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Sept 2004
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE gOVERNMENT,
ALCAN EXTEND FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT nECHAKO Water Release Facility WORK PLAN Vanderhoof, B.C., September 20, 2004 – The Nechako Watershed
Council has received confirmation from the B.C. Government that it will provide
an additional $100,000 to facilitate the continuation of the preliminary study
and work on a proposed water release facility at Kenney Dam.
Under an agreement associated with the Nechako Environmental Enhancement
Fund, established as part of the 1997 B.C.-Alcan Agreement, Alcan will match the
government’s commitment. Since the Nechako Watershed
Council’s work plan for the water release facility was approved in 2002, the
government and Alcan have each contributed $100,000 a year to support the
plan’s implementation. The
extended commitment from both parties will carry the work through the 2005
fiscal year. Henry Klassen, Chair of the
Nechako Watershed Council (NWC), welcomed last Friday’s announcement by Dennis
MacKay, MLA for Bulkley Valley-Stikine. “We
are about to enter the fourth year of an 11-year work plan.
We’re at a stage now where our consultants are refining criteria for
the water release facility with respect to critical aspects of the facility’s
performance, such as temperature regime, total gas pressure, and sedimentation.
This new funding will keep the work moving ahead without interruption,”
he said. On behalf of the Government of
B.C., MLA Dennis MacKay said the funding extension recognizes the importance of
the work being undertaken by the NWC. “This
project is an example of multiple stakeholders working together for the benefit
of one of our province’s major waterways.
My government believes in the importance of this effort and is pleased to
continue its support for the ongoing research around this initiative.” The proposed release facility
will allow the hydrograph of the Nechako River to be modified to better meet the
needs of downstream users of the river without compromising fisheries
conservation and protection. A
smaller cold water release facility was part of Alcan’s Kemano Completion
project but was not built due to that project’s cancellation. In resolving the issues associated with the cancellation, the
Province and Alcan agreed to co-fund a Nechako Environmental Enhancement Fund.
The NWC was given a mandate to determine the best use of this fund and
unanimously agreed that a water release facility would address the greatest
number of stakeholder interests. The Nechako Watershed Council
comprises 26 stakeholder groups from Prince George in the Central Interior to
Kitimat on the Northwest coast, including representatives from the provincial
government and Alcan. It was
established in 1998, after two years of exploratory meetings, to enhance the
long-term health and viability of the Nechako Watershed.
Members include representatives of community groups; business interests;
governments at the municipal, regional, and provincial levels; First Nations;
and specific user groups. For further information contact: Henry Klassen Chair (250)567-4254 |
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