Adaptive Plan Overview

Interest in hydropower development on the White River has occurred for well over 50 years, commencing with Ontario Hydro investigations in the mid to late 1940’s. In 1991, the Ministry of Natural Resources (“MNR”) identified a number of hydropower sites on the White River, and in July 1993 the MNR granted the waterpower development rights of the Umbata Falls site to the Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation. Subsequently, in 1999, as part of the ‘Ontario Living Legacy Land Use Strategy’, the MNR proposed an addition to the White Lake Provincial Park encompassing the length of the White River and lands 200 meters along each shore between White Lake Provincial Park and Pukaskwa National Park. That document recognized the Pic River First Nation’s preceding rights to waterpower development at the Umbata Falls site, noting that a waterpower development would be treated as a “permitted, non-conforming use” within the proposed park.

The Pic River First Nation has formed a partnership with Innergex, an experienced Canadian hydropower developer, to develop the Umbata Falls site (the Umbata Falls Limited Partnership (“UFLP”), 51% owned by the Pic River First Nation). The environmental assessment process was initiated in July 2003, and the Environmental Screening/Project Information Package report was released for public review and comment in December 2004. As a mitigation measure to maintain the scenic aspects of the falls, UFLP proposed to modify the crest of the falls in order to spread the proposed scenic flow (6 m3/s) over the width of the falls crest. In December 2005, the UFLP received environmental approval for the project under both Ontario Regulation 116/01 (Electricity Projects Regulation) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

During the public review period for the project, a number of requests were submitted to elevate the project to a higher level of environmental review. Subsequently, as a condition of approval under Ontario Regulation 116/01, the UFLP committed to develop and implement an Adaptive Management Plan (“AMP”) to provide a logic-based decisionmaking process to govern water levels and flows at the Umbata Falls site. The AMP will address the conflicting values arising from the sharing of the hydrologic resource.

For example:

• A greater flow over the falls may enhance the aesthetic view and spiritual nature of the site for recreational users, increase usage of the White Lake Provincial Park and Pukaskwa National Park, and result in additional revenue to local outfitters/service providers.
  
  
• A lower flow over the falls will increase the economic sustainability of the Pic River First Nation, offset the production of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants, and increase the number of Ontario homes supplied with renewable energy. Under the terms of the environmental approval and subsequent permits, the UFLP must provide 6 cubic meters per second (m3/s) of flow over the existing unaltered crest of the falls during daylight hours from May 15th to September 15th annually. This flow regime will be reviewed no sooner than 2013.

Options that may be explored pending the results of this data collection process include, but are not limited to:

• Increase or decrease the flow;
  
  
• Modify the crest of the falls to spread the flow over the width of the crest; and
  
  
• Vary the flow between active viewing and non-viewing periods (for example, increase the flow during visitation periods through activation of a remote sensor, flow would be lower at other times when no one is present).

Your participation in the attached survey will assist the UFLP, MNR and MOE in the implementation of the Adaptive Management Plan. We thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.

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