Peace River tops list of B.C.’s most endangered rivers

The Peace River has been named B.C.’s most endangered river.

The river, near Fort St. John, is threatened by a third major dam that would flood more than 80 km of the river site. The dam, known as Site C, is in the environmental assessment stage and could be approved in the next year.

“If the dam goes ahead, it would have numerous environmental impacts, including the loss of key wintering wildlife habitat,” said Mark Angelo, rivers chair for the Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC) of British Columbia. “Recreational values would also be severely diminished, many sacred cultural sites would be lost and the only class 1 agricultural land north of Quesnel would be flooded.”

Local aboriginal and non aboriginal groups have said they are opposed to the dam, which would cost eight billion dollars.

According to the ORC, the most recent BC Hydro electricity forecast shows no existing domestic need for the Site C dam.

“Given the dam’s adverse impacts, the extensive local opposition and the current surplus of power recently documented by BC Hydro, the case for the dam has largely vanished,” added Mark Angelo, a recipient of both the Order of BC and the Order of Canada for his river conservation efforts.

However, supporters for the dam have said it should go ahead to provide power for proposed liquefied natural gas plants.

In second spot on the list is the Lower Fraser River, with an emphasis on the Heart of the Fraser located between Hope and Mission.

“Given its proximity to greater Vancouver, this extraordinary part of the Fraser faces an assortment of development pressures and is in severe need of a collaborative plan if its many values are to be protected”, said Angelo. 

In third position is the Elk River near Fernie. This waterway is threatened by rising selenium levels that are leaching from nearby open pit coal mines. “While the province recently announced a moratorium on new coal mines until selenium pollution is controlled, there must be a much more expedited effort to reduce toxic run-off from existing mines,” said Angelo.

On the ‘rivers to watch’ list is the Coquitlam River. This is the first time the river has made the list, and is due to progress on the establishment of watershed round table and the implementation of a monitoring program of silt run-off from gravel mines.

Also on the ‘rivers to watch’ list is the Tamihi Creek, a small Fraser Valley waterway. “There must be better planning mechanisms by which selected streams with exceptional natural or recreational values can be protected from private power development,” said Angelo.