What are the advantages and disadvantages of diverting streamflow from one drainage basin to another?
In the past, diverting flow from one basin to another has been primarily based on economic development through energy generation, irrigation, and industrial output. Interbasin diversions can have undesirable social and environmental consequences. For example, the amount of water being removed in relation to the amount of water available, existing water demand and uses, quality of water being transferred, including the potential for the introduction of undesirable non-native species and pathogens, can all have significant impacts. The implication of introducing non-native species is particularly significant when major drainage basins are involved. Social structures may also be affected. Sometimes communities are flooded out or people are forced to change their livelihood or otherwise modify their traditional way of life. For example, the Aboriginal community of Southern Indian Lake in Manitoba had to be partially relocated as water levels rose behind a control structure so that the rese
