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Stave River Water Use Plan

The Water Use Plan (WUP) for Stave River (includes the Stave Falls and Ruskin facilities) was completed in 2003 and was developed through a multi-year consultative process.

The final step is to review how things are going through a Water Use Plan Order Review (WUPOR), which was done concurrently with a review of the Fisheries Act Authorization (FAA). The Alouette and Stave-Ruskin reviews were conducted jointly, reflecting BC Hydro's operation of all three facilities as a single system.

Learn more about why we have Water Use Plans and the Order Review process.

The outcomes of the review are an application for WUP Order amendment under the Water Sustainability Act and an application to amend the FAA under the Fisheries Act.

What's new?

In 2021, an Order Review Advisory Committee (ORAC) with representatives from First Nations, regulators, local government, key stakeholders, and BC Hydro was formed to support the Alouette-Stave-Ruskin WUPOR and Application for FAA.

Since then, the ORAC has been meeting every few months to review the implementation of the WUP Orders and FAAs, identify issues related to facility operation, discussing whether measures could be made to address the identified issues, and develop a set of recommendations to inform BC Hydro's applications to the Comptroller of Water Rights and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

In January 2025, the ORAC reached consensus on a set of recommendations for operational adjustments, operating priorities, monitoring, and mitigation.

What's next?

In fall 2025, we'll invite the public to an open house where they can learn more about the recommendations being put forward for the watershed.

We plan to submit an Order Amendment Application to the Comptroller of Water Rights in December 2025 and a Fisheries Act Authorization amendment to DFO in March 2026.

Water Use Plan Order and Order Review

Annual Reports

 

Projects Studies Terms of Reference

SFLMON-1 Pelagic Monitor

SFLMON-2 Littoral Productivity Assessment

SFLMON-3 Fish Biomass Assessment

SFLMON-4 Limited Block Load as Deterrent to Spawning

SFLMON-5 Risk of Adult Stranding

SFLMON-6 Risk of Fry Stranding

SFLMON-7 Diel Pattern Fry Out-Migration

SFLMON-8 Seasonal Timing and Assemblage of Resident Fish

SFLMON-9 Turbidity Levels in Hayward Reservoir

SFLMON-10 Archaeological Management