Community Watersheds and Water Quality Objectives

In 2004 with the objective-driven and results-based Forest and Range Practices Act and its regulations came into effect. The Forest Planning and Practices Regulation defines a Community Watershed as follows:

1. established under section 41 (8) to (13) [approval of plans by the district manager or designated environment official] of the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act;


2. continued under section 180 (e) [grandparenting specified designations] of the Act; or
3. designated under the Government Actions Regulation.

Section 8 of the Government Actions Regulation (Forest and Range Practices Act) enables the minister responsible for the Land Act (MFLNRO) to designate as a community watershed, all or part of the drainage area that is upslope of the lowest point from which water is diverted for human consumption by a licensed waterworks. This can occur if the minister is satisfied that to protect the water that is diverted for human consumption the area requires special management in order to:

1. conserve the quality, quantity and timing of water flow, or
2. to prevent cumulative hydrological effects that would have a material adverse effect on the water.

Although section 8 (2) of the Government Actions Regulation also enables the minister responsible for the Wildlife Act (MFLNRO) to establish water quality objectives for a community watershed, the Minister of Environment has been delegated this responsibility by Order-in-Council # 62_2011 (March 14, 2011).

There are currently 467 approved Community Watersheds. Of the approved Community Watersheds 429 were grandparented under the Forest Practices Code of BC Act. These watersheds met the following criteria on or before June 15, 1995:

• water use for human consumption is licensed under the Water Act for a waterworks or domestic water users' community purpose;
• the water intake is on a stream; and
• the drainage area of the entire watershed upstream of the water intake does not exceed 500 square kilometres.

Guidelines

Interim Guidelines and Procedures on the Designation, Amendment and Cancellation of Community Watersheds under the Forest and Range Practices Act were developed in 2008. These guidelines are presently being updated to reflect the change in roles and responsibilities arising from government restructuring.

Locating Community Watersheds and Attributes

Data Access for Community Watersheds provides a link to a Web-based query tool that provides maps and attributes in a report format.

Community Watersheds are available as a spatial layer in the BC Water Resource Atlas as well as in iMapBC.

• Download Digital Map Coverages
• Data Services Metadata File

In 2010 the protection of Community Watersheds, together with environmental values, were recognized in connection with oil and gas development, under the new Oil and Gas Activities Act (OGAA) and accompanying regulations.

An Order which designates Community Watersheds has been established under OGAA's Environmental Protection and Management Regulation.

Community Watershed History

Initial Design

Designated community water supply watersheds (community watersheds) have been in existence since the Guidelines for Watershed Management of Crown Lands used as Community Water Supplies was prepared by a government interagency Task Force and published by Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (now Ministry of Environment) in October 1980.

The broad definition used was: any natural watershed area on which a community holds a valid water licence issued under the Water Act by the Comptroller of Water
Rights.

Criteria for selecting the 285 community watersheds listed in the guidelines were that:

• a water licence be held by a community (e.g., municipality, improvement district waterworks district, water users' community) for drinking water purposes;
• greater than 50 percent of the watershed area be in Crown Land; and
• the drainage area be less than 500 km2.

Development of Definitions Standards and Regulations

In September 1992 a multi-agency Technical Advisory Committee comprised of British Columbia government representatives was formed to:

1. develop new guidelines for protecting drinking water in community watersheds from the impacts of multiple resource use such as logging, road building, recreation, agriculture; etc.
2. update the original list of community watersheds compiled in 1977.

In 1993 a stakeholder meeting was held to discuss a draft of the revised Community Watershed Guidelines.

However, in November 1993 the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act was proposed and in the ensuing process of developing the Act, Standards and Regulations it was decided to incorporate many of the Community Watershed Guidelines relating to forestry activities into the Forest Practices Code.

Community Watershed Definition Under the Forest Practices Code

The definition for a community watershed given in Bill 18-1995 Forest Practices Code of B.C. Amendment Act (June 1995) which amends section 41(8) of Bill 40, is:

the drainage area above the most down stream point of diversion on a stream for a water use that is for human consumption and that is licensed under the Water Act for:

1. a waterworks purpose; or
2. a domestic purpose if the licence is held by or is subject to the control of a water users' community incorporated under the Water Act if the drainage area is not more than 500 km2 and the water licence was issued before June 15, 1995.