When it comes to water policy, public mistrust of government runs deep, a University of Alberta study has found.

A small survey of residents living in drought-stricken east-central Alberta revealed a low level of trust and a high level of skepticism with government programs that pertain to water issues, said Gaylene Halter, PhD student in environmental sociology in the U of A's Department of Rural Economy.

"Many people I interviewed felt they had no real voice in shaping water legislation, and didn't feel they were part of the consultation process," said Halter. "One outcome of my research is a strong sense that many Albertans have lost interest in public dialogue and democratic debate. A sense of consultation 'fatigue' was also apparent."

The findings are part of an ongoing study on water culture in Alberta being conducted by Halter.

She has forwarded several recommendations to the Alberta Institute for Agriculture, Forestry and the Environment, which was established by the government in 2008 to deal with increasing pressure on the province's natural resources.

"Water comes out of our taps every day, but beyond that, we don't tend to think much about it. One of the most complex questions is how to determine economic policies around distribution of water, and linked to that is the level of knowledge people have about water issues."

As part of the project, Halter gathered public input to gauge economic policies for improving the quality and quantity of water and to address ongoing issues such as sale of water, protection for sensitive riverbank areas, pollution from upstream urban areas, industries and agricultural runoff, and making regulatory policy more effective for everyone who shares the water—communities, industries and government.

For her study, Halter focused on the Battle River Watershed in Alberta, an area that has struggled with drought since 2000. The watershed is a large area of landcovering most of east-central Alberta that drains into the Battle River. The area covers approximately 30,000 square kilometres; 83 per cent in Alberta, the remainder in Saskatchewan.

Between April of 2009 and April of 2010, Halter conducted interviews in the Battle River area with elected officials, business owners, municipal workers, farmers and others with specific personal or professional interests in water management.

Besides a lack of faith in past public consultation processes, the research revealed other concerns about water policy:

• The idea of establishing markets for the sale of water was not supported, and even feared. "The general concern is that water could become too expensive and force small farmers out of the market, and discourage new producers." There was also concern about water pricing for general human consumption, Halter added.
• The government needs to keep water policy flexible to fit different communities, Halter said. "There has to be a movement towards local knowledge, and the government has to draft its regulations to individual circumstances of areas. For instance, there are very different situations between the Bow River and the Battle River."
• Water management issues should be brought into the public school curriculum at all levels. "Students are open to information and will bring it home to their parents."
• The "first in time, first in right" system of allocating water rights to irrigation-based agriculture and other industries needs changing. Under the system, those with first rights can take all of their water prior to junior licencees getting any water. "Concerns are that the system was limiting growth, hindering junior water licences and could infringe on human consumption."
• All Albertans benefit from healthy water systems, therefore a new tax or other initiative needs to be levied that would raise funds for wetlands restoration, nature preserves and purchasing land for eco-conservation.
• Crown lands in ecologically sensitive areas, such as the headwaters of the Battle River, need to be protected permanently. "Crown land needs to be a showpiece of environmental health."

Halter hopes that the province will heed her findings, especially those that recommend more local input into water policy.

"The province needs to take a serious look at having citizens draft policies for their communities," she said.

Bill 36, under the Alberta Land Stewardship Act, allows for regional plans to be made, but they can be unilaterally changed under an order in-council.

"My study showed that the public perception is that the current consultation process is more of a show-and-tell rather than having residents develop water regulation," Halter said. "Without direct involvement from the community, people will be reluctant to accept and follow water resource management plans."