Water Management Adaptation Strategies for Land Use Changes and Increased Climate Variability in Mountain Communities in Western Canada

The Columbia River in Western North America originates in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada and flows into the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. The river is 2000 km long, has the highest vertical gradient of any major rivers in North America and covers an area of 670,000 km2. There are 14 major hydropower stations on the main stem of the river and more than 300 smaller stations distributed throughout the basin that provide the majority of the electricity for the Pacific North-West. The Canadian portion of the basin covers only 15% of the total watershed area but provides approximately 40% of the water that flows downstream. Fifty percent of the electricity consumed by the 4.3 million people in British Columbia is produced in the Canadian portion of the Columbia Basin. More than 80% of the Canadian headwater area is forested and under alpine cover and the river system is dominated by snowmelt and selective contributions from glaciers.