After nearly ten years, the environmental assessment of the proposed dam on the Kettle River near Christina Lake (southern interior of BC) is now in its final stages. All comments must be received by the BC Environmental Assessment office by February 16th, 2004. However, comments sent after that date are still important, so keep sending them.
Take Action!
Please make your opinion heard and help oppose the project. Check Ryan Durand’s Cascade Canyon of the Kettle River website for additional background and tools to make sure your concerns are heard.
Comments can be sent to:
Derek Griffin
BC Environmental Assessment Office
PO Box 9426 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria BC V8W 9V1
Garth.Thoroughgood@gems7.gov.bc.ca
Project Background (provided by Ryan Durand)
The proposal, the Cascade Heritage Power Project, calls for the development of a 25 MW run-of-the-river dam on the Kettle River, just above the Cascade Canyon, and about 20km 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 end of the canyon. During low water flows, the amount of water that will be allowed to flow throw the canyon will be reduced to 4m3/s or less.
The proposal includes an application to have all available surface water rights and increases to existing water licenses in the Kettle River Watershed (which covers most of the Boundary District) given to Sea Breeze Power Corporation (formally Powerhouse Energy Incorporated). The water license may also have trans-national implications due to a 1932 law in Washington State that may give the Canadian corporation legal rights to the water that flows through the US portion of the Kettle River that is upstream of the project (AW’s page for the Kettle River in Washington).
One impact of the proposal that, according to the proponent, cannot be mitigated in any way is the significant reduction of water flow through the Cascade Canyon. With limited flows, the canyon will be essentially destroyed as the amazing natural wonder (and tourism attraction) that it currently is. The affect of the reduced water flows on the flora and fauna within the canyon is largely unknown, although the proponent has determined it will be minor.
The Kettle River is also home to at least three red-listed and five blue-listed species of fish. One of these species is the speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) is only known to inhabit the Kettle River Watershed in all of Canada. The proponent sates that impacts to these species-at-risk will be minimal, but in my mind, and potential risk to species-at-risk and their habitat is unacceptable.
With the final report for the assessment recently completed, only the public comment period and government review period remain before a decision on this project is made. Of almost forty environmental assessments conducted thus far in BC, only two have not been approved; and in both cases the proponents withdrew their applications. Unless enormous public concern is voiced during this last critical period, the fate of the canyon and many potential future development projects may already be sealed.
Impacts to Whitewater Resources (provided by Bob Dupee)
For the paddling community it will mean several things:
1. The loss of the Falls and any significant flow through them (they were run two years ago as a first descent by Jeff Krueger, Scott Feindel, and Andre Benoit. The run was in the video “Valhalla“
2. The loss of the best section of whitewater play spots on the Kettle River, including a massive hole that is the only one of its kind on the Kettle. Many paddlers aren’t aware of this fine section of class 3 rapids, with a Class 4 hole at the end of it. These areas will be flooded by the holding pond upstream.
3 The destruction of yet another free flowing river with all the ensuing development around it. The Kettle has been designated as a Heritage River.
4 The loss of an incredible 1 km section of class 5 canyon ……….pool drop, pool drop, until you drop….
Though the Dam proponents say they will rebuild rapids upstream to replace the ones that are flooded, this is only to appease Fisheries (there are 3 red listed and 5 blue listed fish in the watershed affected).
Paddlers have no guarantee of suitable features being rebuilt that are viable play spots.