The Chilliwack River Watershed
The Chilliwack River is located in the southeast region of Chilliwack city, around 1-hour eastside of Vancouver in British Columbia. The watershed is bounded by some of the best farming areas in Canada. The largest part of this land is ALR i.e. Agricultural Land Reserve which has guarded agriculture against municipal infringement or encroachment. The watershed faces a fast agricultural increase in horticulture and livestock causing agricultural sources of pollution. It also faces extension of urban growth on sharp mountain slopes thus raising concerns about the volatility of slopes, low-land agriculture flooding, and storm-water.
Chilliwack River Watershed maintenance is under great pressure because of differing use of resources and activity, high demands for growth and recreation, and impacts to quality of water and riparian habitation from different water-use and land-use activities. Differing interests and lack of concise jurisdictional accountability to address such issues have caused many bureaus and interest groups to team up. Their collaboration has created a multi-jurisdictional, practical, and proactive agency that is working jointly toward developing a plan for the Chilliwack River Watershed.
Pollution
Chilliwack River Watershed is affected by the quality of air and water. The water quality is influenced by the mineral deposits, human activities, soil drainage characteristics, physical features such as soil erosion, and also biological processes. Suitable levels of water quality are dictated by the everyday uses of water. Watershed water quality is determined in several ways, which involves measuring the chemical or physical characteristics of the water or establishing whether biological microorganisms that cause health problems are prevalent. Major sustainability matters facing Chilliwack River Watershed include; erosion, flood-hazard management, fast population growth, lack of agricultural land, city sprawl, blockage, water and air pollution, and illegal dumping sites. Human activities that take place everyday impact CRW and most significant is the pollution of this watershed.
Major cities around the world are within the watershed that’s why watersheds’ pollution is very common. This pollution happens in two different ways i.e. non-point source and point source. Point source pollution can be described as pollution that can be located in a particular point for instance a dumping site or a leaking channel or pipe (Riddle; 2009). Recently, technology expertise and law have helped in discovering point source pollution and numerous problems are being solved and controlled. On the other hand, non-point source pollution takes place when contaminants are found in water overflow in crops, parking areas, and other lands segments. Additionally, it can also be brought about when substances in the air fall on the ground with rainwater.
Human activities have greatly impacted the CWR watershed by lessening the quantity of water that flows within it (Macnab; 1957). When people fetch water from the river or lakes for agriculture and other farming activities, the flow of water in rivers and lakes decreases, and with this decline, natural sequences that occur for instance flooding may not take place. This could as result harm the ecosystem depending on the natural sequences of the river. Different types of constructions, buildings, and woodlands are all constituents of watersheds. Since all human beings are linked to a watershed, their activities affect the safety of their watersheds. Common activities like driving a vehicle left behind contaminants or pollutants.
When rainwater runs through the watershed, it collects bacteria, microorganisms, and chemicals and takes them to different lakes, rivers, and even streams. Inappropriate dumping of animal wastes, motor oil, and excessive use of fertilizers can cause air and water pollution. Due to the watershed’s unsystematic sources, all people share responsibility for this contamination and pollution known as non-point source pollution.
The most prevalent watersheds of non-point source contaminants or pollutants are nutrients and microorganisms. Animal wastes, leaks from polluted pipes waste are rampant sources of microbes. When rainwater carries microorganisms to nearby lakes and rivers, it makes the water hazardous for human activities such as fishing. Rainfall washes surplus nutrients present in the environment into different water catchments areas thus lowering the quantity of oxygen in rivers, lakes, and streams to levels that are detrimental, harmful, and sometimes deadly to marine animals and vegetations; polluting the environment can very harmful to animals, plants and also human beings.
Watershed Planning
Law can influence watershed planning; watershed planning can mean different things to different individuals. Watershed planning involves applying reason to solve various problems and coming up with steps that can be implemented to realize a specific objective goal. One of the most imperative uses of watershed planning is to back-up watershed decisions that maintain and re-establishes watershed roles and functions. Watershed planning is the keystone for effectual human actions and only if the proposed strategies and the findings are executed and the watershed response monitored.
Generally, a watershed plan is made up of an overall vision, goals, and objectives for the watershed, several steps required to accomplish those goals, and comprehensive consideration of how to put those steps into practice. The plan should as well include prioritization of the objectives and events, optimization of the series of actions for great competence and efficiency, and ways of monitoring the execution and results of actions.
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (1999, c.33) can influence CWR watershed planning in that it is an act that respects prevention of pollution, human health, and environmental protection to contribute to sustainable growth. It affirms that protection of the environment is imperative to the welfare of Canadians and its primary purpose is to partake in sustainable progress through the prevention of pollution.
The Government of Canada tries to accomplish sustainable growth that is based on economically resourceful use of natural and social resources and recognizes the need to incorporate ecological, economic, and social aspects in the making of all government and private agencies’ decisions. The government is also committed to preventing pollution and prioritizing the approach to protect the environment. CWR watershed planning is acknowledged by the government and so it plays part in steps for implementation and success measures. It acknowledges the need to practically eradicate bio-accumulative poisonous substances and the need to manage and control wastes and pollutants released into the environment.
The law influences the Canadian CWR watershed planning in that it recognizes the significance of an ecosystem approach (Heathcote; 2009). The law has good recommendations for action; it demonstrates national management in setting up national standards, ecosystem goals, and environmental quality strategies and codes of practice. The law influences watershed planning by acknowledging the authority that facilitates environment protection and recognizing the problems faced when creating a plan. Watershed planning entails establishing measures that protect watersheds from pollution; the law influences this plan by recognizing the significance of endeavoring, in collaboration with regions, provinces, and the indigenous people to achieve the improved environmental quality for all citizens of Canada and eventually contribute to sustainable growth.
The law acknowledges that the danger of poisonous substances in the environment is an issue of great concern and once poisonous substances are introduced in the surroundings, they cannot always be restricted within geographical boundaries. The integral role of CWR watershed planners is recognized by the law; it helps in the implementation of proposed strategies (Everett; 2003). The fundamental role of science and the function of traditional indigenous knowledge is recognized in the decision-making process relating to human health and environmental protection. The health and environmental dangers, the technical and socio-economic issues are also considered in the process.
The government of Canada ensures that its functions and activities on indigenous and federal lands are implemented in a manner that is consistent with the guidelines of pollution prevention and the safety of human health and the environment. It attempts to eradicate threats to natural diversity through prevention of pollution and risk management and control (Charlton; 2005). CWR watershed planning is made effectual through educational programs and public awareness.
Watershed plans are the rational follow-up to watershed evaluation. Plans take the strategies built during evaluation and design a series of solutions to address the basic issues and problems discovered in the evaluation. A watershed plan comprises a sequence of proposed strategies that seek to develop pollution prevention. Watershed planning demands combined thinking and a synchronized approach. Maybe the best technique is to give consequential public participation in the process because experience has revealed that top-down planning can build a variety of execution barriers based on the lack of public participation at major points of the watershed planning process.
References
Charlton, F. (2005). Watershed. New York, NY: NYIAD Press.
Everett, P. (2003). Watershed. New York, NY: Beacon Press.
Heathcote, I. (2009). Integrated watershed management: principles and practice. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
Macnab, G. (1957). Chilliwack River recreational recco. New York, NY: Forest Service, Park Division.
Riddle, E. (2009). Watershed: Service in the Wake of Disaster. New York, NY: AuthorHouse.