Trends, Obstacles, and Opportunities Affecting Instream Flow Issues

1. Trends, Obstacles, and OpportunitiesAffecting Instream Flow Issues by Tom Annear, Wyoming Game & Fish Department Nina Burkardt, U. S. Geological Survey

4. Easy

5. What is success?

6. Failure ? Success?

7. Success as a level of flow protection • Full ecosystem protection • Comprehensive ecologically based management • Partial ecologically based management • Threshold level protection • No formal flow protection

8. Full Ecosystem Protection Comprehensive Protection Partial Protection Threshold Protection River systems were built and are maintained by different magnitudes of discharge occurring over time and space.(Hill et al. 1991)

9. Protection vs. Restoration

10. Protection (top-down flow) Full Ecosystem Protection Comprehensive Protection Partial Protection Threshold Protection River systems were built and are maintained by different magnitudes of discharge occurring over time and space.(Hill et al. 1991)

11. Restoration (bottom-up flow) Full Ecosystem Protection Comprehensive Protection Partial Protection Threshold Protection River systems were built and are maintained by different magnitudes of discharge occurring over time and space.(Hill et al. 1991)

12. Maximum flow Minimum flow How much?

13. International Instream Flow Program Initiative Tom Annear, Project Manager Del Lobb, Midwest Coordinator Chuck Coomer, Southeast Coordinator Mark Woythal, Northeast Coordinator Charles Hendry, Canadian Coordinator Kathleen Williams, Project Coordinator Christopher Estes, Advisor

14. Project Features State and provincial F & W agencies Funded with USFWS Multi-State Conservation Program Grant 2006 – 2008 (+)

15. Project Goal … (identify) trends and opportunities that will help state and provincial fishery and wildlife management agencies develop, maintain, or improve the effectiveness of their instream flow / water management activities and programs.

16. Project Elements • Agency surveys – 2006-2007 • Part 1: Consistency and trends with IFC policies • Part 2: Effectiveness of flow activities • Post-survey workshop – October 2007 • Agency strategies • Final report – winter 2009 (www.instreamflowcouncil.org)

17. Project Scope • Legal elements • Public involvement • Institutional elements • Technical tools (methods)

18. Institutional Structure

19. Are instream flow / water management issues recognized in strategic planning documents?

20. Are water assessment tools used to prioritize water bodies in need of protection?

21. Legal Opportunities(State and Provincial)

22. Most Effective Tools • Reservoir management agreements • Detailed environmental studies • Hydro (FERC) licensing / re-licensing • 401 water quality certification • Federal endangered species programs

23. Top Agency Needs • More supportive regulations and policies • More staff (lack of expertise) • More actively supportive public • More supportive laws (insufficient laws) • More knowledgeable public (insufficient public values)

24. Workshop Results (Drivers and Strategies) • Legal • Institutional • Public Involvement

25. Legal • Driver: Policies, laws, and regulations don’t recognize or allow ecologically based flow regimes. • Update documents that identify state and federal legal opportunities • Frame a comprehensive model for states that can serve as a guide for developing or improving legal and institutional approaches

26. Institutional • Driver: Many state fish & wildlife agencies lack instream flow program priorities. • Work through AFWA to increase awareness • Work to increase awareness on individual agencies (by IFC and others)

27. Public Involvement • Driver - The public is not sufficiently knowledgeable of instream issues or supportive of instream values. • Define the audience / Refine the message • Make water messaging part of I&E effort

28. Public Involvement • Driver – State agencies don’t collaborate and partner enough with NGO’s and other stakeholders on water issues. • Engage NGO’s and others (including water users) to communicate instream flow problems and solutions to policy makers

29. Conclusions • Define success (goal) • Integrate key elements • Science • Institutional • Public involvement • Legal

30. "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." Henry Ford (1863-1947)

31. Trends, Obstacles, and Opportunities, Part II Pre-Conference Survey

32. Online pre-conference survey • All registered attendees invited to respond • Seven main questions and 1 “bonus” question. • Response rate: 57%

33. Who responded?

34. Employment sector

35. Profession?

36. Top impediments, by sector

37. Top contributors to instream flow problem solving success • All needed stakeholders are at the table and committed to the process (51%) • There is strong legal and policy support for enhanced ecological flows (33%) • There is political support for the solution (33%)

38. Top contributors to instream flow problem solving failure • Insufficient legal or policy support for the ecological protection/restoration desired (58%) • Participants are too unwilling to compromise (43%) • Needed stakeholders are not sufficiently involved or do not participate consistently (40%)

39. Suggestions • Strengthen laws and policies • Communicate • Engage the public • Improve the science • Agencies need resources

40. First: Conduct research • Multi-disciplinary • Include local knowledge • Include stakeholders early • Tension between scientists and other stakeholders • Varying opinions about the level of authority

41. Then, convey results • Benefits of instream flow protection • Need for protection • Broad • “Clearly tie the improvement of instream flow to economic and public health benefits”

42. Gain support • General public • Attentive public • Officials • Policymakers • Process issues: how? • “Consider other’s needs carefully and try to find solutions for those most opposed to yours.”

43. Monitor progress • Consider Adaptive Management • Conduct and publish case studies • Share knowledge of what works • Explore creative alternatives

44. Conclusions • Science is essential but not sufficient • Leadership is key • Great need for skills in communication, negotiation • Value differences • There is no one-fits-all solution, but may be some general principles.