Watershed ecosystems and human interconnections : a new model for governance in Peachland Creek, B.C. ...

• Main Author: Kroschinsky, Rheanne
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2023
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0435553; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0435553

The Peachland Creek watershed within unceded Syilx territory in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia serves as a prime case study of the challenges faced by many multi-use provincial community watersheds in British Columbia. These challenges include the need for recognition of unrelinquished Syilx rights and title, and management of the cumulative impacts of a changing climate, rapid population growth, tourism, recreational use, ranching, and logging on water quality and the environment. Reflective of a diverse variety of anthropogenic influences, Peachland Creek is governed by a complex jurisdictional and regulatory landscape involving all levels of government (First Nations, municipal, provincial, federal) and their respective agencies. In this light, it stands out as an ideal watershed in which to apply an integrated watershed resource management (IWRM)-based approach, encompassing the above characteristics and distinctive water relationships in a collaborative and inclusive governance framework. ...