BOUNDARY ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE
 
Pathogens & Protection
 
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
nov 2009
________________________________________________________
JAN 2010
Petitions against Big White water withdrawals sent to Government
our press release and open letter to Minister of Environment and Premier
here
BEA Report Card
on Area E Regional Director
Bill Baird
Nov 2011
here
 
BIG WHITE UPDATE January 2012
The Kettle River, despite:
  • Heritage River Status
  • designation as an ORCBC Endangered Rivers Listing  in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • and # 1 on the list March 2011 by ORCBC see full report
  • record low flows in 2006 and 2007 & 2009 (according to records kept for over 70 years)
  • increasing stream temperatures affecting fish & aquatic organisms
  • Water Branch's knowledge that the low flows could have been substantally worse if all licence holders had withdrawn authorized amounts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 applied for water licence withdrawals and reservoir permits on several headwater streams feeding the Kettle, which would see their existing licences increase by perhaps 256%.
Water Branch has advised 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
 
 
Will the Watershed Management Plan (WMP) process underway prevent these assaults on Public Resources?
 
 With present leadership and direction being provided predominantly by folks who have contributed to Kettle Watershed problems by actions, or the lack of them, the answer appears to be no.
 
 
 
Big White's application to extract water from the Kettle River for snowmaking, golf-course irrigation and other purposes, remains a threat to the Kettle River.
 
Big White's expansion and development plan also proposes to expand into an Ecological Reserve. see youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ1i_5Zj53A
 
 
 
 
JAN 2012      FULL  update on the threats: here
 
 
 
 
 
 
here
top of page
 
Oct 2009
Radioactive Fresh Water Mussels in the Kettle River ?
yes, shows our study
 
Bioaccumulation of Uranium in Mussels in the Kettle River.
 
here 
.
A NEW WATER ACT?
 
Jan 2012 review
BEA
Fred Marshall & others comment on Water Sustainability Act proposals
 
here
WORKING TO PROTECT NATURAL
RESOURCES IN THE BOUNDARY
home                   issues                 articles                    contact                   links 
OTHER LINKS to our BIG WHITE ARTICLES.
 
submission of Petition against Big White's application (approx 1700 signatures) &
Press Release re petition & Open letter to Ministry of Environment and Premier detailing our objections to Big White's application.here
 
 
Media Coverage backgrounder     here
 
 
Our review of Big White's application and plans Mar 2009 here
 
 
Our status report on Big White's water application May 2009 here
 
 
Then Premier Campbell's misleading claims as to the scientific and community input into the Big White application. youtube video here
 
Rebuttal of Campbell's comments   here
 
 
Big White is owned and operated by Schumann Resorts who also own/operate Silver Star. For detail on problems identified by the Citizens Coalition to save Silver Star Park, go to: http://www.savesilverstarpark.org/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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