A word from Pat Demeester, the SCCA’s Upper Coast Freshwater Liaison and president of the newly formed qathet Streamkeepers Society, in response to the proposed hydroelectric projects in the Homathko River Watershed:
“The fjord rivers of the central coast of BC are a series of unique watersheds intertwined with the coastal mountain range as it rises to the coast and into the sea.
They are in very close proximity to some of the larger ice fields left on the continent. They are home not only to unique populations of trout, char, and all the salmon species, but also to a huge variety of birds and wildlife, including goats, elk, grizzly bears/black bears, fishers, wolverines, deer, dozens of raptors, songbirds, and breeding grounds for waterfowl. They are sensitive ecosystems that hold some of the last major refuges for fish and wildlife left in the country.
As the earth warms and water disappears across the continent, these will be the last places where these species hold out until another Ice Age restores the ice cap.
There is a lot of chatter about the proposed dams on the Homathko River right now as the government is pushing mega projects across the country. This will be a devastating blow to many populations of Bull Trout, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Steelhead, Rainbow Trout, Pink, Chum, Coho, and to one of the larger Chinook spawning rivers left.
It is also one of the few rivers left with Eulachon spawning runs, and evidence from the Rio Tinto Alcon dam suggests that capability could be eradicated.
As this process advances and you see this on the news, please educate yourself about this type of project and the permanent effects that will be felt across the central coast. It’s mind-boggling to me that as the US is taking out dams and conservation and the restoration of rivers are at an all-time high there, BC is thinking of wiping out a major salmon river with four dams for the first time in my lifetime for LNG and AI data centres to have power – nothing for the people of BC except loss of biodiversity and precious ecosystems.
Many conservation groups are working to keep this from happening, from the Wildlife Federation, Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, the qathet Streamkeepers Society, and more.
And remember this… they said we needed power from the Site C dam because we import power sometimes throughout the year. It was billions over budget, and we paid for a dam from which 100% of the power is going to LNG. Not for the people and doesn’t benefit the people of BC.”
Photo credits: Peter Judas