Okanagan Basin Water Board Meeting Agenda

DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 2014

TIME: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

PLACE: Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen

101 Martin St., Penticton, B.C.

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER

2. INTRODUCTION OF LATE ITEMS

3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

4. ADOPTION OF MINUTES

4.1 Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board of Feb. 4, 2014 at

Regional District of Central Okanagan. (page 1)

5. PRESENTATION

5.1 Tricia Brett – UBC-O researcher on Endocrine Disruptors in Okanagan Waste Water

6. STAFF REPORTS

6.1 Executive Director Report (page 8) (resolutions requested)

6.1.1 Vancouver Fdn./BC Real Estate Fdn. news release

re: B.C. public opinion water study (page 11)

6.1.2 Van. Sun article “B.C. beefs up rules for off-road vehicle operators” (page 13)

6.2 Water Stewardship Director Report (page 15)

6.3 Office and Project Manager Report (page 18)

6.4 Communications Director Report (page 20)

7. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS

7.1 OBWB Signing Authority Memo (page 23) (resolution requested)

7.2 Zebra mussel inspection program (page 25) (resolution requested)

7.2.1 Dan Albas’ MP Report re: zebra/quagga mussels (page 26)

7.2.2 NY Times article “Science Takes On a Silent Invader” (page 28)

8. CORRESPONDENCE

9. NEXT MEETING

8.1 The next meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board will be on Tuesday, April 1, at the

Regional District of North Okanagan, in Vernon.

10. ADJOURNMENT

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MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE OKANAGAN BASIN WATER BOARD

HELD FEBRUARY 4, 2014, AT REGIONAL DISTRICT OF CENTRAL OKANAGAN,

1450 KLO RD., KELOWNA, B.C.

PRESENT

Chair Doug Findlater Regional District Central Okanagan

Vice-chair Juliette Cunningham Regional District North Okanagan

Director Doug Dirk Regional District North Okanagan

Alt. Director Rick Fairbairn Regional District North Okanagan

Director Keith Fielding Regional District Central Okanagan

Director Gerry Zimmermann Regional District Central Okanagan

Director Allan Patton Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen

Director Stu Wells Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen

Director Toby Pike Water Supply Association of BC

Director Don Dobson Okanagan Water Stewardship Council

REGRETS

Director Wes Hopkin Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen

Director James Pepper Okanagan Nation Alliance

OBWB STAFF

Anna Warwick Sears Executive Director

Nelson Jatel Water Stewardship Director

Corinne Jackson Communications Director

James Littley Office and Projects Manager

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER

Dr. Warwick Sears called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m.

2. APPOINTMENTS TO THE OBWB

2.1 Board Appointments and Elections for 2014

Regional District of North Okanagan

Director Juliette Cunningham

Director Doug Dirk

Director Bob Fleming

Alternates – Mary Jo O’Keefe, Rick Fairbairn, Mike Macnabb

Regional District of Central Okanagan

Director Keith Fielding

Director Doug Findlater

Director Gerry Zimmermann

Alternates – Patty Hanson, James Baker, Gail Given

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

Director Wes Hopkin

Director Allan Patton

Director Stu Wells

Alternates – Michael Brydon, Mark Pendergraft, Tom Siddon

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 4.1

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Official Minutes of Okanagan Basin Water Board Meeting February 4, 2014

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Okanagan Nation Alliance

Director – James Pepper

Alternate – TBD

Water Supply Association of BC

Director Toby Pike

Alternate – Bob Hrasko

Okanagan Water Stewardship Council Director Don Dobson

Alternate – Robert Birtles

3. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR

Dir. Zimmerman nominated Dir. Findlater as Chair. Seconded by Dir. Cunningham.

There being no other nominations, Dir. Findlater was declared Chair by acclamation.

Dir. Findlater nominated Dir. Cunningham for Vice-Chair. Seconded by Dir. Zimmermann.

There being no other nominations, Dir. Cunningham was declared Vice-Chair by acclamation.

4. INTRODUCTION OF LATE ITEMS

There were no new items.

5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

“THAT the agenda of the regular meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board of

February 4, 2014 be approved.”

CARRIED

6. ADOPTION OF MINUTES

6.1 Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board of Dec. 3, 2013 at

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

“THAT the minutes of the regular meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board of Dec. 3,

2013 at Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen be adopted.”

CARRIED

7. PRESENTATION

7.1 Todd Cashin, City of Kelowna – Mission Creek Restoration Initiative (MCRI) and flood

control

Dr. Warwick Sears introduced Mr. Cashin who provided an overview of the MCRI which began in

2008, bringing together several stakeholders in an effort to restore the natural functions of the

creek between East Kelowna bridge and Okanagan Lake.

The creek, explained Mr. Cashin, provides 25% of all water entering into Okanagan Lake and

was designated a BC heritage river in 1997, recognizing its importance.

There are several issues it is facing, in part because of diking in the 1950s, including the loss of

wetlands and fish habitat, and impact on the sport fishery. Creek channelization has also

impacted fish and wildlife habitats. There are a number of bird species at risk, he added. With

the changing climate, flooding is also on the increase.

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The vision of the MCRI is to repair and protect this area. Flood protection efforts alone have

several benefits, Mr. Cashin noted, including species at risk protection and recovery, fish and

aquatic species enhancement, cultural enhancement, GHG sequestration, and biodiversity

enhancement.

MCRI is looking at several methods to restore the creek, including: setting back dikes and

widening the creek, re-establishing the flood plain, reconnecting remnant oxbows, restoring

creek banks and planting riparian vegetation, creating wetlands and habitat for species at risk,

maintaining the greenway and public access to it, and improving drainage to agricultural lands.

Mr. Cashin thanked the OBWB for provided funding for various parts of the project, dating back

to 2008, including an ecological goods and services assessment in 2012 and funding for site

setback and habitat enhancement work in 2013.

The group is now raising funds now to acquire property and will be going to the public in 2015

for feedback on its plans.

Directors asked questions. There was some discussion about the increase in flooding, the

impact of climate change and the need for greater resiliency.

Up until now, a lot of the work has been reactive and there needs to be more proactive effort

made. Mr. Cashin noted that the province is currently conducting a hydraulic capacity study on

the creek.

There was some discussion about potential partners for future work, including property

acquisition, as well as government funding, especially with the renewal of the Columbia Basin

Treaty and its interest in fish and the role the Okanagan plays in a healthy fish population in the

Columbia.

8. STAFF REPORTS

8.1 Executive Director Report

Looking forward to 2014

Dr. Warwick Sears reported that a review of the Water Management Program is due in 2014,

requiring the OBWB to return to all three regional districts and discuss re-approval of the

program including the WCQI grant program, the communication programs, the Water

Stewardship Council, and policy and science initiatives. Staff will be undertaking the review in

the spring and summer of 2014, and going to the regional districts in early fall, before the next

local government elections.

OK Falls Treatment Plant

Dr. Warwick Sears introduced discussion around the Ok Falls Treatment Plant and RDOS’ wish

to discharge treated waste water into a nearby wetland for further polishing before it’s released

into the Okanagan River channel. The process is intended to ensure a higher quality of water

being released into the channel and a healthier aquatic habitat (e.g. for salmon). The method is

recognized as best practice for releasing treated waste water back into the system, as well as an

effective method for dealing with Endocrine Disrupting Compounds, a concern to the OBWB

board.

There has been some opposition by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, concerned with the

impact on ducks, she noted. Directors discussed the issue and directed staff to write a letter to

the B.C. Ministry of Environment and federal Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, requesting that the

matter be resolved.

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“THAT the Okanagan Basin Water Board send a letter to federal Environment Minister

Leona Aglukkaq and Fisheries Minister Gail Shea asking that issues around the

Okanagan Falls Treatment Plant and its proposed development of an engineered

wetland to provide additional polishing of the water before returning it to Okanagan

River, be resolved. AND, that the letter be cc’d to MPs Alex Atamanenko and Dan Albus,

to Okanagan Nation Alliance and the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

CARRIED

Dr. Warwick Sears went on to provide updates on other projects including a Water Allocation

Tool which the OBWB is helping develop that will help the province make water licencing

decisions,

An updated Water Conservation Guide for local government has been developed in partnership

between the OBWB, the province and the POLIS Project, It is available on the OBWB website at:

http://www.obwb.ca/newsite/wp-content/uploads/WCG_Design3.0_Web.pdf. The guide is

intended for communities who want to develop a plan for water efficiency, she added, saying

that the province may require communities to have a plan before providing grants.

Dr. Warwick Sears and Mr. Jatel attended Watersheds 2014 (re. watershed governance) and

presented on the work of the OBWB. There were presentations from various First Nations and

their work on watershed planning and opportunities for partnerships. The province also

presented on the new Water Sustainability Act.

The OBWB is working with RDOS and other partners to develop a grant proposal to RBC Blue

Water, extending the effort of the Make Water Work campaign from messaging through media to

delivering hands-on programs in the Okanagan valley.

Dr. Warwick Sears invited discussion regarding the presentation of an award to Judie Steeves,

who recently retired from the Kelowna Capital News, recognizing her for her commitment in

promoting the protection of the valley’s water resources. Directors agreed. The award will be

presented as part of Canada Water Week activities in March.

“THAT the Okanagan Basin Water Board present Judie Steeves with an award during

Canada Water Week, recognizing her for her commitment to promoting the protection of

the valley’s water resources.”

CARRIED

“THAT the Executive Director’s Report, dated Jan. 24, 2013, be received.”

CARRIED

8.2 Water Stewardship Director Report

Mr. Jatel reported that next council meeting will include discussion around flooding and

floodplain management. The board directors and local government staff are encouraged

to attend.

“THAT the Water Stewardship Director’s Report, dated Jan. 24, 2014, be received.”

CARRIED

8.3 Office and Project Manager Report

Mr. Littley reported on a meeting he attended in Washington State regarding milfoil and

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other invasive species. There was some discussion about research being done to

develop a biological control method for zebra/quagga mussels that is of interest. It was

approved by the EPA in 2011 and is currently used in facility operations as a

chlorination substitute. It is a naturally derived toxin from a common bacteria that

selectively poisons z/q mussels. Tests suggest it is harmless on native fish, plants, and

even other

native mussels.

Mr. Littley reported on a severe windstorm in Kelowna that tore two rototillers from

where they were moored. Staff will be reviewing tie-up procedures.

“THAT the Office and Project Manager’s Report, dated Jan. 22, 2014, be received.”

CARRIED

8.4 Communications Director Report

Ms. Jackson provided an overview of her memo, referring to an attached final report on the

2013 Make Water Work (MWW) campaign, and noted plans for 2014. The matching fund

arrangement developed for local government partners has been successful in leveraging in-kind

funds from additional partners, she added. For a $2-3,000 advertising investment from local

government partners, matched by the Okanagan WaterWise program, the OBWB was able to

deliver a campaign in 2013 worth nearly $119,000. (This is up from $92,411 in 2012.)

Ms. Jackson also provided an overview of the 2013 Don’t Move a Mussel initiative, referring to

an attached final report. She also noted plans for the coming spring/summer. Again, the

campaign showed strong results, measured in part by the number of visits to

www.DontMoveAMussel.ca, and extensive public feedback. Staff were able to leverage

advertising dollars thanks to support from some of the media partners. With an investment of

just over $40,000, staff delivered a campaign worth more than $170,000 (more than

$129,500 in-kind).

There was discussion about plans for Canada Water Week including the screening of the award-

winning documentary Watermark, the annual panel and public discussion event, and the multi-

media contest for kids.

“THAT the Communications and Research Coordinator’s Report, dated Jan. 28, 2014,

be received.”

CARRIED

9. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS

9.1 Sewage Grant - 1.0 Hectare Policy Update Memo

Dr. Warwick Sears presented her report on the 1.ha policy reminding the board about previous

discussions and its decision to have the policy apply to carriage houses. The policy, she

explained, is to discourage local governments from approving carriage houses on small lots with

septic systems because of the potential for septic failures. An Okanagan local government

could risk eligibility to the OBWB’s Sewage Facilities Grant Program if they approve such a

project, she added.

“THAT the Sewage Grant - 1.0 Hectare Policy Update Memo, dated Jan. 24, 2014, be

received.”

CARRIED

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9.2 Invasive Zebra and Quagga Mussel Pilot Inspection Program Memo

Dr. Warwick Sears presented her memo, noting that the province’s interest in a pilot program

surfaced over a meeting between herself and Mr. Jatel with the Okanagan MLA caucus, with

MPs Cannan and Albus joining by telephone.

In speaking with the province’s lead staff on this issue, it was suggested that a pilot in the

Okanagan doesn’t protect the region because of all the roads that lead to the valley. Canadian

Border Services needs a federal ban on the importation of invasive mussels to be able to act

and is hoping for this in 2014. Without the ban, CBSA may be able to look and monitor boats

coming across the border but not do anything, so it would need B.C. conservation officers to

enforce under B.C. legislation.

A recent report regarding the Idaho inspection program found 20% of the contaminated boats it

checked were on their way to Alberta (9%) or B.C. (11%). The program does not run 24/7,

added Dr. Warwick Sears, noting that we can’t expect these inspectors to always have our back.

It is estimated that a single inspection station would cost $60-160,000 a year and that perhaps

15 would be sufficient, located at strategic locations throughout B.C. – the B.C./Alberta border

for example. The program could be funded through the sale of inspection stickers, the same way

Idaho has been operating its successful program.

There was discussion about the existing www.DontMoveAMussel.ca campaign and the need to

continue it and expand (e.g. boat shows in Alberta and Saskatchewan).

After lengthy discussion, the board directed staff to take action on a number of items.

“THAT the Okanagan Basin Water Board staff prepare and deliver a report to the

Okanagan MLA caucus regarding the threat of zebra/quagga mussels, complete with

recommendations. AND that staff organize a forum for Okanagan water utilities on

what is being done in affected areas and how to prepare for a local invasion. AND that

staff prepare and deliver a report to the Water Board exploring implications and

opportunities for local government bylaws to address zebra and quagga mussels. AND

that additional letters be sent to the appropriate federal ministers to encourage the

legislation necessary to address the mussel threat, and to the federal and provincial

ministers encouraging appropriate funds to act.

CARRIED

There was further discussion regarding the province’s law against possessing and carrying the

invasive mussels, but the lack of enforcement. Staff offered to follow-up with the province and

get an update.

10. CORRESPONDENCE

10.1 Letter from Federal Minister of Environment to OBWB re: national park

“THAT the Okanagan Basin Water Board receive the correspondence from Federal

Minister of Environment re: national park.”

CARRIED

10.2 Letter from Federal Minister of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness to District of

West Kelowna re: zebra/quagga mussels

“THAT the Okanagan Basin Water Board receive the correspondence from Federal

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Minister of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness to District of West Kelowna re:

zebra/quagga mussels.”

CARRIED

11. NEXT MEETING

11.1 The next meeting of the Okanagan Basin Water Board will be March 4, 2014 at the

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

Directors and staff thanked former vice-chair Fairbairn for his time and support during his time

on the Water Board. He will continue on as an alternate as he assumes the role of Chair for the

RDNO.

12. ADJOURNMENT

“THAT there being no further business, the regular meeting of the Okanagan Basin

Water Board of February 4, 2014 be adjourned at 2 p.m.”

CARRIED

Certified Correct:

Chair Executive Director

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140304_ED Report_memo

M E M O R A N D U M

File No. 0550.04

To: OBWB Directors

From: Anna Warwick Sears, Executive Director

Date: February 24, 2014

Subject: Executive Director Report

2014 Renewal of Water Management Program

Every three years, OBWB undertakes a self-review of the Water Management Program, requesting

the regional districts for re-approval of the WCQI grants, the communication programs, and other

water stewardship, policy and science initiatives. Staff will be undertaking the review in the spring

and summer of 2014, and going to the regional districts in early fall, before the election.

The three-year cycle is coordinated with the election cycle, and allows the politicians to consider our

work from the position of experience. The province has recently circulated a press release that after

the 2014 election, municipal governments will switch to a four year cycle, and I recommend that we

adjust our renewal schedule as well. The Water Management program was originally intended to be

on a five year cycle, but was shortened to match the election term.

Recommended motion: That the OBWB, as part of the process of the Water Management

Program, request that the renewal period be extended to every four years, to match the election

cycle.

Environment Canada Grant Applications

In late February, we submitted four funding applications to Environment Canada, and hope to receive

notice of funding in late spring. The proposed projects are (1) to collect data on groundwater quality

from water suppliers and create a map-interface to display the information; (2) undertake a study to

support discharge of tertiary treated wastewater from Okanagan Falls into a wetland before release

to the Okanagan River; (3) Phase II of the Okanagan Wetland Strategy, focusing on outreach and

policy; and (4) additional funding to support re-establishment of Water Survey of Canada hydrometric

stations.

BC Water Funders Updates

I’ve been participating on a small ad hoc steering committee from the Real Estate Foundation of BC,

the Moore Foundation and the Vancouver Foundation to establish a BC Water Funders group. This is

an informal association of private, corporate, and public organizations and agencies that provide

funds for freshwater initiatives in B.C. We’ve developed a terms of reference and will be holding at

least two meetings in 2014. There is also interest in having a funders workshop in the Okanagan in

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 5.1

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140204_ED Report_memo

September 2014. The BC Water Funders Group is linked with the national Water Funders Group

(managed by the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network which meets this May in Calgary).

The BC Group is particularly interested in opportunities to support the implementation of the B.C.

Water Sustainability Act.

B.C. Water Study news release

The Real Estate Foundation of BC and Vancouver Foundation have released the results of a public

opinion study on attitudes toward freshwater issues in British Columbia. Please see attached press

release. Results include:

95% view quality and abundance of fresh water as vitally important to health and well-being

in their region.

87% agree that local communities should have the right to say "yes" or "no" to decisions

affecting their fresh water.

89% favour strict province-wide standards for water protection.

87% say the provincial government should play the lead role in funding water monitoring.

87% of respondents believe the protection of nature and ecosystems should be a top priority.

Off-Road Report

Good news for source protection. Off-road vehicles like dirt bikes and quads will soon need to be

registered with licence plates when used in public places, as part of new legislation proposed by the

B.C. government. The government is also raising the maximum fine to $5,000, from the current

$500. Snowmobiles have been subject to registration since the 1970s, but will require licence plates

instead of the current sticker system. Please see attached news story.

Funds for Irrigation Training

The OBWB has budgeted $10,000 for irrigation training next fiscal year. There is a shortage of

trained, certified irrigators in the valley, and OBWB has a policy position paper recommending more

training for irrigation installers. The Capital Regional District and the Regional District of Nanaimo

both subsidize irrigation training through the Irrigation Industry Association of BC (IIABC), and this

would be a very efficient way for OBWB to support irrigation training in the Okanagan. I’ve been

corresponding with the IIABC, and they will put on extra courses for us in the fall. They recommend

we subsidize local attendance at the following two-day courses at a level TBD (they normally cost

$310 for registration and $100 for the exam).

Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT) –Level 2 Landscape course, a 2-day course with exam on

second day. Usually 20 -25 people attend the CIT-2 regional courses.

Certified Irrigation Scheduler (CIS) course, which is ”a really good course for those who have

either taken their CIT-1 or 2 training. They have learned to install a system properly and then

need to know how to figure out efficient run times based on soils, climate.”

Recommended motion: That the OBWB partner with the Irrigation Industry Association of BC to

deliver irrigation training courses in the Okanagan.

Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussel Research

The other mussel we worry about is the endangered Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussel. In Canada, it is

only found in the Okanagan. Concerns about the mussel caused environmental regulators to limit

some of our milfoil control efforts. No young mussels and few adults had ever been found, and

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140204_ED Report_memo

regulators thought that our rototilling may be affecting their reproduction. The Ministry of Forests,

Lands, and Natural Resource Operations provided funding to UBCO to support some basic ecological

study, and a researcher (Dr. Jon Mageroy) and a Masters student were hired.

We met with Dr. Mageroy this week, and he presented some very good news. He’s found many

hundreds of mussels – very dense in the Okanagan river channel near Oliver, and very dense around

Summerland, with a few other good populations here and there. Very few were found in Osoyoos, or

in the Central Okanagan. He’s found many juveniles, buried deep in the sediment, and every site

they surveyed had young less than seven years old. They aren’t as endangered as once feared.

Experiments are underway to test the effects of rototilling on mussels.

These results are being presented on February 26th at UBCO, and will be developed into a report for

FLNRO.

Upcoming March Workshops

On March 6 and 7th, the OBWB will host an RBC/Tides Canada-funded workshop intended to

strengthen the Make Water Work program partnerships. We’ve had great response from our industry

and local government partners, and expect full attendance. On March 11th, we’re holding a technical

advisory workshop for development of the Water Allocation Tool to improve provincial licensing

policy.

Watermark Movie

We will be showing the multiple award-winning film Watermark in Kelowna on March 19th. We have

some tickets set aside for board and staff. Please contact James Littley if you would like a ticket. All

others will purchase tickets through EventBrite. Tickets are not available at the theatre.

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B.C. study: strong public support for new water protection laws 87% say local communities should have a greater say in decisions affecting fresh water

FEBRUARY 26, 2014, Vancouver, B.C. – A public opinion study released today by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Vancouver Foundation found that only 38 per cent of respondents say that current water use in their region is sustainable. Three in four British Columbians (76%) believe that if nothing is done to improve the management of water resources, it will become a serious problem in the next 10 years.

These results are framed by a finding that 95 per cent of British Columbians view the quality and abundance of fresh water as vitally or highly important to health and well being in their region. Nine in ten (93%) say that water is B.C.’s most precious resource.

Conducted last year to assess public attitudes toward freshwater issues in British Columbia, study results signal that British Columbians are starting to pay attention to freshwater issues in the province.

“The findings of this study clearly show that British Columbians are ready for the government to follow through on the recent Throne Speech promise to enact a strong Water Sustainability Act,” says Oliver Brandes of the POLIS Project at the University of Victoria, a co-lead in the design of the study. “It also confirms that the public sees local community direction and involvement in decision-making as a critical element in a modern water management regime. But that this does not provide an excuse for downloading responsibilities; government at all levels must remain active and involved.”

The study shows public support for greater local control over the management of freshwater resources, suggesting that expectations of the role of government are changing. Eighty-seven per cent of respondents agree that, subject to strict environmental standards, local communities should have the right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to decisions affecting their fresh water. Fewer than two in ten respondents (19%) agree that adopting stricter rules for protecting our fresh water will harm our economy.

While there is widespread belief that local communities deserve to have a greater say in decisions, the study also found solid consensus around the need for provincial and federal governments to provide critical regulation, and undertake scientific research and monitoring. Almost nine in ten respondents (89%) favour strict province-wide rules and standards for water protection and 87 per cent say that the provincial government should play the lead or major role in funding water monitoring.

"Fresh water is a priority issue for the Real Estate Foundation because of the vital link between healthy watersheds, and healthy landscapes and communities," said Jack Wong, CEO of the Real Estate Foundation of BC. "By governing and managing freshwater resources well, our province has a better chance of ensuring abundant, clean water for ourselves and the natural world that supports us.”

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 6.1.1

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“The importance of this study is that it shows how fresh water is of fundamental importance to the well-being of communities across the province and it also demonstrates the public’s appetite for strong water laws and increased community engagement,” says Kevin McCort, President and CEO of Vancouver Foundation. “Vancouver Foundation supports the government’s proposal to enable local watershed governance in its new water legislation to build on local knowledge and expertise, recognize First Nations rights and title, and support proactive community watershed planning.” When asked how governments should update the rules for protecting and managing fresh water, 87 per cent of respondents believe that ensuring the protection of nature and natural ecosystems should be a top priority, and three in four (77%) are strongly in favour of requiring any business that damages or pollutes a watershed to pay into a local freshwater protection fund.

“A new Water Sustainability Act would be the first major reform in water law and policy for over one hundred years, so we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure B.C.’s water future,” says Brandes. “Unlike so many issues that divide us, this study shows that fresh water unites British Columbians and an unusually broad-based public consensus supports taking strong action to protect our precious water resources.”

“It’s actually a really exciting opportunity because, with support from the Province, there are many communities and partners that are ready to help B.C. make great strides forward in freshwater stewardship,” says Jack Wong.

- 30 -

About the Real Estate Foundation of BC: The Real Estate Foundation of BC is a philanthropic organization that helps advance sustainable land use in British Columbia. It provides grants to non-profit organizations working to improve B.C. communities and natural environments through responsible and informed land use, conservation and real estate practices. Its funding programs support research, education, and law and policy reform. Since 1988, the Foundation has approved more than $65 million in grants. Learn more at www.refbc.com. About Vancouver Foundation: With almost 1,500 funds and assets totaling $814 million, Vancouver Foundation is Canada’s largest community foundation. In 2012, Vancouver Foundation and its donors made more than 4,000 grants, totaling approximately $46 million to registered charities across Canada. Since it was founded in 1943, Vancouver Foundation, in partnership with its donors, has distributed more than $917 million to thousands of community projects and programs. Grant recipients range from social services to medical research groups, to organizations devoted to arts and culture, the environment, education, children and families, disability supports for employment, youth issues and animal welfare. To find out more visit: vancouverfoundation.ca or follow us on social media: Facebook.com/vancouverfdn or @VancouverFdn. Contact:

Celina Owen Real Estate Foundation of BC 604.343.2623 | toll free 1.866.912.6800 ext. 103 celina@refbc.com

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Page 1 of 3

M E M O R A N D U M

File No. 0550.04

To: Board of Directors

From: Nelson R. Jatel

Date: February 25, 2014

Subject: Water Stewardship Director’s Report

Water Stewardship Council

(Technical advisory body to the Board)

The February 13th Council meeting theme was Okanagan flood risk

and management. The attendance for the meeting was very high with

significant interest from a number of local government and senior

government staff. A panel of four speakers provided a range of expert

advice on important aspects of flood risk and hazards.

The panel of water professionals provided important perspectives

about flood management for discussion and review by the Council.

Flood management issues are relevant to the Okanagan’s economy, social considerations and

ecosystem. The following provides a snap shot of the presentations:

Introduction to Okanagan flood & risk management [Nelson Jatel,

OBWB]

Mr. Jatel provided an overview of floodplain mapping in British

Columbia and policy tools for implementation by local governments.

One example of a local government flood plain bylaw is one in

Kelowna and reads:

The Kelowna Mill Creek Flood Plain Bylaw designates land as

Flood Plain, subject to Section 910 of the Local Government Act,

for Mill Creek area and to regulate the development of land that is

subject to flooding by Mill Creek.

Managing engineered infrastructure along Mission Creek

[Bob Hrasko, Black Mountain Irrigation District]

Mr. Hrasko presented on Mission Creek flooding issues, challenges

and opportunities. Mission Creek is the largest creek – with the

largest supporting snow pack - in the Okanagan. Last June,

Mission Creek had the highest flows ever recorded.

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 6.2

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Page 2 of 3

From hazard to risk

[Tamsin Lyle, Ebbwater Consulting]

Ms. Lyle provided a comprehensive presentation on flood basics

and presented the need to transition from hazard management to

risk management: incorporating hazard, likelihood, and

consequence. She presented a number of useful tools for flood

managers and decision makers.

Flood hazards and risk management in the Okanagan

[Shaun Reimer, FLNRO Flood Safety engineer]

Mr. Reimer provided an overview of provincial regulations around

flooding and dikes. He provided insights into the study identifying

capacity of Mission Creek and determining how best to manage

dikes along the creek

Importance of flood plain mapping for local governments and real-estate transactions

[Norma Miller, BC Real Estate Association]

The BC Real Estate Association is leading an initiative to update

provincial flood maps. Real Estate boards around the province

have identified the need to improve flood management in BC.

The Association commissioned a report in 2010 to study the state

of flood management in BC. They have recently hired Steve

Conrad, an SFU researcher who has done much work on

Okanagan water management, as part-time coordinator.

What is the difference between a flood hazard and risk?

A flood hazard is the hydrologic event that causes harm (e.g.

damage to property or person). Whereas, flood risk is the

chance of harm being done or the likely hood and the extent of

flood damage. Developing a flood plan to reduce risk involves

identifying the hazard, assessing the likelihood and

consequences, and managing potential harm.

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Page 3 of 3

Some of the important take home messages from this Council session included:

There exists a clear opportunity to update Okanagan flood plain maps;

Local governments will benefit by moving from flood hazard management to flood risk

management; and

Better information about stream hydrology and up-to-date information about our snow-packs

and intensely localized weather events are important to support emergency preparedness

March Council meeting

The next Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 13th from 12:30 – 4:30. This month’s

meeting themes include: (1) Water Act Modernization, (2) Okanagan water indicators, and (3) review

of Okanagan flood/drought potential for this year (status of Okanagan water supplies). All Board

members are encouraged to attend.

17

130204_OPM_memo

1450 KLO Road, Ke lowna, BC V1W 3Z4

P 250.469.6270 F 250.762.7011 www.obwb.ca

M E M O R A N D U M

File No. 0550.04

To: OBWB Directors

From: James Littley

Date: February 25, 2014

Subject: Office and Project Manager Report

Milfoil Control Program At the February Board meeting, I reported on damage to one of the rototillers during a wind storm, and I

was asked to report back to the board on whether there were better practices for mooring the machines

overnight and on weekends. The current practice is to moor the machines in public areas, such as

Paddlewheel Park in Vernon, or the Cook Rd. boat launch in Kelowna. The machines are parked with the

tiller head acting as an anchor in the lake bottom, and the machine is also tied to the nearby dock. This

has been the practice for 20 years, and this is only the second wind storm that has caused any damage

during that timeframe. When the machine breaks loose, it is generally pushed farther on shore.

Two alternative mooring strategies were presented by Ian Horner, our senior operator, neither of which is

recommended.

1. Shelter the machines in a marina or other sheltered bay. The problem with this approach is that the cab

of the machines acts effectively as a sail. In a marina, if the machine were to be blown around, it would

likely cause far more extensive damage to our machine, adjacent boats and the private property.

2. Moor the machines on a buoy in more open water. This approach would allow the machines to move

with the wind. The problem with this approach is that if the machine broke loose, it would float freely

around the lake, with obvious potential consequences. The other problem with this approach is that

operators would be required to row between the machine and shore twice a day, decreasing efficiency and

increasing the likelihood of accidents.

I recommend that the current practice be continued, and if wind storms causing damage become more

frequent, staff can explore options with local governments for designated sheltered mooring areas away

from private property.

Water Conservation and Quality Improvement Grants

The deadline for WCQI Grant applications this year was February 21. This year the OBWB received 27

eligible WCQI Grant Applications requesting $472,648. Although the total number of applications was

consistent with previous years, we received fewer applications from the North and Central Okanagan, and

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 6.3

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131203_OPM_memo

more than twice as many as last year from the South Okanagan. Recommendations on funding will be

presented to the Board at the April Board meeting, with notice going to the applicants by the end of that

week. Below is a summary of applications received from the three Okanagan regional districts:

RDNO 4 applications $57,000 available $45,700 asked

RDCO 9 applications $178,920 available $235,598 asked

RDOS 13 applications $64,050 available $191,350 asked

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140304_CD Report_Memo

M E M O R A N D U M

File No. 0550.04

To: OBWB Directors

From: Corinne Jackson

Date: February 26, 2014

Subject: Communications Director Report

Make Water Work efforts expand

As noted in last month’s board report, we have offered matching dollars to local governments/utilities for

targeted MWW advertising in their community – with the benefit of the message being echoed throughout the

valley. In addition to all partners returning to the table (Armstrong, RDNO/Greater Vernon Water, Lake

Country, Peachland, RDOS, Penticton, Oliver and Osoyoos), Summerland has now signed on as a full partner

this year.

I have also been invited to speak with the Kelowna Joint Water Committee (representing Black Mountain

Irrigation District, City of Kelowna, Glenmore Ellison Irrigation District, Rutland Waterworks District, and South-

East Kelowna) and present on the campaign to determine their potential involvement in 2014.

While the campaign has, up until now, had some outreach included (e.g. newspaper articles, outreach at

events), the focus has primarily been connecting with people using media (e.g. radio, billboards, Facebook

ads, etc.). It has been a good strategy to get us started, but staff are now working to build the social

marketing program to have greater impact.

There is also great enthusiasm building for our “Growing a WaterWise Community in the Okanagan” strategic

workshop next week, March 6-7, bringing together the MWW committee (Okanagan local government utility

and communications staff) and the landscape/irrigation/nursery sector in the valley. This workshop is being

held with financial support from Tides Canada and RBC Blue Water.

Finally, staff have been working with RDOS on the development of their final proposal to RBC Blue Water for a

$100,000 grant to, again, grow MWW efforts. The proposal includes hands-on workshops for

landscapers/irrigators and homeowners throughout the valley, promoting landscaping that makes water work,

and the building of demonstration gardens in the valley.

UN World Water Day / Canada Water Week

Panel

Preparations are well-underway to hold this year’s popular public discussion/panel event for Canada Water

Week. The event will be held at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna, Th. March 20, from 5-8 p.m. We will soon

have tickets available to this FREE event available on EventBrite. The tickets will allow us to limit the numbers to

the number allowed for the space, and help with catering plans.

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 6.4

20

140304_CD Report_Memo

The event will begin with the presentation of an award to Judie Steeves, thanking her for her considerable efforts

to protect the water of the Okanagan.

The theme for UN World Water Day is “Water and Energy” and the theme for Canada Water Week is “Watersheds

101.” The panel will be MC’ed by AM1150’s Phil Johnson.

Panelists include:

- The OBWB’s Anna Warwick Sears talking about issues around water in our valley and the importance of

conservation;

- FortisBC’s Keith Veerman speaking about the connection/interdependence between water and energy,

the need for conservation, what the utility is doing to conserve – including new innovative solutions, what

they are doing with/for customers to promote conservation;

- District of Lake Country’s Kiel Wilkie talking about the water/ energy connection from a local government

perspective & what innovative energy solutions it is developing;

- green home builder Deren Sentesy, on the latest in energy/water conservation for homeowners (new

build and retrofit); and

- Okanagan homeowner Brian Guy who has built a very water/energy efficient home.

We are also going to have a few information tables set up that are in line with the topic, including one from

Greenstep Solutions and FortisBC.

Kids Contest

We are again holding our multi-media contest for youth, inviting classrooms, as well as individual youth

throughout the Okanagan to enter (e.g. a video, song, photo with 150 word essay, poem, photo essay, drawing,

painting, etc.). More details to come. However, we have lined up a number of partners for prizing again this year.

We are very thankful to Vernon Recreation Centre, Kelowna’s H2O Centre and Penticton Recreation for helping

with pool passes. Also, we are again offering classroom winners the opportunity to take a 2-hour cruise on

Okanagan Lake and learn about our water. Okanagan Science Centre has again kindly offered to provide the

instruction. And, Kelowna Dinner Cruises and Cruise Okanagan in Vernon have generously offered to help

provide the boat charter. We are still looking to connect with our boat charter partner in the South Okanagan.

Watermark

As noted in the Executive Director report, we are also presenting the documentary Watermark on March 19, 7-

9 p.m. at the Famous Players Orchard Plaza 5 Cinemas in Kelowna. As indicated we have tickets available for

board directors. Others are asked to purchase tickets through the EventBrite website at

http://tinyurl.com/lj3569d.

Watermark – named Best Canadian Film of 2013 by the Toronto Film Critics Association and having received

significant attention and glowing reviews – is based on the phenomenal photography of Edward Burtynsky,

illustrating our complicated relationship with water.

“While trying to accommodate the growing needs of an expanding – and very thirsty – civilization, we are

reshaping the Earth in colossal ways. In this new and powerful role over the planet, we are also capable of

engineering our own demise. We have to learn to think more long-term about the consequences of what we are

doing, while we are doing it. My hope is that these pictures will stimulate a process of thinking about something

essential to our survival; something we often take for granted—until it’s gone.” – Edward Burtynsky

Find the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOPLs_ogF-0.

Summary of Recent Media

Feb. 6 “Water Board wants sr. governments to get serious about zebra mussel threat to Okanagan,”

InfoTel News

Feb. 6 “Okanagan Basin Water Board Meeting Highlights,” InfoTel News

Feb. 6 “OBWB calls on sr. levels of government to respond to zebra mussel threat,” Civic Info BC

Feb. 7 “Study To Check Kal Lake Water Quality,” 107.5 KissFM (Vernon)

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140304_CD Report_Memo

Feb. 8 “Mussel threat prompts call for boat inspections in B.C.,” Kelowna Daily Courier

Feb. 9 “Editorial: Mussels require prompt action,” Vernon Morning Star

Feb. 9 “Water Board calls for urgent help from higher levels of government,” Welcome to Kelowna

Now.com

Feb. 10 “Okanagan Basin Water Board Fighting Against Invasive Mussels,” Water Canada

Feb. 11 “Officials demand action on mussels,” Vernon Morning Star

Feb. 12 “Editorial: Water threat warrants action,” Kelowna Daily Courier

Feb. 13 “Invasive mussels back in Okanagan group's cross-hairs,” Penticton Western News

Feb. 13 “Three West Kelowna officials minimize ‘naval gazing – lead boards outside Westside,’”

Westside Weekly

Feb. 13 “Mussel threat prompts call for inspections,” Westside Weekly

Feb. 13 “Water Board Briefs: West Kelowna mayor elected new chair; Mussel threat,” Kelowna Capital

News

Feb. 15 “Letter to Editor: Mussels serious threat to lakes,” Kelowna Daily Courier

Feb. 16 “Editorial: Endless cycle for water users,” Vernon Morning Star

Feb. 20 “Kelowna to seek $30,000 grant for Ok Lake shore erosion project,” Kelowna Capital News

Feb. 20 “Letter to Editor: Mussels serious threat to lakes,” Westside Weekly

Feb. 25 “Dan Albas MP Report - Invasive species costly to environment,” Castanet

Feb. 25 “MP Report for Okanagan-Coquihalla - Invasive species can be costly to environment &

taxpayer,” DanAlbas.com

Feb. 25 “MP Report for Okanagan-Coquihalla - Invasive species can be costly to environment &

taxpayer,” InfoTel News

Recent Presentations

Feb. 3 “Okanagan water update,” to Society for Open Learning – Anna Warwick Sears

Feb. 6 “Okanagan water and climate change,” to UBCO Geography Dept. – Anna Warwick Sears

Feb. 20 “Update on OBWB,” to RDOS – Anna Warwick Sears

Upcoming Presentations

Feb. 27 “Make Water Work campaign,” to Kelowna Joint Water Committee – Corinne Jackson

March 4 “Making Water Work in the dry Okanagan,” to Roots, Shoots and Boots (Communities in Bloom

– District of West Kelowna) – Corinne Jackson

March 20 OBWB World Water Day/Canada Water Week panel – Anna Warwick Sears

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140304_OBWB Signing Authority_Memo Page 1 of 2

M E M O R A N D U M

File No.1610.01

To: OBWB Directors

From: Anna Warwick Sears

Date: March 4, 2014

Subject: Updating Signing Authority

Recommendation: That the OBWB adopt the following resolution.

“WHEREAS it is desirable for the Okanagan Basin Water Board (hereinafter called the “Corporation”)

to authorize certain of its officers to, inter alia, sign cheques and contracts, deposit promissory notes

and cheques, receive paid cheques, obtain and deliver from the Corporation’s bankers, copies of all

or any stocks and bonds;

NOW THEREFORE, the Corporation hereby enacts as follows:

1. That all cheques of the corporation drawn on its General Accounts be signed on its behalf by

Doug Findlater, Chair; Gerry Zimmermann, Director; or Keith Fielding, Director; and

signed/countersigned by any one of the following: Marilyn Rilkoff, Manager of Finance and

Administration, or Brian Reardon, Chief Administrative Officer of the Regional District of

Central Okanagan.

2. That Marilyn Rilkoff, Manager of Finance and Administration, and Brian Reardon, Chief

Administrative Officer be and is/and are hereby authorized for and on behalf of the

Corporation to negotiate with, deposit with or transfer to the Corporation’s Bank (but for the

credit of the said Corporation only) all or any Bills of Exchange. Promissory notes, Cheques

and Orders for payments of money and other negotiable paper, and for the said purpose to

endorse the same or any of them on behalf of the said Corporation either in writing, rubber

stamp, or electronic printer.

3. That Marilyn Rilkoff, Manager of Finance and Administration, and Brian Reardon, Chief

Administrative Officer be and is/are hereby authorized for and on behalf of the said

Corporation from time to time to arrange, settle, balance and certify all books and accounts

between the said corporation and the bank; and to receive all paid cheques and vouchers

unpaid and unaccepted bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments.

4. That Marilyn Rilkoff, Manager of Finance and Administration, and Brian Reardon, Chief

Administrative Officer be and is hereby authorized for and on behalf of the said Corporation

to obtain delivery from the said bank for all or any stocks, bonds or other securities held by

the said Bank in safe-keeping or otherwise for the account of the said Corporation and to

give valid and binding receipts thereof.

5. That this resolution be communicated to the said Bank and remain in force until written

notice to the contrary shall have been given to the Manager for the time being the Branch of

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting April 2, 2013 Agenda No: 7.1

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140304_OBWB Signing Authority_Memo Page 2 of 2

the Bank at which the Account of the said Corporation is kept and receipt of such notice duly

acknowledged in writing.

6. And that Doug Findlater, Chair; Gerry Zimmermann, Director; or Keith Fielding, Director, have

the additional authority to sign contracts approved by the Okanagan Basin Water Board.”

7. This resolution shall take effect on the 4th day of March, 2014.

“That the Signing Authority Resolution be approved as presented.”

CARRIED.

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140304_ Invasive Mussel Inspection Program_memo

M E M O R A N D U M

File No. 0550.04

To: OBWB Directors

From: Nelson Jatel, Water Stewardship Director

Date: February 24, 2014

Subject: Recommendation for Invasive Mussel Inspection Program

Proposed recommendation: That the Province of British Columbia, through the Ministry of

Environment’s Conservation Science Section, Ecosystem Branch - Aquatic Invasive Species

Coordinator, invest up to $30,000 to develop a made-in British Columbia business case for

implementing a cost-neutral, dedicated user-pay ‘Protection against Invasive Species Sticker’

program for recreational watercraft. This business case will allow policy makers to assess the risks,

costs and benefits of similar user-pay programs and their local suitability and opportunity ensuring

B.C. waters remain un-infected by invasive mussels or other harmful aquatic invasive species.

Funding is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to implementing a boat inspection program for

aquatic invasive species. Although – through impacts to health, recreation and infrastructure –

invasive mussels could cost B.C. tens of millions of dollars per year, it appears difficult to budget

adequate funding for prevention. It makes sense for the solution to be user-pay, supported by fees

to boaters, who are the most likely carriers of the mussels.

In Idaho and Montana, the boat inspection program is entirely supported through the sale of

inspection stickers. In Massachusetts, the system is further streamlined by offering a self-

certification program. Every boat owner must complete a self-certification form (available online)

certifying that the boat has not been in an infected water body likely affected by zebra or quagga

mussels within the last 30 days, or if it has, that the boat has been properly cleaned and disinfected.

It should be relatively inexpensive for the B.C. government to develop a system of self-certification

and sticker sales for every boat and/or boat trailer in B.C. Funds from these stickers can then

support the inspection stations at the B.C./U.S. border and the B.C./Alberta border. Highway patrol

and Conservation Officers could then issue tickets and fines for people who have not purchased the

stickers. Visitors to B.C. could be reminded with road signs to self-certify and purchase stickers. The

certification process and the road signs will also serve to educate boaters about the threats from

these mussels. There may also be a role for the ICBC, checking whether trailer owners have

completed the self-certification before renewing their annual registration.

The recommendation above calls on the government to develop a business case, looking at different

options to begin the process of developing a user-pay (sticker-supported) inspection program to

prevent invasive mussels from entering B.C.

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 7.2

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SCIENCE

Science Takes On a Silent Invader By ROBERT H. BOYLE FEB. 24, 2014

Daniel P. Molloy, a biologist, examining rocks at Sleepy Hollow Lake in Athens, N.Y., for zebra mussels. He is a pioneer in developing environmentally safe control agents. Credit L. Mann/APO Sleepy Hollow Lake

Since they arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980s, two species of mussels the size of pistachios have spread to hundreds of lakes and rivers in 34 states and have done vast economic and ecological damage.

These silent invaders, the quagga and zebra mussels, have disrupted ecosystems by devouring phytoplankton, the foundation of the aquatic food web, and have clogged the water intakes and pipes of cities and towns, power plants, factories and even irrigated golf courses.

Now the mussels may have met their match: Daniel P. Molloy, an emeritus biologist at the New York State Museum in Albany and a self-described “Bronx boy who became fascinated by things living in water.”

Inspired by Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” in high school, Dr. Molloy, now 66, has long been a pioneer in the development of environmentally safe control agents to replace broad-spectrum chemical pesticides.

Leading a team at the museum’s Cambridge Field Research Laboratory in upstate New York, he discovered a bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CL145A, that kills the mussels but appears to have little or no effect on other organisms.

Okanagan Basin Water Board Regular meeting March 4, 2014 Agenda No: 7.2.2

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PLAY VIDEO

Zebra Mussels: Young and Invasive In contrast to adults whose shells are always firmly attached to substrates like rocks, the larval veliger stages of zebras mussels swim freely in water currents for several weeks.

As a result, New York State has awarded a license to Marrone Bio Innovations, a company in Davis, Calif., to develop a commercial formulation of the bacterium. The product, Zequanox, has been undergoing tests for several years, with promising results. (Dr. Molloy has no financial ties to the company.)

Zequanox killed more than 90 percent of the mussels in a test using tanks of water from Lake Carlos in Minnesota, said James A. Luoma, a research biologist with the United States Geological Survey in La Crosse, Wis. A control group of freshwater mussels, unionids from the Black River in Wisconsin, were unharmed.

In 2011, the federal Environmental Protection Agency reported that P. fluorescens CL145A presented “little risk to nontarget organisms.” The agency is now evaluating proposed open-water uses for Zequanox.

Natives of Eastern Europe in the genus Dreissena, zebra and quagga mussels began moving up the Volga River toward Western Europe 200 years ago. Highly prolific, they attach themselves to boats or any hard surface with their byssus, or beard. They can live out of water for two weeks, and their larvae, known as veligers, use currents to colonize new waters. As many as 700,000 mussels can pile up in a square yard.

Both species are thought to have arrived in North America in the ballast of trans-Atlantic cargo ships. By 1991 they appeared in the Hudson River, and within a year there were 500 billion between Troy and West Point, said David L. Strayer, an ecologist with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y.

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The tiny mussels became a dominant species in the Hudson. Not even counting their shells, their total weight exceeded that of all the fish, plankton and bacteria combined, Dr. Strayer said, adding that they filtered “a volume of water equal to that of all the water in the estuary every one to four days.” There were no natural enemies to keep them in check.

None, that is, except scientists like Dr. Molloy. His fascination with water goes back to childhood summers on Lake Hopatcong, in New Jersey, where his father, an Irish-born lieutenant in the New York Fire Department, had built a cottage.

In 1956, when Dan was 8, his father and five other firefighters were killed when a wall collapsed in a storefront blaze — still the department’s worst disaster in the Bronx. Their children were given scholarships to Fordham University; the young Mr. Molloy got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology at Fordham, and in 1972 entered the doctoral program at the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse.

There he began working with State Museum scientists on one of their most vexing research challenges: finding an environmentally safe way to control a plague of black flies in the Adirondacks, where swarms and slashing bites were making life and tourism unbearable in the spring and early summer.

He began by converting a ramshackle fish hatchery in Cambridge, about 40 miles north of Albany, into what is now an internationally recognized field laboratory.

“I was in biocontrol doctoral research heaven,” he said, “getting $25 a day to pursue the kind of problem I wanted to solve.”

A cluster of invasive zebra mussels attached to a native freshwater mussel from Lake Carlos in Minnesota. Such infestations lead to the larger mussel’s death. Credit D. P. Molloy/University at Albany

Dr. Molloy concentrated on finding agents that could kill the black fly larvae in streams before the adults emerged. He had no luck with natural parasites, but then he heard that

30

a bacterial subspecies called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, or Bti, discovered in a stagnant pond in the Negev desert in Israel, appeared to kill the larvae of black flies as well as those of mosquitoes.

Three years of intensive lab and field trials by Dr. Molloy, part of an international scientific effort, demonstrated Bti’s effectiveness and environmental safety. It is now widely used in place of chemical pesticides throughout North America.

In 1990, when Dr. Molloy learned that invasive mussels had infested New York power plants, he began looking for a bacterium that could do to them what Bti did to black flies.

The odds were against him, he recalls. There were thousands of potential candidates, and a single species of bacterium can have multiple strains that produce widely different effects. Nor was there any guarantee that any of them could control mussels.

The project took Dr. Molloy and his team, in particular his colleague Denise A. Mayer, 20 years of work in New York and Europe. His lab received more than $4 million in grants from the state, the National Science Foundation, the environmental program New York Sea Grant, electrical power utilities and other sources. (He was awarded $8,626 for travel and research by theHudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research in 1994, when this reporter was on its board.)

In 1995, after four years of testing more than 700 bacterial strains, excited staff members called Dr. Molloy into the lab. “Strain CL145A,” a bacterium he had collected in river mud, was killing zebra mussels. It turned out to be a strain of P. fluorescens.

“A toxin in the strain’s dead cells destroys the digestive system in a mussel,” he explained later. “Dead cells are equally lethal as live cells, providing clear evidence that the mussels die from an intoxicating natural product, not from infection.”

By contrast with caustic chemicals like chlorine, which cause the mussels to quickly shut their valves, the bacterium seems to travel normally through their inhalant siphons and into their digestive tracts. “Although ingestion of CL145A cells is clearly suicidal behavior for the mussels,” Dr. Molloy said, “they appear to have no adverse reaction” when they first feed on the cells.

Compared with chemical agents, he continued, “the effectiveness and environmental safety of this bacterial strain have proved extraordinary.”

Recently retired from the State Museum, Dr. Molloy is now a research biologist at the University at Albany, where he is assembling an international team of scientists to take on a new challenge: Haplosporidia, spore-forming parasites that have plagued bivalves worldwide.

There are more than 40 species, including the notorious Haplosporidium nelsoni MSX, which has devastated oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast. No one has been able to figure out how the spores spread infection from one host to another.

31

Dr. Molloy’s team has discovered a freshwater version of the parasites, H. raabei, that infects zebra mussels, and will try to understand its life cycle.

It is another daunting scientific challenge. But failure, Dr. Molloy said, “is not an option.”

A version of this article appears in print on February 25, 2014, on page D1 of the New York edition with the headline: Science Takes on a Silent Invader.

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