Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, March 20, 2006

The Cheakamus River near Squamish and the steelhead streams of the Georgia Basin share the dubious distinction of topping the Outdoor Recreation Council's 14th annual list of B.C.'s most endangered rivers, released today.

"You cannot separate the health of our fish stocks from the health of our rivers," said Mark Angelo, the council's rivers chairman and head of the fish and wildlife program at the B.C. Institute of Technology.

"Within any given watershed, if river habitat is destroyed or significantly damaged, you lose any chance you may have to protect or rebuild fish stocks."

More than 500,000 adult and young salmon, steelhead, trout, lamprey and other species died of suffocation from severe burns to their gills after a spill of caustic soda into the Cheakamus River from a CN Rail car derailment last August. It could take 50 years for stocks to recover.

"This may well be the most catastrophic spill that has taken place in B.C. over the last several decades," said Angelo, noting wildlife that feed on the fish as well as people who enjoy recreational fishing are affected.

Angelo noted some rebuilding efforts are underway, including the release of 25,000 pink salmon fry, along with a CN commitment to donate $250,000 a year for the next five years to improve the Squamish River watershed.

"There is no easy fix to such a catastrophe and much more than this must be done," he said, arguing CN should be fully responsible for all costs associated with the Cheakamus recovery plan.

Angelo said trains continue to pose a risk of future spills, and urged better safety precautions, not just along the Cheakamus River, but along other routes.

Ways to help the river recover include in-stream restoration projects such as placing large woody debris and the development of additional off-channel habitat.

Angelo called for increased flows in future from the upstream Daisy Lake dam to benefit fish, with CN compensating B.C. Hydro for any losses in production.

In terms of steelhead in the Georgia Basin, Angelo said threats include low summer flows on a host of rivers with dams or weirs, including the Englishman, Cowichan, Little Qualicum and Theodosia as well as the Seymour and Capilano in the Lower Mainland.

Low flows in late summer and early fall take their toll on fish by reducing habitat, making it more difficult to swim through the water, and increasing water temperatures to the point they can be lethal to fish, said Angelo, an Order of Canada recipient.

The Capilano can have exactly the opposite problem because it draws cold waters from deep in the reservoir.

With upgrades to allow the release of water from the top of the dam, downstream fish management could be improved, he said.

Fishermen consider steelhead a symbol of "super natural" B.C., he said, yet stocks are in decline or considered "at risk" in areas of the southern province.

Returns on rivers such as the Englishman, Puntledge, Little Qualicum, Campbell-Quinsam, and Nanaimo are just 10 to 15 per cent of those observed in the mid-1980s.

On Lower Mainland rivers such as the Seymour, steelhead remain "an extreme conservation concern."

While ocean conditions are a factor in steelhead declines, habitat protection is also a key part of the equation, he said.

On a positive note, Angelo said the province has stated its intention to increase support for the Living Rivers Program soon to a total of $21 million.

Other endangered rivers to make the 120,000-member council's annual list are, in order, the Fraser, Taku, Coldwater, Coquitlam, Chehalis, Okanagan, Kettle, Salmon, and the Iskut-Stikine river system.

lpynn@png.canwest.com

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Endangered B.C Rivers

The Cheakamus River and Georgia Basin steelhead streams (a tie for first) -- The Cheakamus earned national headlines last August with the derailment of a CN train and the spill of caustic soda that eradicated an estimated 90 per cent of stocks in the river. The spill followed a major flood in 2003. Meanwhile, steelhead stocks in the Georgia Basin are in decline or at risk on streams such as the Seymour, Capilano and Coquihalla, along with the Englishman and Puntledge on Vancouver Island. Ocean conditions are a factor along with habitat degradation and urban development pressures.

Fraser River -- While long-standing issues such as sewage and pollution remain problematic, a host of emerging issues include missing sockeye salmon, low summer flows, unchecked agricultural impacts and reduced protection for urban stream tributaries. The river is also threatened by extensive logging in its headwaters, damaged riparian habitat, gravel extraction, old contaminated sites and new industrial expansion in the lower river.

Taku River -- B.C.'s most threatened wilderness river faces the prospect of a proposed mine and access road. Concerns about this proposal have been further heightened by the federal government's tacit approval of this project. In addition, the province recently granted a permit to Redcorp Ventures to develop the controversial Tulsequah mine. Concerns centre on acid leachate and the environmental impact of a 160-kilometre road that would have to be built to the mine.

Coldwater River -- Low water levels in summer are resulting in increased water temperatures, a threat to fish stocks such as steelhead and coho. Snowpacks melting too quickly in spring are part of the problem, along with excessive water extraction for ranching. The Coldwater flows through Merritt and is a tributary to the Thompson River, joining at Spences Bridge. Proposals for a large, all season resort development near Juliet Creek in the headwaters of the Coldwater drainage while proposals for a resort, subdivision and a golf course near the site of the Merritt Mountain country music festival would exert additional pressure on water supplies.

Coquitlam River -- The Coquitlam deserves virtually a permanent position on the annual list due to ongoing problems with sediment from gravel mining. Progress in recent years has included the creation of new off-channel habitat; there is talk of constructing a fish ladder at the dam site to help restore lost sockeye runs. Still, silt continues to pour into the river at levels damaging to fish. A review of gravel operations and the strict enforcement of existing environmental legislation are needed. Urban runoff and bridge building are other issues.

Chehalis River -- A scenic tributary of the Harrison River, the Chehalis is the source of a popular fishery, home to chinook, chum, coho and pink salmon as well as steelhead, cutthroat and bull char. Threats include the potential approval of large-scale placer- and gravel-mining operations in the upper reaches that could cause siltation of fish habitat downstream. These industrial operations might spur new independent power projects on the Chehalis and its tributaries.

Okanagan River -- For decades, the river has been damaged by channelization, water extraction, urban encroachment, riparian habitat loss, and building of dams and weirs. It often resembles a ditch. Efforts are underway to restore the waterway, but serious water management issues remain including inadequate management of groundwater, excessive allocation of water licenses, and unauthorized removal of surface water.

Kettle River -- Threats include a planned 25 megawatt run-of-the-river hydro project about 20 kilometres east of Grand Forks. It involves the construction of a rubber weir above the canyon, and some 800 metres of tunnel to a powerhouse at the base of the canyon. An independent survey found "the project would compromise the aesthetic value of the falls and general area, which is essential to the community's economic and social well-being." The river is home to three provincially red-listed and five blue-listed species of fish.

Salmon River & Iskut-Stikine rivers (a tie for last) -- The floodplain of the Salmon River is located just outside Fort Langley and remains one of the few waterways in the lower Fraser to retain its natural character. Threats include pollutants from surrounding farms and residential properties, along with flash flood from runoffs and storm drains, and falling water tables from land clearing and development. The Iskut is a tributary of the Stikine in northwest B.C.; threats in the watershed include a proposed independent power project and an Alaska proposal for a trans-boundary Iskut Valley road through the now roadless Craig Headwaters Protected Area.

© The Vancouver Sun 2006