The Uncertain Future of Fraser River Sockeye - Publications du ...

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Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River • Volume 2 • general habitat loss; • urbanization and development; • groundwater use; • gravel extraction and metal mining; • hydroelectric projects; • forestry; • municipal wastewater; • non–point source contaminants; • pesticides; • pulp mill effluent; • freshwater climate change; and • wildfires. General habitat loss Many people made submissions to the Commission on a range of habitat issues. Numerous individuals were concerned about habitat loss and suggested it could be a cause for the decline of Fraser River sockeye. Human activity was blamed for loss of Fraser River sockeye habitat, especially in the North Arm of the river. One submitter referenced a 2010 report by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) which found that coastal and estuarine zones are deteriorating in both extent and condition. 1 Several submitters encouraged me to identify habitat loss as a cause of the decline of Fraser River sockeye, while one submitter called on DFO to reopen inaccessible sloughs and creeks and remove the remaining rocks from the Hell’s Gate rock slide. One submission stated that less than 5 percent of salmon smolt habitat remains in the North Arm of the Fraser River. Another submission argued that there are very few salt marshes remaining in the Fraser River estuary, and that salt marshes are critical for salmon as they acclimatize to the marine environment. Urbanization and development The Commission received several written and oral public submissions raising concerns about linear development, including railway and pipeline construction, the Gateway Program and South Fraser Perimeter Road,* and the potential impacts on fish and fish habitat from these projects. One submitter noted that the damage caused by urbanization and development is evidenced by the Outdoor Recreation Council’s 2010 decision to list the Fraser River as the fourth most endangered river in British Columbia. Other submitters said urbanization and development lead to increased levels of siltation and sedimentation in the Fraser River watershed, the disappearance of riparian ecosystems, and disruptions to flood plains and stream channels. A submission from the Social Ecology Institute of British Columbia stated that industrial and residential development has caused riparian degradation and explained that riparian systems are important for spawning salmon. Groundwater use Several public submissions expressed concern about a lack of knowledge regarding the impact that industrial activities have on groundwater sources, and about a lack of legal protection for small streams and groundwater. Gravel extraction and metal mining Several submitters said that metal mining introduces toxic chemicals into salmon habitat and increases water temperatures. Others argued that gravel extraction in the Lower Fraser River and metal mining in the Fraser River watershed are among the causes of the decline of Fraser River sockeye. I was told that the collapse of a tailings pond wall in 2008 released toxins into the Stellako River. One submitter said the BC Aggregate Pilot Project’s † use of “green zones,” or areas where “unregulated” open-pit mining is permitted, threatens * The Gateway Program is a program of the Province of British Columbia aimed at improving the movement of people, goods, and transit through Metro Vancouver. It includes road and bridge improvements. One such improvement is South Fraser Perimeter Road – a new four-lane highway along the south side of the Fraser River from Delta to Surrey. † In 2004, the BC minister of state for mining initiated the Aggregate Pilot Project in the Fraser Valley Regional District. The project develops recommendations to industry, local governments, and the province for new approaches to reduce conflict surrounding aggregate operations and secure a long-term supply. 6
Chapter 2 • Public submissions to degrade salmon habitat, while another criticized the project for having an “inadequate” approval process and failing to respond to public inquiries in a timely manner. 2 Hydroelectric projects One submitter said that the Kemano Hydroelectric Project’s diversion of the Nechako River and groundwater withdrawals are “exacerbating the devastating effects of below-average flows and higher-than-average water temperatures” during the Fraser River sockeye migration period. 3 Several submitters cited hydroelectric projects and runof-river projects as a cause of the decline of Fraser River sockeye. Some submitters criticized the BC government for failing to implement an “environmentally based planning process” for proposed run-of-river projects. Forestry Submitters said that logging practices, such as clear-cutting and high-elevation logging, have made streams more vulnerable to increases in water temperature, surface runoff, debris accumulation, landslides, and channel disturbances. Logs left to drift and sink in the Lower Fraser River crush wetland plants and deplete oxygen from the surrounding water, harming migrating salmon. Municipal wastewater Submitters said that effluents released from Metro Vancouver’s Annacis Island and Iona Island wastewater treatment plants are harmful to Fraser River sockeye and that the Iona plant may be responsible for post-1995 changed migration timing of Late-run Fraser River sockeye. The Capital Regional District’s stormwater management system flushes high-velocity, toxic stormwater into sensitive salmon habitat. I was told that Salmon Arm discharges raw sewage directly into Shuswap Lake, and Lumby sewage seeps into Bessette Creek. Greywater containing harmful chemicals is discharged from houseboats into Shuswap Lake. Non–point source contaminants Non–point source contaminants are associated with diffuse discharges of runoff from a variety of areas. People expressed concern about the effect of contaminants on the sustainability of Fraser River sockeye. Contaminants from agriculture, vehicular traffic, consumer goods, industry, and other sources, I was told, have made the Fraser River a toxic soup of harmful chemicals, poisoning Fraser River sockeye as they migrate to and from the marine environment. Pesticides The Commission received several public submissions expressing the view that pesticides have affected salmon habitat. One submitter said that a 2002 study attributed the 90 percent mortality of Late-run Fraser River sockeye observed between 1994 and 2001 to pesticide application in our watersheds. 4 Pulp mill effluent Several public submissions suggested that effluent from pulp and paper mills is contributing to the decline in Fraser River sockeye. One submitter thought that sodium hydroxide and powdered tree bark discharged by mills in Quesnel, Prince George, and Port Alberni may have caused salmon smolt mortalities observed by the submitter in the 1960s and 1970s. Freshwater climate change Climate change is causing dramatic hydrograph changes in the Fraser River watershed, including warmer waters in creeks, declining water levels, reduced productivity in nursery habitats, and changing flows. Wildfires Wildfires result in erosion, increased water temperature and turbidity, and reduced refugia 7
Page 1 and 2: The Uncertain Future of Fraser Rive
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Page 5: October 29, 2012 To His Excellency
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Page 12 and 13: Contents Harmful algal blooms......
Page 14 and 15: Contents Chapter 5 Findings........
Page 17 and 18: Chapter 1 • Introduction The Comm
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Chapter 4 • Decline-related evide
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some sockeye populations (e.g., Chi
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Chapter 5 • Findings The Terms of
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Figure 1.1.1: Fraser River Sock
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Chapter 5 • Findings that, just b
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Chapter 5 • Findings Emergence an
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Chapter 5 • Findings concentratio
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Chapter 5 • Findings smolts leave
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Chapter 5 • Findings of the overa
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Chapter 5 • Findings “accidenta
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Chapter 5 • Findings phase of the
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Chapter 5 • Findings saying that
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Chapter 5 • Findings One stressor
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Chapter 5 • Findings Notes 1 Tran
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Appendix A • Terms of Reference P
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Appendix A • Terms of Reference 1
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Appendix A • Terms of Reference 1
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Appendix B • Executive summaries
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TR5C - Noakes Salmon Farms Investig
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TR5D - Dill Salmon Farms Investigat
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TR9 - Climate Change Appendix B •
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Abbreviations and acronyms AAA AARO
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Abbreviations and acronyms IFMP Int
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Glossary Cross-references are given
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Glossary proportion of eggs that we
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Glossary mortality: death of fish,
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Glossary stream walks: method of es
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Glossary 150 Exhibit 8, p. 40. 151
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River Driftwood River Tak l a L ak
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