No Consensus on Water Withdrawal Recommendations for the Lower Athabasca River

In its February 4 press release, CEMA made statements that could be misconstrued to indicate that the P2FC achieved consensus on rules to govern water withdrawals and that these rules will be implemented. While the members of the P2FC, including WWF-Canada, worked through challenging negotiations to arrive at recommendations, consensus was not achieved on a set of rules to govern water withdrawals for the Lower Athabasca River.

1.  CEMA’s press release states that the Phase 2 Water Management Framework includes, amongst other things, an allowance for water withdrawals of 4.4 m3/s during low flow conditions. The P2FC did not reach consensus on a set of rules to govern water withdrawals. Hence, the P2FC report deliberately refers to a set of rules supported by some committee members, but not other members, as “Option H”, not the “Phase 2 Water Management Framework”.

2.  The actual Water Management Framework to be implemented in 2011 will reflect the P2FC recommendations and the input of First Nations and the public collected during a year of consultation. CEMA’s press release fails to make a distinction between the P2FC’s recommendations and the product of the consultation phase by using the same language – “Phase 2 Water Management Framework” – to refer to both.

To be clear: during the first half of 2010, Alberta Environment and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are expected to produce a Draft Phase 2 Water Management Framework that could well be modified during consultations with the First Nations and the public based on the P2FC’s report. In the latter half of 2010, the regulators will solicit public input on the Draft Phase 2 Water Management Framework and produce a Final Phase 2 Water Management Framework.

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For Further Information:
Rob Powell, Director, Mackenzie River Basin, WWF-Canada, 780-902-7100, [email protected]