| #Q001 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Mackenzie River Basin Master Agreement Principles | aquatic life, other | The Master Agreement commits the parties, of which the GNWT and Canada are signatories, to the following principles in carrying out their responsibilities in the basin: 1. Manage the water resources in a manner consistent with the maintenance of the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem. 2. Manage the use of the water resources in a sustainable manner for present and future generations. 3. Allow each Party to the Agreement to use or manage the use of water resources within its jurisdiction provided such use does not unreasonably harm the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem in any other jurisdiction. 4. Provide for early and effective consultation, notification and sharing of information on developments and activities that might affect the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem in another jurisdiction. 5. Resolve issues in a cooperative and harmonious manner. | Applies to signatories of the Mackenzie River Basin Transboundary Master Agreement carrying out responsibilities in the basin. | high |
| #Q002 | treatment | health | mandatory | Drinking Water Quality Standards | drinking water | Drinking water shall meet or exceed national drinking water standards. | | high |
| #Q003 | operational | health | mandatory | Source Water Protection Measures | drinking water | Source water protection measures shall ensure that the water supply is of high quality, including measures to establish source protection areas. | | high |
| #Q004 | treatment | health | mandatory | Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Treatment | wastewater | Domestic and industrial wastewater shall be treated to the extent that the quality of the effluent does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health. | | high |
| #Q005 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Full Cost Accounting for Water Pricing | other | Water pricing based on full cost accounting principles shall be used as a tool for ensuring the wise use of water, minimizing wastage and avoiding excessive public expenditures on infrastructure. | | high |
| #Q006 | operational | operational | mandatory | Maintenance of Water Levels and Flows | aquatic life, other | Water management shall ensure adequate quantities and quality of both water levels and flows. | | high |
| #Q007 | operational | operational | mandatory | Valued Ecosystem Components (VECs) Sustenance | aquatic life | Water management shall focus on sustaining optimal supplies of valued ecosystem components (VECs) connected with the NWT water resources. | | high |
| #Q008 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Evaluation of Ecological Trade-Offs | aquatic life | Water management decisions shall evaluate the implications of water resources management alternatives on ecosystems as a whole and on specific VECs. Water management decisions shall ensure, at a minimum, adequate water quantity and quality to sustain key VECs and overall ecosystem health. | | high |
| #Q009 | operational | operational | mandatory | Provision for Subsistence Harvesting and Cultural Needs | other | Adequate quantity and quality of water shall be provided to satisfy subsistence harvesting and traditional cultural needs. | | high |
| #Q010 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Evaluation of Traditional Cultural Trade-Offs | other | Water management decisions shall be made after evaluating the implications of water resources management alternatives on traditional cultural needs at specific locations throughout a watershed. Water management decisions shall ensure adequate water quantity and quality to satisfy these traditional cultural needs. | | high |
| #Q011 | reporting | operational | mandatory | Articulation of Economic Demand | other | The quantity and quality of water required to satisfy economic needs shall be clearly articulated in measurable terms. | | high |
| #Q012 | operational | operational | mandatory | Provision for Economic Water Levels and Flows | other | Water management shall ensure that adequate water levels and flows and quality of water are available to meet local water needs for economic activities. | | high |
| #Q013 | treatment | treatment | mandatory | Wastewater Treatment for Economic Activities | wastewater | Wastewater from economic activities shall be treated so that the quality and quantity of the treated effluent does not adversely affect other water values and uses. | | high |
| #Q014 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Water Pricing for Economic Activities | other | Water pricing shall be used to ensure the wise use of water and to minimize wastage. Water prices shall reflect the full cost of supplying and treating water and wastewater associated with economic activities. | | high |
| #Q015 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Maximization of Net Social Benefits | other | Water management decisions shall be guided by the overriding goal of maximizing net social benefits over the short and long-term. | | high |
| #Q016 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Systematic Examination of Alternatives | other | Every water resources management decision shall be required to identify and examine systematically a reasonable range of reasonable alternatives. The number and scope of alternatives shall be commensurate with the scale of the effects associated with the management decision. | | high |
| #Q017 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Unconstrained Alternative Consideration | other | The starting point for the search for the best management alternative shall always be the 'clean slate' or unconstrained alternative. | | high |
| #Q018 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Evaluation of Expected Outcomes | other | All water resources management decisions shall be based on a systematic evaluation of the expected outcomes of the alternatives considered. | | high |
| #Q019 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Forecasts of Measurable Outcomes | other | Water management decisions shall include specific forecasts of measurable quantitative outcomes that are expected as the management action(s) are implemented and thereafter. | | high |
| #Q020 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Knowledge-based Forecasts | other | Water management decisions shall be supported by knowledge-based quantitative forecasts that make the best use of the best available information. | | high |
| #Q021 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Balancing Short and Long-term Outcomes | other | Water management decisions shall use explicit procedures to balance short-term vs. long-term costs and benefits. | | high |
| #Q022 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Distribution of Benefits and Costs | other | Water management decisions shall deal explicitly with the distribution of benefits and costs among individuals and communities. Where significant inequities are present, water managers shall devise acceptable means to improve the distribution among all those affected by a proposed water resources management decision. | Where significant inequities are present in the distribution of benefits and costs. | high |
| #Q023 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Inclusive Decision Making Process | other | Water management decisions shall be made through an open and inclusive process involving all potentially affected interests. | | high |
| #Q024 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Use of Scientific and Traditional Knowledge | other | Water management decisions shall make the best use of a combination of conventional scientific data and knowledge and traditional data and knowledge. These data and knowledge shall be applied to inform water resources management decisions using appropriate technological capacity. | | high |
| #Q025 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Regular Performance Assessments | other | Water management decisions shall be subject to regular performance assessments by comparing expected outcomes to actual outcomes. | | high |
| #Q026 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Hierarchical Watershed Management Context | other | Water management decisions shall be undertaken with a hierarchically organised watershed context. Water management decisions shall be consistent from both top-down and bottomup perspectives. | | high |
| #Q027 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Single Point of Accountability | other | Specific water resources management decision-making responsibility shall be assigned to a single point of accountability within each watershed unit. The scope of potential decisions and the limitations on those decisions shall reflect both higher level and lower level management decisions and commitments. | | high |
| #Q028 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Risk Management Analyses Assignment | other | Specific responsibility shall be assigned to undertake explicit risk management analyses of proposed water resources management alternatives with the objective being to maximise upside risks and minimise downside risks. | | high |
| #Q029 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Evaluation of Infrastructure and Funding Capacity | other | Specific responsibility shall be assigned to evaluate regularly the implications of water resources management decisions in terms of the need for infrastructure capacity and associated funding. | | high |
| #Q030 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Inter-jurisdictional Coordination Duties | other | Specific responsibility shall be assigned to ensure coordination of water resources management decisions with external agencies and jurisdictions to maintain consistency from location to location and from time to time throughout shared watersheds. | | high |
| #Q031 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Independent Reviews of Implementation | other | Specific responsibility shall be assigned to conduct periodic independent reviews of the implementation of water resources management decisions to ensure that planned water resources management actions are being carried out. | | high |
| #Q032 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Development of Natural Capital Accounting Framework | other | A robust and balanced natural capital accounting framework shall be developed to evaluate the sustainability of the NWT's water resources and the effectiveness of its water resources management system. | | high |
| #Q033 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | Annual Reporting System for State of Resources | other | A system for annual reporting of the state of the NWT's water resources and their natural capital value shall be developed, tested and applied. | | high |
| #Q034 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Prioritisation of Monitoring and Statistics | other | A systematic process for prioritising water resource monitoring and statistical collection programs shall be developed and used to allocate resources for monitoring. | | high |
| #Q035 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Water Capital Categorisation System | other | A technically sound system for categorising water into relevant 'commodity' classes that are relevant to NWT water uses and values and that is consistent with natural capital accounting principles shall be developed, tested and applied. | | high |
| #Q036 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Valuation System for Water Uses | other | A technically sound system for the valuation of water uses and values that is consistent with natural capital accounting principles shall be developed, tested and applied. | | high |
| #Q037 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Water Research Tracking Procedure | other | A systematic procedure for tracking new developments in water resources management shall be developed, tested and applied. | | high |
| #Q038 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Water Supply Gap Evaluation | other | A systematic procedure for periodically evaluating the significance of gaps in water supply information and understanding shall be developed, tested and applied. | | high |
| #Q039 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Water Demand Gap Evaluation | other | A systematic procedure for periodically evaluating the significance of gaps in water demand information and understanding shall be developed, tested and applied. | | high |
| #Q040 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Research Program Prioritisation | other | A systematic process for prioritising water resource research programs shall be developed and used to allocate resources for research. | | high |
| #Q041 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Fairness Determination Guidance | other | Arriving at reasonable determinations of fairness must be guided by existing rights and obligations, principles of environmental justice and open and respectful dialogue among diverse affected interests. | Applies when determining the fair distribution of benefits, disbenefits, and costs in watershed management. | high |
| #Q042 | operational | operational | recommended | Application of Precautionary Principle | other | Watershed management decisions should explicitly employ the Precautionary Principle. | | high |
| #Q043 | operational | operational | recommended | Application of Adaptive Management | other | Integrated watershed management should be guided by the rigorous 'learn-by-doing' process on which adaptive management is based. | | high |
| #Q044 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Coordination Funneling Mandate | other | If other government departments or agencies or even different levels of government are involved, their efforts must all funnel through a common agency responsible for ensuring a coordinated management decision-making process and consistent and coordinated implementation and monitoring of management actions. | Applies when multiple departments or government levels are involved in watershed management actions. | high |
| #Q045 | prohibition | operational | mandatory | Accountability Imprecision Prohibition | other | The bases on which water managers will be held accountable need to be clearly articulated and must not include system performance factors having high levels of uncertainty and imprecision. | Applies when establishing performance and accountability frameworks for water managers. | high |
| #Q046 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Monitoring Investment Prioritization Guidance | other | Prior to investing in monitoring and data collection, the expected net benefit should be estimated in terms of improving future water resources management decisions. The highest priority should be given to data collection that will yield the greatest return in terms of understanding and improving water resources management decisions. | | high |
| #Q047 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Federal Environmental Assessment of Development Projects | other | Ensure that all significant national and international water-related development projects, are subject to the Federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process, so that potential adverse environmental and socio-economic effects can be identified and mitigated; | Applies to significant national and international water-related development projects under federal jurisdiction. | high |
| #Q048 | prohibition | health | mandatory | Federal Toxic Chemical Life Cycle Management | other | Control and manage toxic chemicals throughout their entire life cycle; | Part of federal legislative base modernization to protect health and safety. | high |
| #Q049 | administrative | health | mandatory | Establishment of Federal Water Quality Standards | drinking water, aquatic life | Establish water quality standards and guidelines to better protect human health and the diversity of species and ecosystems; | Part of federal legislative renewal to modernize water protection. | high |
| #Q050 | reporting | operational | mandatory | Mandatory Demonstration of Net Benefit | other | This goal will require that water managers demonstrate explicitly how major water decisions will result in the greatest improvement in the net benefit supplied by the NWT's water resources. | Applies when water managers make major water resources management decisions. | high |
| #Q051 | operational | operational | recommended | Sequencing of Distributional Issue Addressment | other | Distributional issues should be addressed AFTER the best alternative is identified. | Applies during the evaluation of water resources management alternatives. | high |
| #Q052 | operational | operational | recommended | Watershed-based Organization Recommendation | drinking water, wastewater, agricultural water, aquatic life, recreational water, other | Water resources management should be organized according to natural watershed units in an interconnected network of sub-watersheds/tributaries sequentially aggregated into larger watershed units. | | high |
| #Q053 | administrative | operational | recommended | Reflection of Diverse Interests in Decisions | other | Watershed management decisions should respect and reflect these diverse interests. Doing so requires application of a systematic and transparent process for assessing and evaluating watershed management alternatives. | | high |
| #Q054 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Recognition of Water Rights and Land Claims | other | Land claims, self-government agreements and water rights are essential to recognize, respect and understand so that watershed management decisions fully address and reconcile these important considerations. | | high |
| #Q055 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Coordinated Watershed Decision Evaluation | other | Integrated watershed management requires individual local water resources management decisions to be evaluated and made as part of an overall set of coordinated watershed management decisions throughout a watershed. | | high |
| #Q056 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Watershed Natural Capital Accounting Requirement | other | A clear and consistent accounting of watershed natural capital is essential to ensure continual maintenance or even enhancement of this asset. | | high |
| #Q057 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Federal Enforcement and Compliance Measures | other | Ensure the effectiveness of regulatory measures through the provision of appropriate enforcement and compliance measures. | Part of federal legislative renewal to modernize water protection. | high |
| #Q058 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Federal Research Advisory Mechanisms Establishment | other | Establish research advisory mechanisms with representation from scientific and applied research communities to advise on program needs and priorities; | Part of federal science leadership efforts. | high |
| #Q059 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Federal Compatibility Evaluation Criteria | other | Establish and apply evaluation criteria to all federally sponsored projects to ensure their compatibility with federal goals respecting water resources management; | Applies to all federally sponsored projects. | high |
| #Q060 | reporting | reporting | mandatory | Reporting and Communication of Emerging Issues | other | Water managers and the public need to be informed of significant new emerging issues as soon as possible so that water resources management decisions can capitalize on new opportunities and can help reduce the risks of new threats. | | high |
| #Q061 | operational | operational | mandatory | Redistribution of Management Benefits and Costs | other | Once a fair distribution is decided, effective means to redistribute benefits, disbenefits and costs must be applied. | Applies after a fair distribution of benefits and costs has been decided. | high |
| #Q062 | operational | operational | recommended | Systematic Addressing of Risk and Uncertainty | other | Integrated watershed management decisions should systematically address and account for risk and uncertainty. | | high |
| #Q063 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Consideration of Uncertainty and Risk in Forecasts | other | Forecasts and the evaluation of management alternatives must include consideration of uncertainty, and both the upside and downside risks associated with each alternative. | Applies to forecasts and evaluation of management alternatives. | high |
| #Q064 | administrative | operational | recommended | Decision-making Under Imperfect Information | other | management decisions should not be deferred due to imperfect information (i.e., wait until better information is available). Instead, management decisions should be made as required from time to time and by making the best use of the best available information and by ensuring follow-up monitoring, tracking of emerging new knowledge and periodic review of decisions from time to time in light of new information and knowledge. | Applies when scientific information is imperfect. | high |
| #Q065 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Participation of Coordinating Agencies in Planning | other | Ensure the participation or cooperation of all relevant coordinating and regulatory agencies; | Part of federal government's integrated planning commitments. | high |
| #Q066 | administrative | operational | recommended | Acceptance of Regular Performance Assessment principle | other | Water managers should accept and embrace the principle of regularly assessing the performance of water resources management decisions through an inclusive, open and constructive process. | | high |
| #Q067 | administrative | operational | recommended | Recommendations for Threats to Water Availability | other | government and non-government water partners should take the following steps: 1. Assess integrated and cumulative threats and create appropriate linkages to water planning and management 2. Make dialogue a tool of management 3. Utilize a broader range of policy instruments 4. Give consideration to equity and sustainability in decision making 5. Increase the capacity of institutions to respond 6. Increase the investment in databases and improve access to data 7. Broaden research efforts | Recommendations to address integrated and cumulative threats to water availability. | high |
| #Q068 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Federal Adherence to Integrated Planning | other | Adhere to integrated water resource planning in areas of federal jurisdiction, and in interjurisdictional waters subject to federal-provincial-territorial agreements; | Applies to federal jurisdiction and inter-jurisdictional waters. | high |
| #Q069 | operational | operational | recommended | Integrated Surface and Groundwater Management | other | Watershed management should address surface and groundwater issues as part of an interconnected and interdependent system. | | high |
| #Q070 | administrative | operational | recommended | Multiple Uses and Values Consideration | other | Watershed management decisions should address these multiple, diverse and sequential uses of water; many of which are provided at the same time by the same water body. | | high |
| #Q071 | operational | operational | recommended | Simultaneous Management of Water Values | other | The management of water uses/values cannot be separated and addressed independently, one at a time; instead, they should be addressed simultaneously and systematically. | | high |
| #Q072 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Regular Use of Sensitivity Analysis | other | Sensitivity analysis should be used regularly to understand the implications of imperfect information and understanding and stochastic system elements. | | high |
| #Q073 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Federal Water Data and Information Systems | other | Develop and maintain, with the provinces and territories, water data and information systems directed to improving the knowledge available for managing Canada's water resources; | Part of federal science leadership leadership role. | high |