Summary of Assessment
Moderate to significant changes to water levels, water quality and fish populations, have occurred in the Peace sub-basin, resulting in reduced community access to harvesting areas, contamination of water and fish and thus reduced consumption of country foods. These changes are related to river regulation and the widespread and regionally high-density human footprint, in particular due to agriculture, forestry, and oil and gas development.
Water Quantity
- More variations and generally lower water levels in rivers, streams and lakes have been observed by indigenous communities.
- River regulation and climate change have modified river flow patterns across the basin and caused a reduction in ice-jams in the lower Peace, reducing flooding in Peace Athabasca Delta.
Habitat & Species
- Some fish populations have been severely impacted across large areas of the basin.
- Riparian health and wetlands have been severely altered in the agricultural areas of the upper Peace and Smoky-Wapiti watersheds.
Water Quality
- Surface water quality in several waterbodies is impacted by agricultural land use and point source effluent discharges, despite treatment improvements.
Health & Wellbeing
- Access to harvesting areas is reduced due to low water levels.
- Communities consume less country foods due to declining fish and muskrat populations and concern about contamination.
Water Quantity
- More variations and generally lower water levels in rivers, streams and lakes have been observed by indigenous communities.
- River regulation and climate change have modified river flow patterns across the basin and caused a reduction in ice-jams in the lower Peace, reducing flooding in Peace Athabasca Delta.
Water Quality
- Surface water quality in several waterbodies is impacted by agricultural land use and point source effluent discharges, despite treatment improvements.
Habitat & Species
- Some fish populations have been severely impacted across large areas of the basin.
- Riparian health and wetlands have been severely altered in the agricultural areas of the upper Peace and Smoky-Wapiti watersheds.
Health & Wellbeing
- Access to harvesting areas is reduced due to low water levels.
- Communities consume less country foods due to declining fish and muskrat populations and concern about contamination.
People & Places
The Peace sub-basin is a moderately populated region with settlements primarily located along the Peace River and major tributaries. The sub-basin overlaps with the traditional territories of at least four Indigenous groups. The upper Peace and the region surrounding Williston Lake spans the lands of the Dane-zaa and Sekani (Tsay Keh Dene), with settlements located at Tsay Keh Dene, Hudson’s Hope, Fort St. John, Doig River, and Taylor. The lands of the Woodland Cree and Métis are located in the middle and lower Peace and Peace-Athabasca Delta, which includes the communities of Grande Prairie, Fort Vermillion, Peace Point, and Fort Chipewyan.
Water quantity in the Peace sub-basin has undergone moderate change. Observations by Indigenous communities and scientists suggest that ice is less thick, with earlier break-ups and later freeze-up dates in many waterbodies, particularly in the lower Peace. Less snow was reported in the lower Peace (the northern and eastern regions of the sub-basin), while there is more snow accumulation in the upper Peace (the western and southern regions). Water levels in lakes, rivers, and creeks are more variable, although communities have generally observed lower levels than in the past. Increases in late winter stream flows in some small tributaries and lower freshet flows are occurring in the Peace River. These changes are likely the result of a combination of flow regulation on the Peace River by the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and the effects of climate change. Changes in water quantity threaten to further disrupt the aquatic ecosystem health and the ability for Indigenous communities to practice a traditional way of life in the sub-basin.
Read more about Snow & Ice, Water Flows & Levels, Climate and Water Use
Changes in water quality in some waterbodies have been observed by Indigenous communities and through scientific studies in the Peace sub-basin. Some Indigenous communities have observed an increase in contaminants and changes in the colour and smell of the water, which they associate with increased mining, forestry, and intensive agriculture. Trends in water quality parameters varied spatially, including increases in dissolved metals observed in the Wapiti, Smoky and Peace Rivers and localized decreases in phosphorus in the lower Wapiti River from treatment improvements at a municipal wastewater treatment plant and a pulp and paper mill. Although there is a lack of historic baseline information for water quality in the sub-basin, recent analyses rank water quality as “good” or “excellent” in the Peace River. Human footprint has increased over time and there are significant concerns for how water contamination from land development and settlement will continue to affect water quality and ecosystem health.
Read more about Water Quality, Benthic Invertebrates, Land Use and Effluent Discharges
Aquatic habitat and species in the Peace sub-basin are experiencing moderate change. Less healthy fish and mass fish die-offs have been observed by Indigenous communities in the upper and lower Peace. Populations of some fish species are observed to be in decline or locally extirpated, although healthy populations persist in large rivers, protected areas and the Rocky Mountain foothills. Documented scientific or Indigenous Knowledge observations of changes in wetland cover in the sub-basin are limited. In the Peace-Athabasca Delta, a significant decline in muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) populations and mass muskrat die-offs have been documented by scientists, elders and trappers linked to increased contamination and changes in hydrologic patterns in the Delta. Scientific studies suggest that riparian areas are largely intact in the lower Peace and tributaries, and are highly degraded in the agricultural areas of the upper Peace and Smoky-Wapiti watersheds.
Changes in aquatic ecosystem health in the Peace sub-basin are having moderate impacts on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities. Maintaining access to preferred country (or traditional) foods is viewed as essential to many Indigenous communities because of the nutritional, cultural, and spiritual values linked to these resources and the associated benefits they offer for health and wellbeing. Although fishing, hunting and trapping for country foods are still valued as core cultural practices, many Indigenous communities in the Peace sub-basin report consuming less fish than in the past due to contamination concerns and elevated mercury levels in some fish populations. Access to fishing and trapping areas is also disrupted by lower water levels. A team of scientists, elders and trappers has documented a significant decline in muskrat populations from the Peace-Athabasca Delta in recent decades, and as a result, fewer Indigenous communities consume muskrat as part of their diet. Low availability of scientific data was found for levels of country food consumption in the Peace sub-basin.
