Cottonwood Island Park, Prince George, B.C.located at the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers
(photo taken October 19th)
The World Wildlife Fund-Canada organization recently released a report* on the state of ten Canadian rivers in terms of "environmental flows". It sites three factors that are threatening river flows:
- climate change
- growing water demands
- pursuit of low-carbon energy (i.e. new hydropower projects)
- Skeena River, British Columbia - Mines, oil and gas pipelines, coal bed methane fields and hydropower projects all could "significantly affect the Skeena's natural flow and potentially compromise the watershed's incredible biodiversity and ecosystem functions".
- Mackenzie River, Northwest Territories, Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan - "one of the world's longest free flowing rivers".
- Fraser River, British Columbia - The Nechako River is one of its principal tributaries. "The Kemano Diversion moves two-thirds of the Nechako average flow from the Fraser watershed to the west coast for industrial hydropower generation."
- Athabasca River, Alberta - "The Peace-Athabasca Delta supports over 30 species of fish and more than a million migratory birds each year."
- South Saskatchewan River, Saskatchewan, Alberta - Canada's most threatened river.
- Nipigon River, Ontario - ".... flows highly regulated." Efforts are being made to "restore flows to more natural conditions".
- Grand River, Ontario - another regulated river with more than 100 dams.
- St. Lawrence River, Quebec - natural flow "drastically altered". It is in a "declining state".
- Saint John River, New Brunswick, Quebec - longest river in Atlantic Canada.
- Ottawa River, Ontario, Quebec - "....one of the most regulated river systems in Canada."
More indepth information can be found at WWF-Canada
