Rivers At Risk
Wildsight's Rivers at Risk program works to protect ecologically-intact watersheds, along with the significant biodiversity values that are being threatened by the development of run-of-river projects throughout the Kootenay and Columbia Mountain regions. Independent power producer's (IPPs) currently have over 600 active water license applications for hydro developments within the province of BC, over 100 of these are located in the Kootenays.
Many rivers and creeks across British Columbia are under threat. The BC government's recent Energy Plan forces BC Hydro to purchase power from private Independent Power Producers (IPPs), under the idea of promoting 'green' energy. The Liberal government passed the Clean Energy Act in June of 2010 to inject investment into the province’s green energy industry, with a key goal of increasing such “clean” energy exports as hydroelectric, solar and wind. The majority of these proposed developments are run-of-river projects and most of these projects have the potential to cause serious environmental impacts, erasing any claim to being a 'green' source of power. As of November 2010, there were 622 active water license applications to produce run-of-river hydropower in BC. Dozens of these projects are proposed to occur in the Kootenay/Columbia Region, but currently many of these are on the backburner.
Wildsight:
- recognizes that the current BC Energy Plan is flawed.
- opposes all run-of-river projects and calls for a morotorium on IPP's until the top point is adequately addressed.
- beleives IPP projects should be acceptable to First Nations and regional/municiple goverments; projects require support from both groups.
- believes each project should be built with high environmental standards: adequate and comprehensive environmental assessment of each project on both individual and cumulative impacts.
- does not approve of IPP developments in unroaded, ecologically-intact watersheds.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN THE KOOTENAY/COLUMBIA REGION
- Beaver River Hydroelectric Projects- Ventego, Alder and Cupola Creeks at risk
- Wood River
- Glacier Howser
Letting our free running creeks and rivers become damned up and diverted, means that in the end, we have given up access to our rivers. By doing so, we also contribute to the degradation of our environment for future generations and for wildlife. Wildsight does not want to see our wild rivers become tamed, or see the wilderness values and wildlife that relies upon these increasingly wild places suffer the consequences IPP projects. By letting private interests tap into the grid, we also contribute to the decline of our publicly owned resource, BC Hydro. Is this good for British Columbians? Is this good for our environment?
"We want British Columbia to become a leading North American supplier of clean, reliable, low-carbon electricity and technologies that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while strengthening our economy in every region. Premier Gordon Campbell, April 28, 2010.
There are green energy alternatives available and energy conservation needs to become a priority for British Columbians. Biomass, solar, wind and geothermal are energy options for our region, and worthy of further investigation. And while it is true that run-of-river projects do produce very little carbon emissions, the same can be said for Nuclear Power. Does this mean that we should be touting Nuclear Power as green and as the best energy solution for BC? When you look at whether a proposed project is green or not there are other environmental factors to consider, other than just carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the potential environmental impacts that a run-of-river project would have are:
- Degraded aquatic ecosystems/species: fish decline, aquatic invertebrates suffer, plants degrade, microbes, nutrient dynamics and flows are reduced, downstream woody debris reduced, water quality/quantity affected.
- Degraded terrestrial ecosystems/species: impacts on species at risk, habitat fragmentation, increased access, invasive species introductions, increased poaching/hunting, increased disturbance on sensitive wildlife (caribou, wolverine, grizzly bears).
- Aesthetic values and/or recreational opportunities are lost.
- Impacts on First Nations traditional territory.
Cumulative impacts, which are the combined impact of all environmental impacts, are perhaps the most important, but the least well understood. Potential cumulative effects of multiple run-of-river in a region are of major environmental concern!
So while a small-scale, a well-designed project close to the power need may indeed be a wise use of our precious public resources. A larger-scale river-diversion project in a wilderness area requiring the construction of new access roads and new power transmission lines is most definitely not.
BC's Energy Plan needs to change! It must promote energy developments that are truly green; projects must be environmentally sound, locally controlled and in the public interest.
Take action by attending a Rivers at Risk or Public Power meeting in your area, or contact Wildsight to arrange to have a meeting in your community. Talk or write to your politicians about your concerns.
Hand-written letters are more effective than emails.
Send snail mail to BC's Premier and Minister of Natural Resource Operations Steve Thompson:
The Honourable Premier of British Columbia
Box 9041
Station PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC
Email: premier@gov.bc.ca Phone: 250-387-6121 or 604 660-3202
AND
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations
Minister Steve Thompson
Room 027 Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Email: steve.thomson.mla@leg.bc.ca , Phone: (250) 712-3620
Watch videos about proposed IPPS by clicking on the links below:
Wood River Wild video by Bill Noble and Ryan Johannesen, produced by Wildsight Golden.
Rivers at Risk: Glacier and Howser Creeks video by Damien Gillis
Rivers at Risk: Koch Creek video by Damien Gillis
Visit Save Our Rivers video gallery to see more films about Rivers at Risk
