The people keeping Canada’s water-powered lifeline flowing
Canada’s hydroelectric legacy flows through more than rivers—it runs through the communities, cultures, and knowledge systems that have shaped our relationship with water for generations. As prolonged droughts disrupt historical patterns, the people who understand these waterways best are stepping forward to renegotiate how water is shared, stored, and respected.
The human infrastructure behind hydro
Hydroelectricity generates over 60% of Canada’s electricity, making it our most significant renewable energy source.¹ But behind these statistics are Indigenous leaders who’ve monitored seasonal flows for millennia, dam operators who’ve adapted operations through decades of changing conditions, fishers who understand ecosystem health, and farmers whose livelihoods depend on predictable water access.
The 2021 drought across Western Canada revealed just how interconnected these relationships have become. When reservoir levels dropped to historic lows, the conversations that mattered most weren’t happening in boardrooms—they were taking place between Ktunaxa Nation representatives and BC Hydro engineers, between Manitoba farming communities and utility planners, and between northern mayors and provincial energy officials.
Collaboration in crisis
The Ktunaxa Nation’s partnership with BC Hydro exemplifies how drought challenges are driving innovative collaboration. The Nation isn’t simply being consulted about fish habitat protection—they’re co-managing watershed decisions that affect both cultural practices and electricity generation. Ktunaxa knowledge of seasonal fish migrations, traditional fishing sites, and historical water levels provides context that hydrological modelling alone cannot capture.
This collaboration has practical benefits. When drought conditions threaten both fish populations and power generation, integrated management strategies can balance multiple objectives more effectively than single-purpose operations. The Ktunaxa understanding of low-flow refugia helps BC Hydro identify which reservoir operations best protect fish during critical periods.
Similarly, Manitoba Hydro’s integration of real-time community feedback into floodgate and reservoir management represents a fundamental shift in utility operations. Local communities provide ground-truth observations about water levels, ice conditions, and flood risks that complement remote sensing and modeling data. This collaboration has improved both flood protection and power generation reliability.
Local governance, regional benefits
Northern communities proposing local governance over small-scale hydro aren’t just seeking energy independence—they’re modelling
how decentralized energy systems can enhance both sovereignty and resilience. These projects typically feature community ownership, local employment, and direct benefits that remain in the region.
The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations’ hydro projects in Yukon demonstrate this approach. By maintaining ownership and operational control, the Nation ensures that energy development serves community priorities while contributing to regional energy security. Local governance means decisions about water use, environmental protection, and economic benefits reflect community values rather than distant corporate interests.
This model addresses a critical challenge in Canada’s energy transition. Rural and remote communities have often borne the environmental costs of large-scale energy projects while seeing limited economic benefits. Community-controlled hydro reverses this pattern, ensuring that those most affected by energy development are also those who benefit most directly.
Rethinking water governance
Drought conditions are forcing fundamental questions about water allocation that go far beyond electricity generation. Agriculture, municipal water supplies, industrial processes, ecosystem health, and cultural practices all depend on reliable water access. Traditional approaches that prioritized single uses are proving inadequate for managing competing demands during extended dry periods.
Indigenous communities are asserting that meaningful participation in water governance isn’t just about consultation—it’s about recognition of inherent rights and responsibilities that predate colonial boundaries. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms Indigenous peoples’ rights to their traditional territories and resources, including water.²
This shift toward collaborative governance reflects both legal obligations and practical necessities. Indigenous communities often possess the most detailed, long-term knowledge of local water systems. Their seasonal rounds, fishing practices, and ceremonial activities provide insights into ecosystem health that formal monitoring systems may miss.
Innovation through integration
The collaboration between Indigenous knowledge and engineering expertise is driving innovation in drought-resilient hydro design. Traditional ecological knowledge about seasonal patterns, fish behaviour, and ecosystem relationships informs adaptive management strategies that respond to changing conditions more effectively than rigid operational rules.
For instance, some BC Hydro facilities now incorporate traditional fish habitat features into reservoir design and operation. Fish ladders reflect Indigenous knowledge about salmon behaviour, while seasonal flow releases mimic natural patterns that support ecosystem health. These adaptations often improve both environmental outcomes and operational flexibility during drought conditions.
Building resilience together
When we design hydro systems with people at the table—not just engineers—we build resilience into the very foundation of our energy infrastructure. Resilient systems adapt to changing conditions, serve multiple purposes, and maintain community support through challenging periods.
Canada’s hydroelectric future depends on recognizing that water governance is inherently collaborative. The communities that have stewarded these watersheds for generations aren’t obstacles to development—they’re partners in building energy systems that can endure.
As climate change makes drought conditions more frequent and severe, the relationships we build today will determine whether Canada’s hydro legacy continues to power our communities or becomes another stranded asset of inflexible planning. The choice is clear: we can build together or fail separately.
¹ Statistics Canada, “Electric power generation, monthly,” 2024 ² United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Articles 25-26
