Bulkley Valley Research Centre - Science in the Public Interest

Upper Bulkley and Morice Water Sustainability Views

Project Reference Number: 2018-04

Project Status: Complete

Led by: Ian Sharpe BSC., MSc.

Funder: Tides Canada

In the Upper Bulkley and Morice basins of the Skeena watershed, climate change and human induced stresses are contributing to the degradation of aquatic resources, including salmon populations. It is apparent that collaborative efforts to better manage and adapt to these stresses are needed. This report documents an initial attempt to determine who might contribute to this collaboration. Interviews occurred with 57 people representing 36 organizations, selected for their likely interests in water and salmon sustainability in general, and specifically in the Upper Bulkley and Morice basins. These organizations span multiple levels of government, including the Office of the Wet’suwet’en, non-government organizations, research institutions and industries. Views were solicited using three questions designed to discover interests in water and salmon sustainability in general, and specific to the Upper Bulkley and Morice basins, activities related to those interests, and views on how collaboration with others related to shared interests might occur. Results indicate that there is universal interest in water and salmon sustainability, among the respondents, and the majority of interests expressed also apply to the Upper Bulkley and Morice basins. From these results it is apparent that the necessary collaboration for any water sustainability planning process that might occur for the Upper Bulkley and Morice basins is possible. It is also apparent that much of the scientific groundwork for such a planning process is well underway.

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