WET Hydrology & Hydrogeology

In 2009, one century after the introduction of British Columbia’s original Water Act of 1909, the Province of British Columbia began the process of modernizing the act. Following a series of public workshops and the gathering of input through a public blog, the province drafted the new Water Sustainability Act (WSA). The legislation came into effect on February 29, 2016, and six priority regulations have been developed to guide the application of the legislation. Many provisions of the new act offer greater opportunities for First Nations participation in water management and governance. In many ways, modernizing the Water Act represents a step forward for First Nations, who view it as a relic of colonialism and a reflection of past attitudes that largely dismissed or ignored Aboriginal rights. This report presents the range of perspectives from several First Nations across British Columbia on the proposed, and now enacted, Water Sustainability Act. Unlike other stakeholders, First Nations have constitutionally protected rights that need to be considered separately to ensure that those rights are not infringed upon. Also important, First Nations have distinct relationships to their lands and waters and can offer unique insights and sustainable solutions to water management within the watersheds that
overlap with their traditional territories.