David Hill describes how focusing on functional flows versus typical water conservation management could improve aquatic in-stream ecosystems while meeting current water allocations. Natural flow has not taken place in the Bow River for 100 years. So accounting for functional flows may be a way to enable aquatic systems to do their natural processes when our typical water conservation objectives would result in a different type of management. Water conservation would require us to store water in high flood years and then release the excess flood water later in the year. Using a functional flow strategy, the flood water would be released at flood to allow natural ecosystems to do what they normally would during flood seasons (e.g. cottonwood recruitment).
Hill describes how a functional flow management system would work to enhance aquatic ecosystems while still delivering the water required by prairie water users (irrigation, hydro, industry and municipal).
David Hill is Director of Centres and Institutes and Research Advocacy, University of Lethbridge, Alberta. His presentation was part of
the CWRA/WPAC Joint Conference, Red Deer, Alberta, March 13-14, 2013.
