I won't take a position on the project itself. Typically, what watershed organizations do is not take positions on issues but listen to the stakeholders on the ground.
If the Canada Water Agency is given that role, it may be interesting to discuss those issues. A platform could be created where stakeholders can discuss a given issue.
Of course, there are environmental assessments. In Quebec, that's done by the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement. Anyone can state their position on a platform, but there's no dialogue among stakeholders.
In Quebec, we have the Forum d'action sur l'eau. Stakeholders usually submit briefs on bills, and the forum enables them to discuss issues around specific projects and participate in discussions about Quebec's strategic policies and approaches. There has to be a place where these issues can be discussed openly because that's how you can assess the risks and repercussions of a project on the ground.
Watershed organizations are there to manage the process, not take positions.