use and Management Issues for the Peace, Athabasca and Slave River Basins: Design of Questionnaire and Survey Methods. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 58.
Hoare, T. 1995. Water Resources Use and Management Issues for the Peace, Athabasca and Slave River Basins: Stakeholder Screening Survey. Northern River Basins Project Report No. 57.
Nichols Applied Management. 1995. Factors Effecting Future Development in Key Economic Sectors in the Peace, Athabasca, and Slave River Basins. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 73.
Praxis Inc. 1994. Status and Future Requirements for Socio-Economic Research and Public Communications and Consultations. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 31.
Reicher, P. 1996. Water Resources Use and Management Issues for the Peace, Athabasca, and Slave River Basins: Implementation of Stakeholder Surveys. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 75.
Reicher, P. and J. Thompson. 1995. Water Use and Management Issues for the Peace, Athabasca, and Slave River Basins: Implementation of a Household Survey. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 69.
Williams, M. 1996. Water Resources Use and Management Issues for the Peace, Athabasca and Slave River Basins: Best / Worst Analysis of Survey Questions about Threats and Actions. Northern River Basins Study Technical Report No. 80.
Other Relevant DocumentsStatistics Canada. 1991 Alberta Census.
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