Cultural flow preference studies in the Saskatchewan River Delta

Natural flows through North America’s largest inland delta have been disrupted by upstream dams. Seasonal timing of optimal flows to sustain the delta’s ecology is poorly understood, but local people who work the
lands and waters of the delta know best about what the delta needs. This information needs to be documented and shared with policymakers to trigger changes in how dams are operated.
Follow Tipa and Nelson’s methods that were developed with Maori people in New Zealand, as outlined in J. Water Resource Planning and Management 138: 660-670. Working with outfitters and other land users, spend
time on the water under different flow conditions (spring and summer) while scoring flow attributes according to cultural preferences. Conduct semi-structured interviews with these knowledge keepers to better contextualize the reasons for high and low scores.
The project feeds into larger interdisciplinary modeling and assessment programs within Global Water Futures