Newsletter
November 15-30 2001
A CHRONOLOGY:
Twenty Years of Watershed Defence
Early 1980s: Local watershed groups joined together to form the Slocan Valley Watershed Alliance (SVWA) in 1981. The SVWA, its member groups, and individual water users participated throughout the 1981-1985 Slocan Valley Plan process that resulted in the adoption of the Slocan Valley Development Guidelines.
1984 - first FLOW conference, with 100 participants from throughout the province. Protection of water quality, quantity and timing of flow was of concern to many rural people throughout the province.
1986-1988 - SVWA participated in the Springer Creek Integrated Watershed Management Plan, until it became clear that protection of water was secondary to logging interests.
1988 - second FLOW conference, with 100 participants, again from throughout the province. Participants heard presentations on horse logging, legal options, hydrology, and how to protect water.
1991 - Blockade at Hasty Creek saw 83 local residents arrested for protecting water.
1993 to 1995: The SVWA was a full participant at both the local pilot projects under CORE and in the Kootenay Boundary Land Use Plan (KBLUP). Again, the goal of participation was to ensure that the quality, quantity, and. timing of flow of drinking water would not be adversely affected by industrial and recreational uses.
When it became clear to Slocan Valley water users that the MoF and the timber industry intended to log all of the domestic watersheds, the SVWA sent a request to Premier Clark and Forest Minister Zirnhelt in October 1996 to meet with them and other interests in the Slocan Valley to resolve the outstanding conflicts surrounding logging in domestic watersheds.
1996 Silva's Eco-system Landscape Plan Report is finished. Press conferences held in Nelson and Vancouver for Silva's Eco-system Based Landscape plan. SVWA, local municipal governments and majority of valley residents support the plan.
Angus Reid hired to conduct a poll of 400 Slocan Valley residents regarding general views concerning environmental and forestry issues. Results of Angus Reid poll show high level of concern for protection of the environment and support for Silva's eco-system based plan. SVWA presents government with “Proposal for Negotiated Settlement of Slocan Valley Forest Use Conflicts”. Other community groups support proposal and forward similar proposals as well.
The summer of 1997 saw hundreds of people protesting at New Denver Flats, Perry Ridge, and Bonanza, with 35 arrested. The protests were an indication of the level of frustration of citizens over the failure of government to meet their legitimate needs for clean drinking water, despite many thousands of hours of sincere participation over 15 years in government-led processes.
Artists in the Valley donate over 20 pieces of art to support fundraiser for SVWA. Peace Village has approximately 25 people staying per night, lots of activities “Uncut Ricardo” showing of video and slides from blockades August 29.
SVWA proposal “Resolving Water Conflicts in the Slocan Valley” made to Premier Clark and BC Cabinet November 10
1999 - SVWA decides to go on the internet and develop web page at The Water Circle: www.watertalk.org
Third FLOW conference held; 3 days of workshops and presentations. Huge success with over 300 people attending and over $5,000 raised for SVWA
2000 - Letters to premier Ujjal Dosanj requesting a moratorium on logging in contentious watersheds in the Slocan Valley. Slocan Valley Accord, another proposal for moratiium and negotiated settlement of land use conflicts in the valley.
March 2001 - Slocan Valley Watershed Alliance signed on to the BC Tapwater Alliance Petition to “Protect the Source of Drinking Water by Legislating Watershed reserves”.
Cryptosporidium, Horses and Watersheds
Cryptosporidium is the tiny, but powerful, water born parasite which caused the diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fevers experienced by 17,000 people in Cranbrook and Kelowna in 1996. There are no drugs to treat it. It has been fatal to vulnerable people, especially children and the elderly.
Drinking water is contaminated with Cryptosporidium when feces from infected animals are flushed or deposited into the water. Cattle are the primary source, but humans and other domestic and wild animals can also be carriers. The B.C. Ministry of Health says chlorine, iodine and portable water filters are NOT effective as water treatment for these parasites. Only boiling or using very fine filters works.
Horse logging is presently taking place in the Hasty/Vevey Watershed near Silverton and may be planned for other Valley watersheds. One Canadian study shows 17% of horses are infected with Cryptosporidium and can therefore pass it on. According to the Centre for Coastal Health and the UBC Centre for Disease Control, horses “should be required to have a clean bill of health for the month preceeding their entry to the watershed and be shown to be negative for parasites on more that one test using more than one method and/or be treated with an appropriate antiparasitic drug”.
The Health Canada bulletin on the prevention of water contamination by Cryptosporidium makes the understatement, “Protection of the raw water supply is also beneficial”.
Perry Ridge A Unique, Very Unstable Landform
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How is Your Water? Many people are experiencing water shortages or even a loss of water dueto current climate conditions or industrial activity. If this is happening to you, please contact the SVWA. Thank You. |
Why is Perry Ridge a unique, geologically unstable landform where logging and road building should not proceed? Studies show that Perry Ridge has eleven hazards, combined with extremely complex underground water drainage. The Passmore slide was the result of underground water blowing out; the slide that damaged Austin Greengrass's home was also caused by underground water. Despite the experts' recommendations to do groundwater studies, the Ministry of Forests will not do them.
Perry Ridge streams drain large wetlands at the top of the ridge, channel it down narrow, steep areas and then spread it out on alluvial fans at the base where we live. US hydrology expert Allen Isaacson says the streams will not be able to hold the increase in water. The result will be debris torrents and landslides! Studies also show that logging and road building will cause increased avalanche hazard, and there are major rockslides that could be destabilized if water gets out of place on the slopes.
Marilyn Burgoon, President, Perry Ridge Water Users Association
Water Monitoring Program
FIVE YEARS OF BASELINE DATA
From 1994 to 1996, the S.V.W.A established a volunteer based water-monitoring program that involved collecting water quality data on springs and creeks from Hills to Passmore.
In 1996, funding from FRBC enabled The Slocan Valley Water Monitoring Program to monitor flow, sediment, turbidity and temperature on 11 creeks. This base line data is critical for detecting impacts from forestry operations.
In its 5th year and now administered by the Winlaw Watershed Committee, the S.V. Water Monitoring Program continues to collect data that helps us understand the character of the watersheds we depend on for clean water. Much credit goes to observers of the creek who provide valuable information on weather, channel changes and historic comparisons to previous years.
Each year, the information is collected and reviewed. Relational graphs are drawn, and events and trends are noted. Comparisons with similar creeks and previous years are made. Trends and anomalies are related to weather events recorded by the obeserver.
The following are observations based on the collected data:
- Grizzly creek, a tributary of Bonanza provides cool water that is critical for fish that spawn in Bonanza creek in late summer. Bonanza is the most important fish bearing creeks in the Slocan Valley Watershed.
- The upper valley creeks Cadden, Harris and Bartlett tend to have higher sediment loads during spring events than lower valley creeks, likely because of the bedrock geology.
- The varied terrain of the Hasty Watershed is reflected in the Hasty Creek Hydrograph. The creek shows moderating effects from the wetlands and sensitivity to high mountain rain events from the high elevation Hasty - Vevey Watershed.
- Elliot, the smallest creek in the program, has a well functioning natural filtering system that results in a low correlation between sediment and flow. It also has low fecal coliform counts - likely because of its cool ground water source.
- Fecal coliforms are detected in low numbers in all the creeks. E.coli is also present, but again, the numbers are very low.
- Because of its low elevation, Winlaw creek s spring high flow comes early. Winlaw is the most variable creek for mineral content and like Grizzly it tends to stay cool all summer. When Slocan River temperatures rise this cool water provides refuge for fish.
- During extreme weather events, water levels in Airy Creek in Passmore can rise dramatically and unpredictably.
Airy water temperatures can also rise quite high in summer. The past five years have seen a wide variation in weather conditions and flow levels.
The valley had a record high flow in spring, 1997 and we may see some record low flows this year. In addition, we have documented each creek s response to extreme events - rain on snow and heavy fall rains. Each creek behaves differently during these events and their response reveals a lot about the nature and health of the watershed.
The Ministry of Environment recommended the inclusion of Benthic Invertebrate data on Winlaw Lemon, Airy and Bonanza Creeks. This biological parameter uses insect larvae as a sensitive dndicator of change. Winlaw has been outstanding for the diversity of insect species and Bonanza shows large numbers of insects essential for a healthy fish population.
The yearly reports are available and we would be pleased to answer questions and share the information we have collected.
Jennifer Yeow - Slocan Valley Water Monitoring Program
| The SVWA in 1998 ceased sponsoring the Water Monitoring Program when Slocan Forest Products bacame a partner in the funding process. However, the SVWA supports the principles of water monitoring and the potential benefits it may provide. |
“Quotable Quotes”
“I’ve spent all my working life basically unemploying people . . . installing equipment that would provide an economic return and displace people. The thrust of our whole industry has been to do that.”
Ike Barber, former CEO for Slocan Forest Products
“The precautionary principle should guide us in land use decision. When we refuse to use this principle as the guiding rule, erosion degrades the land, water and ultimately degrades civilizations to the point of collapse”Lesley Anderton, Geologist at the FLOW 99 Conference
“Effective water protection hinges on managing the land uses on the surfaces over or through which water flows”George Morfitt, Auditor General of B.C.