NWC Looks Forward to Working with the White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative

 Fraser Lake, B.C. - The Nechako Watershed Council (NWC) held its latest meeting in Fraser Lake on April 26 and 27, 2002.  Regional District of Bulkley Nechako representative Ralph Roy welcomed the meeting participants on behalf of Area ‘D’ and the Village of Fraser Lake.

 Don Cadden, Section Head, Fish & Wildlife Science and Allocation, gave a presentation on the Nechako River White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative, including an overview of the November 29, 2001 Action Planning Group meeting.  Mr. Cadden talked about government restructuring and how fresh water fisheries management formerly contained within the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is now being delivered through the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection.

 Mr. Cadden reported on the many projects being undertaken by the Recovery Initiative, including Hydrograph Analysis.  This work involves looking for relationships between changes in Nechako River flows and sturgeon spawning success.  A second part of this work will be to design a preferred flow regime for white sturgeon.

 As the NWC is working on optimal flow regimes for the Nechako River post-Cold Water Release Facility, Mr. Cadden expressed the need for the Recovery Initiative and the NWC to work together by sharing information and keeping both groups updated on each other’s work progress.

 “The NWC was pleased to accept Mr. Cadden’s invitation to work together on flow regimes for the Nechako River.  Strong communication between our respective organizations will have a positive effect on the work we are doing,” said Henry Klassen, Chair of the NWC.

 The NWC is continuing to work on establishing an administrative structure that will move the implementation of the Cold Water Release Facility Workplan forward to completion.

 Director of Corporate Affairs for Alcan, Richard Prokopanko, reported that current snowpack in the Nechako Reservoir area is 134% of long-term average which could translate into up to 115% inflows, also long-term average. 

 A Tahtsa Narrows Project update was provided and currently Alcan is in Phase II, Step 10 (of the Coordinated Federal CEAA/Provincial Water Act Review Process), finalizing the Scoping Document, with amendments, for approval by the Water Comptroller for the province of British Columbia and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

 Guest of the NWC meeting included Byron Nutton, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Don Cadden, Fish & Wildlife Science and Allocation, Judith Muehlen, Elaine Storey, Editor of the Fraser Lake Bugle, Glen Davidson, Land and Water British Columbia Inc., and Justus Benckhuysen, Aquatic Resources Limited.

 The next meeting will be held in Houston, B.C. on June 14 and 15, 2002.