INSIGHTS ON ADDRESSING WATER LEVEL VARIABILITY Presented by: Wendy Leger, Environment and Climate Change Canada Canadian Co-Chair, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee Changing Great Lakes Water Levels and Local Impacts May 17, 2016
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INSIGHTS ON ADDRESSING WATER LEVEL VARIABILITY
Presented by: Wendy Leger, Environment and Climate Change Canada Canadian Co-Chair, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee
Changing Great Lakes Water Levels and Local Impacts May 17, 2016
¨ Build a team and identify problems; ¨ Develop objectives and metrics for evaluation; ¨ Describe the baseline condition; ¨ Formulate alternatives to the baseline; ¨ Evaluate alternatives; ¨ Select and implement the preferred plan; and, ¨ Use, exercise, monitor and update the plan.
(Source: International Upper Great Lakes Study Final Report, 2012)
IJC Studies Recommend Adaptive Management
¨ Uncertainties in science and models
¨ Uncertainty due to climate changes
¨ Two most recent IJC Studies recommended Adaptive Management and a planning approach that links drivers (water levels and flows) to outcomes (performance indicators)
Uncertainty in climate
Uncertainty in impact evaluation
Photo courtesy of Port of Montreal
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The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee ¨ On January 2015 the IJC established the bi-national Great Lakes-
St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee for on-going review of lake regulation plans
GLAM reports to all three Great Lakes Boards of Control
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Adaptive Management
Adaptive Management (AM) Is an idea almost universally supported in theory Ø Make a decision based on best evidence
Ø Monitor key outcomes from the decision Ø Challenge the decision if the outcomes aren’t as expected
Ø Make necessary adjustments
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Adaptive Management – It’s Not Easy
Adaptive management
A great concept almost never used in practice
It doesn’t fit the traditional funding model n Funding for a few years to support a decision analysis. n After the decision, funding stops
It requires collaboration n Many programs are managed
within silos
It requires working hypotheses - relating drivers to outcomes that can be tested and measured
n Many decisions are not tied explicitly enough to outcomes to know whether decisions require revisiting.
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Understand the Drivers
Drivers: Water levels and Flows Understanding the Hydroclimate system, expected extremes and how they may be changing
14 Lighthousefriends.com
Stannard Rock
15 Ecosystems
DifficultyinDecisionMakingLinking Drivers to Outcomes Outcomes: What are we most worried about?
Linking Outcomes to Decisions
Decisions: Based on evaluations and comparison of performance indicators
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Institutional Arrangements
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Legal Basis
Oversight Authority
Regional Sub-authorities
Working Committee
Agency and Stakeholder Members
(not all shown)
Adaptive Management
Realized
International Joint Commission
Boards of Control
Adaptive Management Committee
Institutional
Arrangements
Collaboration
Plan Act
Monitor
Evaluate Learn
Adjust
Work Plan (turns the AM wheel)
US CA USACE ECCC
NOAA/EPA DFO
NY/MI ON/QC
• Adaptively manage the decisions based on outcomes
• What provides the authority?
• Who has oversight? • Who is part of the
regional sub-authority? • Who does the work? • How is that linked back
to decisions?
Boundary Waters Treaty
¨ Engagement of stakeholders is critical to successful AM ¨ GLAM plans to build circles of influence covering all
interest categories
Montreal Port Authority
St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation
Cdn Ship owners Association Friends of the St.
Lawrence Valley
St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences The Nature
Conservancy
Great Lakes Cities Initiative
Municipal water intake plants
Ontario Power Generation
New York Power Authority
Hydro-Quebec
Cloverland Electric Co-op
Brookfield Renewable Energy
International Water Levels Coalition
Various Great Lakes Tours and Cruise Companies
Various Yacht Clubs
Niagara Parks Commission
Municipalities
Coastal Zone Managers
Various Property Owner Associations
Communication, Outreach and Engagement
Commercial Navigation
Coastal
Recreational Boating
Hydropower Circles of Influence
GLAM
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Implementing Adaptive Management
¨ Administration ¤ Short and long term plans, budgets and practical
implementation guidelines ¤ Menu and schedule of reporting and engagement ¤ Quality management efforts, including peer review ¤ Information Management
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Conclusion
¨ Adaptive management makes sense for addressing an uncertain world
¨ AM Requires: ¤ A long-term commitment ¤ Collaboration ¤ A measurable relationship between drivers
and outcomes (performance indicators) ¤ Institutional arrangements o Direct link from Outcomes to Decisions
o Revisit decisions through an Adaptive Management process and adjust as necessary
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Acknowledgements: Daniel Ferreira, ECCC David Fay, IJC Bill Werick Debbie Lee, NOAA-GLERL Kyle McCune, USACE Mike Shantz, ECCC GLAM Committee