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Immediate Issue

The Kettle River, despite:

S Heritage River Status

S designation as an Endangered River in 2006, and now again in 2008 see full report

S record low flows in 2006 and 2007 (according to records kept for over 70 years)

S increasing stream temperatures affecting fish & aquatic organisms

S Water Branch's knowledge that the low flows could have been substantally worse
if all licence holders had withdrawn authorized amounts

Big White Ski Hill has applied for water licence withdrawals and storage dam permits on several headwater streams feeding the Kettle, which would see their existing licences increase by perhaps 228%.

Water Branch has advised (while at the time not in receipt of the full application) that they believe the withdrawals will have an insignificant or minor effect on the Kettle. Other experts in Water Resource Planning have observed that too frequently, natural resources are destroyed by seemingly insignificant increments.

We will be seeking detailed information on the applications re concerns:

S That withdrawals, even at time of freshet, will have negative downstream effects

S That dam volumes, according to stated application amounts, are not static, and that usage

could exceed stated volumes.

S That a variety of studies indicate that we are in a warming trend, that so called "climate-
change" could increase that trend, and studies have indicated that these trends drive a

local need forearlier and greater agricultural irrigation demands primarily due to
increased evaporation and transpiration.

S That the Kettle is effectively already oversubscribed

S That the lack of regulation or control over groundwater withdrawals will further impact
the Kettle

We Propose That:

S No licences be issued to Big White for additional water for expanded growth, snowmaking,
golf course irrigation unless Water Branch can demonstate to the community that there

will be no downstream effects.

S That no further licenced withdrawals on the Kettle be approved without a Watershed
Management Plan.

S That until a Watershed Management Plan is in place the Kettle be deemed to be

fully subscribed.

S That interested parties, NGO's, stakeholders get together immediately to begin a
process for a Watershed Management Plan for the Kettle.
We will work to advance this issue.

S That the Provincial Government bring in groundwater legislation/controls. B.C. remains the
       only Province without groundwater legislation/controls. This is still the case despite numerous
      Hearings, Inquiries and Processes that have recommended such action, dating back to and
       probably prior to 1990 when B.C was even then the only Province without legislation.