The Act makes provision for comprehensive water resource management (sects. 4 to 8) and water quality management (sects. 9 to 18), and related matters. For the purpose of facilitating the formulation of policies and programs with respect to the water resources of Canada and to ensure the optimum use of those resources, the Minister may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, enter into an arrangement with one or more provincial governments to establish, on a national, provincial, regional, lake or river-basin basis, intergovernmental committees or other bodies for consultation, coordination and advise with respect to water resource management and conservation. In addition, the Minister may, again with approval of the Governor in Council, with respect to any waters where there is a significant national interest in the water resource management thereof, enter into agreements with one or more provincial governments, providing for inventory and research programs. The Minister may, subject to certain conditions, undertake directly the implementation of water resource management programs. Also water quality management shall be carried out on the basis of federal-provincial agreements, and again, programs for this purpose may be carried out by the Minister directly in specified circumstances. Water Quality Management Agencies shall be established under the programs mentioned. The objects of each Water Quality Management Agency shall be to plan, initiate and carry out programs to restore, preserve and enhance the water quality level in the water quality management area for which the agency is incorporated.
Canada · 1985-01-01