BOUNDARY ALLIANCE
environmental
r
ISSUES, the SURVEY and RANKINGS
Many thanks to all those who participated in the survey or offered comment, ideas & new issues.
The survey response confirmed that anything that affects quality & quantity of watercourses is at the top of most peoples lists,
with governance issues as a close second. We are therefore grouping the issues as #1, most important, water issues, and # 2 as
next important.
Most Important:
Kettle River & tributaries, record low flows, increased water temperatures affecting
river ecology, fish, groundwater recharge.
Ski-hill & surrounding development at Big White & Baldy re effects on streams,
groundwater supplies and water quality (see detail on Big White's new application on home page)
Oversubscribed water licences
on a number of streams and unverified/unknown withdrawal of water through irrigation or other licences.
Overuse & abuse of
public-lands from range-cow overuse, impairing wild-life habitat, streambeds, water quality and sensitive grasslands. Mar 2008
see Pathogens & Protection
Logging practices around streams that contribute to increased water temperatures, erosion and
range cattle access.
Point source contamination of the Kettle from old fuel stations, (Rock Creek) & Pope & Talbot mills
at Midway & Grand Forks & junker vehicles around streams.
Comment: there appears to be no current
info on these point sources that were identified years ago as a problem for water quality & the fisheries resource. MOE has
no monitoring program underway that could provide present status on these or any other point sources. A Watershed Management Plan
could include a review of these concerns..
Re junkers, the market (metal prices @ $ 50/ton?) has resulted in some disappearances.
We hear that if you can deliver wrecks to Sidley Mountain, they take them for free. That onsite wreckers need 100 + cars, and Amix
Salvage, Bruce Williams or Richmond Steel do crushing.
Let us know if you have any information or contact numbers so that we can post
them here.
Next Most Important
Lack of Regional District programs/will to identify or protect natural resources or environmentally
sensitive areas.
Comment: A Watershed Management Plan, if sufficiently broad, would partly help address this issue.
Loss of public-land/crown
land, wildlife habitat or wildlife corridors to private land applicants through the Provincial Government Extensive Agriculture Process,
a program that gov't has indicated it expects to expand.
Other
Potential uranium mining & radon were a concern to many, others did not know whether they should be concerned. Comment: we refer this issue to the onsite website pages Committee for a Clean Kettle Valley
Wildlife killed on highway.
Comment: dropped to "other" as no remedies apparent. Although Highways Dept reports some success with reflectors, the value
of greatly increased use is questionable. To some, the heavy overgrazing of range cattle in riparian zones could help push wildlife
towards easier pickings near residential areas.
Interface Fire Protection
Comment: added as per suggestions. We hope to post further
comment and links and recommendations for our own individual preventative actions and a review of agency initiatives with comment
on possible agency actions, e,g, prescribed burns etc.
2008
the first in a series of articles examining cattle range use in our sensitive dryland
area, and the consequences to water quality, riparian zones, sensitive grasslands and habitat
E-COLI COUNTS in local streams. An ongoing study relating range-cow usage to water quality issues.