WHEREAS the lower Cheakamus River watershed has been subjected to horrendous environmental damage because of the major spill of sodium hydroxide on August 5, 2005; AND WHEREAS the lower Cheakamus River watershed will be subjected to significant environmental stress because of a further reduction in water flow from the Daisy Lake Dam; AND WHEREAS there are plans to build roads and log the lower Cheakamus watershed in the near future, further damaging the already severely environmentally compromised watershed: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia suspend logging, flow reduction and any other changes in use of Crown land in the subject area for a minimum of two years or until the Province has completed an environmental assessment of the potential damage caused by the spill of sodium hydroxide on the lower Cheakamus River watershed and consulted with local and regional stakeholders as to the activities that might be undertaken in the area given the impact of the spill; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a monitoring program be instituted to determine the effects and recovery of the watershed, and that results from the monitoring program be made public knowledge.
Ministry of Environment Water Flow BC Hydro submitted a draft Water Use Plan WUP for the Cheakamus River to the provincial Comptroller of Water Rights. The Comptroller of Water Rights reviews draft WUPs and, where appropriate, authorises and monitors their implementation. The draft plan was referred out for comment to the Consultative Committee, to federal and provincial agencies and to the Squamish Nation. As a result of the comments received, the Comptrollers office held a hearing on the effects of the proposed plan on commercial rafting. Consultation was initiated with the Squamish Nation, and an information meeting with local fishing interests was held in Squamish. As a result of the input received through the above processes, the plan was revised. Specifically, the WUP was revised to provide additional flows in the summer months for rafting and recreation and in winter for fishing access. The plan review period was shortened to five years. The flows in the Cheakamus River proposed in the Cheakamus Water Use Plan are based on the flow requirements of the various fish species in the river; fish prefer specific flows in accordance with the various life stages spent in the river. This may entail both minimum and maximum flow limits. Both the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans DFO and provincial fisheries MOE support the plan and have asked that it be implemented as soon as possible to assist in the recovery of fish stocks in the Cheakamus River following the chemical spill this past summer. Monitoring projects proposed in the WUP will be adjusted as required to reflect any new river conditions following the spill. The Comptroller will be in a position to issue a decision on the proposed Cheakamus WUP once the consultation with the Squamish Nation has been completed. This is expected to occur fairly early in 2006. Assessment and Monitoring An assessment of environmental impact was initiated within hours of the chemical spill and is ongoing. It includes impacts to all fish species, aquatic invertebrates and aquatic plant communities. Initial estimates are 90 kill of all species. Individuals in backwaters and in the substrates survived. A complete Assessment Report will be ready for public distribution in February. A proposed Recovery Strategy will be ready for public comment and discussion in February. Two public meetings are scheduled for February to present and discuss the assessment and recovery documents. Estimates for full recovery range from twenty to forty-five years. A monitoring program is in place and will continue until restoration is complete. The Recovery Team is comprised of the MOE, DFO, CN, Squamish Nation and the District of Squamish. All communication will be done via link to the District of Squamish web site which will provide minutes of meetings, the impact assessment and the recovery strategy. Suspension of Logging The spill was not related to logging. Forest hydrology research shows water flow in the Cheakamus River will not be reduced as a result of logging, and the proposed logging within the Cheakamus River watershed meets current environmental regulations. Suspending environmentally sound forestry in the watershed will not benefit the assessment or recovery.