Watershed security funding is trickling out. We will need a torrent to futureproof our rivers, lakes and forests.
The BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) and its partners have assessed and restored dozens of wetlands, rebuilding the natural infrastructure that kept our watersheds in balance for millennia.
Natural, low-tech solutions are fast becoming a viable alternative to pipes, concrete and pavement to mitigate drought, wildfires and flooding.
Building beaver dam analogues (BDAs) is one such innovative strategy for holding water on the landscape to regulate streamflow, creating wildlife and fish habitat, and keeping soils and forests well hydrated.
“Our watersheds look much different today compared with pre-colonial times,” said Jennifer Rogers, Beaver Restoration Assessment Lead. “We are putting it back the way that it was, by building beaver dam analogues from natural materials that provide crucial environmental services.”
BCWF’s 10,000 Wetlands project aims to build more than 100 BDAs in the coming months and years. We face two barriers to success.
First, the $100-million Watershed Security Fund announced last year is operated as an endowment to ensure long-term sustainable funding. But that also means as the endowment grows slowly grants are trickled out at just a few million dollars a year in amounts that are shared between many applicants. According to the BC Watershed Security Coalition, a $1-billion fund, supported by provincial, federal, private and philanthropic investments would provide $75 to $100 million annually, required to make real progress on healing our watersheds.
Second, we have at least six shovel-ready BDA projects ready to build this summer, but regulatory approvals have been painfully slow, in part due to the novelty of the approach in B.C. While the province’s staff are generally supportive of our work, our restoration projects share the same permitting pathway as development projects, which slows the process.
Projects such as 10,000 Wetlands use proven strategies for restoration and recovery.
“Restoring baseline conditions is our key goal,” said Rogers. “In places where beavers once thrived and kept our watersheds in balance, we can bring back what was lost and help nature heal itself.”
Beaver dams are also associated with a nine-fold increase in open-water area in wetlands, preserving functional wetland habitat even during periods of extreme drought, according to a 2008 study in Alberta.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Watershed Team has a resume packed with successful wetland restoration projects and has led the field in the development of wetland assessment and management tools.
In partnership with local First Nations, the Team plans to complete restoration projects at Earl Ranch near Cranbrook, Spius Creek, Gordon Creek, and Voght Creek near Kamloops, Blowdown Creek near Whistler, and others across the province.
“We have a long list of watershed projects we’d like to deliver, and we have innovative tools that we have developed, in part with bridge funding awarded to us by the province as part of the Healthy Watershed Initiative,” said Rogers. “We just need a green light from the provincial government to get started on some really impactful projects.”
Randy Shore is a public relations and communications specialist with the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF).
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was little changed in late-morning trading as the financial sector fell, but energy and base metal stocks moved higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.05 of a point at 24,224.95.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 94.31 points at 42,417.69. The S&P 500 index was down 10.91 points at 5,781.13, while the Nasdaq composite was down 29.59 points at 18,262.03.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.71 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Wednesday.
The November crude oil contract was up US$1.69 at US$74.93 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.67 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$14.70 at US$2,640.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up two cents at US$4.42 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.
