BOUNDARY ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE
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
Next Most Important

Lack of Regional District programs/will to identify or protect natural resources or environmentally sensitive areas.

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.
Pathogens & Protection.
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.
NOV 2009
THE ISSUES BELOW ARE THOSE IDENTIFIED WHEN WEBSITE STARTED in
2007/08
CURRENT ISSUES
RANGE CATTLE IMPACTS:  effects on grasslands, streams, water quality and economic costs.                        here


KETTLE RIVER WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN             here


BIG WHITE: reserved claim on Kettle River water.                      here


BIOACCUMULATION of HEAVY METALS in KETTLE RIVER MUSSELS:
the broader implications.               here
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