There's $1 million of funding coming to four UNBC professors in the Integrated Water Research Group.
The Nechako Environmental Enhancement Fund has approved a $500,000 grant from the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and matching funds will come from other sources.
The four professors are Stephen Dery, Canada research chair in northern hydrometeorology; Philip Owens and Ellen Petticrew, forest renewal B.C. chairs in landscape ecology; and Margot Parkes, Canada research chair in health, ecosystems and society, who will use the funds to examine issues, including water security in a changing climate, river fine-sediment sources and developing tools to share information.
"Sediment source tracing in the watershed will identify areas of disturbance and erosion which contribute fine sediment to stream channels and the Nechako River, " said Petticrew. "The fine sediments are themselves a pollutant - for example turbidity and carrier of chemicals."
And that can destroy fish habitat.
Funds will also go towards hiring a project manager and train post-doctoral research fellows, undergraduate and graduate students.
Results of the research will be shared through public workshops as well as during conferences, publications and presentations.
The professors have been studying the watershed for years in Northern B.C., including the Nechako River basin and the funds will allow their research to continue.
