Integrated watershed management: a case study in collaborative strategic planning between Clean Annapolis River Project and the Municipality of the County of Annapolis

The Annapolis River watershed is the third largest watershed in Nova Scotia, draining an area of 2250 km2. Originating at Caribou Bog in the western Annapolis Valley, the Annapolis River flows downstream through portions of... [ view full abstract ]

The Annapolis River watershed is the third largest watershed in Nova Scotia, draining an area of 2250 km². Originating at Caribou Bog in the western Annapolis Valley, the Annapolis River flows downstream through portions of Kings, Annapolis and Digby Counties, into the Annapolis Basin, a sub-basin of the Bay of Fundy. Clean Annapolis River Project (CARP), a community based non-government organization, has been working in this area since 1990 to address ecological issues at a watershed scale.

Recognizing the importance of integrated watershed management, CARP has continually worked to develop strong working relationships with the various decision makers and stakeholders across the watershed. In 2017 CARP partnered with the Municipality of the County of Annapolis to undertake a consultative process with community members and stakeholders in the Annapolis River watershed in order to guide the integration of community and stakeholder values, CARP’s organizational strategy, and the County of Annapolis’ Economic Development Strategy 2050, toward ecological management actions that support cultural, social, economic, and environmental values.

By undertaking this process with support of the Municipality, CARP is better positioned to focus its efforts on the issues of greatest import and impact to the residents of the region while aligning and supporting the existing municipal initiatives, particularly the County’s policy to “support and foster efforts to remediate, manage, and ensure clean air, water, and soil.” Key community concerns were identified based on the results of three community engagement sessions and served as the themes for subsequent stakeholder meetings. Stakeholder meetings brought together representatives from government, industry and other organizations or key individuals. One of the outcomes of these meetings included the identification of roles and responsibilities and actions or projects than can be undertaken collaboratively to address environmental issues in the County of Annapolis.