Other

Balancing different water needs

As our population and towns and cities continue to grow, so do competing pressures on our valuable water resources. Developing and operating hydro plants must be balanced with many other uses: recreation, irrigation, flood control, shipping and navigation, fish and wildlife habitat, and water supply for our homes and industries.

As these competing demands increase, hydro operators face new and involved consultative processes to better manage the various uses.

In recent years, for example, governments and hydro operators in Canada have introduced water management planning to protect and conserve water resources. This planning is a consultative process that brings together regulators, hydro companies, local stakeholders and other interest groups to explore sustainable solutions to water use issues. The result is the development of plans that address the issues of each unique water system, including ecosystems, watersheds and resource use, and involve local citizens and other water users in river management.

Source of image: BC Hydro

In partnership with regulators and different interest groups, BC Hydro is developing water use plans for its various hydro facilities, including this facility, the Cheakamus Powerhouse near Vancouver. The planning process ensures that different water uses and priorities are considered in reviewing the company’s operations.