Managing Water Quality in Managing Water Quality in the Columbia Basin: the Columbia Basin:

““the Lower Columbia River”the Lower Columbia River”

Canadian Columbia River ForumCranbrook, BC

May 30, 2007

Columbia Columbia River BasinRiver Basin

• B.C. Environmental Management Act – Regulations: Municipal Sewage,

Contaminated Sites, Waste Discharge, Hazardous Waste, etc…

• B.C. Water Protection Act• Federal Fisheries Act• B.C. Environmental Assessment Act• Others…

Regulatory Framework Regulatory Framework

• Federal-Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Program

• Site specific water quality objectives

Environmental Monitoring Environmental Monitoring

• Partnerships and shared stewardship • Columbia River Integrated

Environmental Monitoring Program (CRIEMP)

• www.criemp.org

Shared Stewardship Shared Stewardship

Columbia Columbia River Basin: River Basin: “the Lower “the Lower Columbia Columbia

River”River”

Lower Columbia River:Lower Columbia River:Diverse Water UsesDiverse Water Uses

Water QualityWater Quality• Flow regulation • Industrial operations • Municipal wastewater• NPS• Climate change• Emerging issues

Water Quality: Water Quality: Flow Flow

RegulationRegulation

Water Quality: Water Quality: Flow RegulationFlow Regulation

Recent improvements: • TGP reduction

– verified by CRIEMP monitoring

• Water Use Planning (BC Hydro) –Required under Water Act

Water Quality: Water Quality: Zellstoff CelgarZellstoff Celgar

Water Quality: Water Quality: Zellstoff CelgarZellstoff Celgar

• Modernization project in early 90’s– significant decrease dioxins, furans and other chlorinated substances

• Environmental Effects Monitoring– Required under federal Fisheries Act

Water Quality:Water Quality: Teck Cominco Teck Cominco

MetalsMetals

• Upgrades: →phosphate plant closed

→slag discharge eliminated

→improvements to Stoney Creek

→KIVCET smelter

• Human health and ecological risk assessment

Water Quality:Water Quality:Teck Cominco Teck Cominco

Water Quality:Water Quality:Municipal Municipal

WastewaterWastewater

Water Quality:Water Quality:Municipal WastewaterMunicipal Wastewater

• City of Castlegar

–CRIEMP partnership

• Regional District of Kootenay Boundary

–Liquid Waste Management Planning

Transboundary Water QualityTransboundary Water Quality

• Lake Roosevelt Forum• Lake Roosevelt Water Quality Council• Transboundary Gas Group• Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative

• Columbia River: a valuable resource• Protecting water quality:

– Regulatory tools

– Environmental monitoring

– Shared stewardship

• Significant improvements in water quality

• Emerging issues

SummarySummary

Jolene Raggett

Environmental Assessment Biologist

(250) 354-6389

Jolene.Raggett@gov.bc.ca