Forum focuses on natural approach to protection of water quality

By Wolf Depner - Penticton Western News - March 26, 2008

Protecting the natural environment is one of the major keys to preserving water quality, said a biologist who will speak at a major regional forum dealing with water issues.

Anna Warwick-Sears, executive director of the Okanagan Water Basin Board, said this connection will be among the themes discussed during a public forum hosted by her organization Thursday in Kelowna.

“Riparian protection is one of the most important things we can do to protect water quality,” she said in an interview.

Riparian areas — vegetated strips of land bordering border creeks, rivers or other bodies of water — may make up only a small share of local watersheds, but fulfill several key roles.

Warwick-Sears said riparian areas are like natural water filters that trap pollutants and sediments that may carry harmful bacteria. While protecting water at its source receives a lot of attention, protecting riparian areas from the effects of urban development is just as crucial, she said.

One prominent but not exclusive development case with implications for local riparian areas is the development of Sickle Point — one of the last remaining pieces of undeveloped wetlands on Skaha Lake — by developer Mel Reeves, who has promised to protect the area under provincial riparian legislation passed in 2006.

The new legislation requires property owners to hire a consultant if they wish to develop land less than 30 metres away from a body of water, but also grants them additional flexibility and reduces municipal liabilities.

Local politicians have denounced the new rules as limiting, while environmental groups have questioned their effectiveness.

Warwick-Sears said she has heard mixed reviews from planners dealing with the legislation.

“It may be that we need to strengthen the legislation,” she said. But it may also be a case of working out some of the kinks, she added.

Municipalities are still getting used to it, she said. But general efforts to protect and restore riparian areas — especially in urban areas — are starting to pick up, with mapping now underway, she said.

Warwick-Sears said other water quality topics include the effects of the mountain pine beetle epidemic on soil stability, dealing with storm-water run-off in urban areas and the entry of pharmaceuticals into the water stream, she said.

The potential effects of climate change on water quality will also come up, she said.

Higher water temperatures could reduce the dissolved oxygen content of water and encourage algae growth, she said.

Warwick-Sears will be among eight panelists. They include academics and government officials from all levels.

The forum will run from 4:30-8 p.m. on board of the Fintry Queen anchored at the foot of Bernard Avenue, with seating limited to the first 100 attendees.

“The informal discussion provides a unique opportunity for the public to access water expertise and share ideas about water quality in the Okanagan,” says Nelson Jatel, OBWB director and forum moderator.

“Water quality impacts us all. High-quality water is a shared resource that is critical to our health, ability to produce food and support the quality of life that makes the Okanagan a unique and special place.”

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Forum focuses on natural approach to protection of water quality

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