I'm taking this opportunity to write about current events instead of historical events and family genealogy. History is involved and so is my family. The difference this blog entry being that I am writing about things that came to my attention in 2011.
While visiting family in the Campbell River, British Columbia area I took my wife, Girlie, to Buttle Lake to show her the beauty that I grew up with as a child in Campbell River on May 17, 2011. I had not visited the Buttle Lake area for a very long time and was looking forward to seeing the beautiful lake that I remembered as a child. Much to my surprise the water level was way down and I found that alarming. Upon return to my father's house in Campbell River on Reserve #11 I told my dad that the water level was low on Buttle Lake and that it looked like it had been drained.
My dad told me that BC Hydro lowers the water level annually to make way for the melt water from the surrounding mountains. What my dad told me kind of made sense. I still had trouble seeing Buttle Lake drained 8 to 10 feet. Having lived in Whitehorse, Yukon for more than 30 years and being familiar with the Whitehorse watershed I thought about what I saw at Buttle Lake for a long time. I know that lake water levels naturally very depending upon the time of year and how much precipitation and melt water flow into lake systems. I believe that people in the Yukon would freak of Schwatka Lake, Marsh Lake, Tagish Lake, Bennett Lake and Atlin Lake were drained 8 to 10 feet. Maybe it's not fair of me to compare the Whitehorse watershed with the Campbell River watershed as the Whitehorse watershed covers a vastly larger area than the Campbell River watershed.
How is it appropriate that the Campbell River watershed level, with the lakes representing the Campbell River watershed being fish habitat, be allowed to fluctuate so much? This kind of significant fluctuation would certainly affect fish and plant life within the lakes. How can it not?!
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| Low water at Buttle Lake, May 17, 2011 - Photo by Girlie |
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| Low water at Buttle Lake, May 17, 2011 - Photo by Girlie |
I returned to Campbell River November 3-5, 2011 for the annual Laich-Kwil-Tach Treaty Society Citizens Assembly and during the assembly and watched a presentation made by Anthropologist Dee Cullon about the John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project. In 1947 BC Hydro completed the John Hart Dam and Power Generating Station. All these years later BC Hydro wants to replace the Power Generating Station because of it`s age. Go figure! After Dee's presentation I requested permission to speak and mentioned my concern about the low water levels that my wife and I witnessed May 17, 2011. Notes were being written about what I was saying and hopefully this situation will be addressed in the very near future. Why is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans not all over this? I've notice in the Yukon that DFO jumps on anyone wanting to change fish habitat. It's flat out not allowed!
The interesting thing is that BC Hydro built these facilities in 1947 without consulting the people whose land and water these facilities would utilize. The people I speak about broadly here are the people of the Laichkwiltach Nation of which I am one being a member of the Ahwahoo tribe. BC Hydro has profited from John Hart Dam and Power Generating Station and has utilized the water without paying a cent to the people to whom which this resource rightfully belongs. Again, that being broadly the people of the Laichkwiltach Nation. Dee Cullon's presentation showed trails within the area that is the Campbell River watershed that Laichkwiltach Nation people and others used to transit the area long before BC Hydro was formed and anyone knew anything about generating electricity from water.
The story of the Campbell River watershed gets more interesting for the people of the Laichkwiltach Nation. The Town and later the City of Campbell River has an agreement to buy water from BC Hydro and then sells the water belonging to the people of the Laichkwiltach Nation living on Indian Reserves #11 and #12 back to them. The water belong to us and they are selling our water back to us! That's a sweet deal for the BC Hydro and City of Campbell River. Once again, BC Hydro sells water to the City of Campbell River and the City of Campbell River sells the water to the peoples of the Ahwahoo, Weiwakum and Weiwaikai tribes. Who sells the water to BC Hydro? Oh! That's right! BC Hydro gets to use the water belonging to the Laichkwiltach Nation for free since 1947!
Now BC Hydro has to deal with the native peoples that they didn't talk to when they first completed the John Hart Power Project in 1947 and I don't think they are happy about it. It has only recently been revealed to the people of the Laichkwiltach Nation the water agreement that Campbell River has with BC Hydro and the Laichkwiltach Nation are now involved in those negotiations. From what I understand and last I saw the City of Campbell River's Water Agreement with BC Hydro expires January 31, 2012.
I'm curious to learn if and when a new water agreement will be reached.
Happy New Year! :) I'll be blogging again in 2012.
