BC Columbia Basin Local Governments’ Interests Focus on Recrea8on Future of Our Salmon Conference October, 2016 Cindy Pearce, Execu=ve Director, BC CRT Local Governments’ CommiGee With support from Columbia Basin Trust 1 Committee Reports www.akblg.ca/content/columbia-river-treaty 2 Initial Dam Impacts in BC • 300,000 acres of fertile valley bottom land and ecosystems flooded – ~4x the size of Lake Roosevelt Reservoir • 2,300 people displaced • 12 communities inundated • Aboriginal cultural sites flooded • Valley bottom roads lost 4 Ongoing Impacts CRT related from ‘Industrial’ reservoirs Reservoirs • 435 miles of reservoirs in BC (Lake Roosevelt is 150 miles) • Average annual fluctua=ons: Mica – 155 X. Duncan – 100 X. Koocanusa – 80 X. (same as Lake Roosevelt) Arrow – 40 X. June, 1965 6 Nakusp on the Arrow Lakes Reservoir 40+ feet of spring/dry year opera=ons drawdown 7 Nakusp Beach Time – August, 2016 In most years in the past, these logs float in over 10 feet of water to mark out the kids’ swimming area 8 Boundary logs 9 Arrow Lakes Reservoir Summer 2016 at Nakusp May 2012 near Burton 10 Kinbasket Reservoir 40 kilometres/ 25 miles of mudlflats on Valemount’ s doorstep during spring drawdown 11 Kinbasket Reservoir Sea of stumps north of Golden during spring drawdown 12 Kinbasket Reservoir Annual debris removal – Debris creates safety hazards for boa=ng 13 Kinbasket Reservoir Full pond at Bush Harbour boat ramp – but limited road access 14 Koocanusa Reservoir 80 feet of spring drawdown near Baynes Lake community 15 Koocanusa Reservoir Kikoman Provincial Park during spring drawdown 16 Koocanusa Reservoir Spring dust storm; houseboats high & dry 17 18 Recrea8onal Fisheries Impacts • Salmon runs ended with the Grand Coulee dam • Disrupted nutrient flows -> annual nutrient fer=liza=on programs • Entrainment in turbines • Flooded spawning habitats Current • Disconnected tributary access decline in • Fish stranding kokanee popula=ons 19 Ongoing Impacts of ‘Industrial Reservoirs’ • Limited water access for recrea=on • Boa=ng safety risks & property damage from debris • Air quality issues from dust storms • Ecosystem, fish and wildlife declines • Erosion Quality of life, tourism, forestry, and agriculture limited Photo Credits – With Thanks BC Hydro Nicole Tremblay Ron Oszust David Gluns Brian Sperling Laura Keil Korie Marshall Hans Dummerauf Touchstone Museum 21 www.akblg.ca/content/columbia-river-treaty 22 23 24 .