What does British Columbia’s Water Sustainability Act have to do with watershed governance?

The Water Sustainability Act (WSA) is the primary provincial legislation related to water extractions, withdrawals, planning, and protection in B.C. Brought into force in February 2016, the WSA is a significant modernization of the previous Water Act (which had been largely unaltered since 1906!). The WSA includes a host of new legal tools that can aid in wisely managing water resources and protecting ecosystems. However, regulatory development and implementation will require leadership from local communities and, government-to-government agreements between the provincial government and First Nations.