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Oct 03, 2000
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 3, 2000
Nechako Watershed Council meets with Southside residents -Grassy Plains, B.C. – From September 29, 2000 to October
1, 2000 the Nechako Watershed Council (NWC) met at the Grassy Plains Elementary
– Junior Secondary School in Grassy Plains, B.C.
The NWC started its meeting by taking a walking tour, hosted by the
Cheslatta Carrier Nation, along sections of the Cheslatta River. This tour
provided NWC members with an opportunity to view the areas of potential
redevelopment around the Cheslatta River and the mouth of Cheslatta Lake.
Chief Marvin Charlie addressed the NWC and spoke about the history of the
area, its meaning to the Cheslatta people and of the importance that the future
redevelopment means to the Cheslatta people.
The tour ended with a visit to the Michell Charlie Memorial Youth Camp at
Cheslatta Ranch. Mike Robertson, Senior Policy Advisor with the Cheslatta
Carrier Nation, presented to the NWC that the Cheslatta people would like to
see, as part of their redevelopment plan, a more natural and stable flow in the
Cheslatta River. The Cheslatta
people would also like the flow of the Cheslatta River to be consistent from
year to year with the exception of unforeseen natural occurrences.
Gabi Matscha of the Southside Economic Development Association endorsed
the Cheslatta Carrier Nation’s proposal. On Friday evening the NWC held a public forum for area
residents of the Southside to have their voices heard with regard to the issues
related to the Nechako Reservoir and Cheslatta River flows.
The meeting was well attended with 50+ people providing comments on the
current state of the Cheslatta River and how they would like to see it improved.
The majority of people agreed that water flows had to be more consistent
with less fluctuation during the summer months. During the course of the
evening, Don Timlick, power operations manager with Alcan, gave a presentation
of the current status of the Nechako Reservoir. Wally Eamer, BC Environment, presented an initiative of BC
Environment with regard to fish flow requirements for resident fish in the
Nechako River, with a focus on white sturgeon.
BC Environment is working to create the optimum adaptive management
strategy for flows and how these coincide with the July and August sockeye runs.
The results of this work will be presented to the NWC at their next
meeting. “These presentations on scientific, social and economic
information, as well as local history and traditional knowledge are very
important tools in assisting the NWC with their ongoing efforts to determine how
to address the issues of the users of the Nechako watershed,” said Henry
Klassen, Chair of the NWC. The NWC is pleased to welcome the Ecology Circle, based in
Prince George, as its newest member organization, represented by Huub Lederhoff. The next meeting of the NWC will be in Smithers, B.C. from
October 20 to October 22, 2000. For more information, please contact: Henry Klassen 250-567-4254 |
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