Land conservation

Land conservation: Increase the quantity and improve the condition of conserved and restored land across the basin

Strategy Description

Increase the amount and improve the condition of conserved and restored land across the basin, particularly in areas of high biodiversity or hydrologic importance. This strategy aims to maintain and improve hydrologic function and watershed health, while focusing on areas that have low value for resource development but still meet biodiversity targets. This will minimize the lost opportunity cost of protecting an area while still improving streamflow and water quality while providing for a well managed and intact landscape that can help to mitigate flooding, etc. 

Possible Benefits 

• Potential water quality improvements
• A more natural landscape with potentially higher biodiversity
• Potentially less alteration to the hydrological regime of the basin
• Potentially fewer flood days
• Potentially fewer IFN violations 

Possible Trade-offs

• Industrial activity may move to other parts of the basin, impacting industrial footprint in other areas
• Potential decrease in meeting navigational targets due to storing more water on the landscape
• Potential increase in shortages under dry conditions