Photo: Crews work to salvage fish from stranding pools along the shorelines of Arrow Lakes Reservoir, September 2023. Submitted by BC Hydro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>96.\u00a0 We are used to water level drops in the Arrow Lakes area. What is alarming is the rate of water released in gallons per day that was done during spawning season.\u00a0 Can an explanation be given for the rapid release of water during spawning season?<\/strong><\/p>Answer from BC Hydro:<\/strong> Under the terms of the Columbia River Treaty, BC Hydro is required to continue to release water to the U.S. during periods of dry conditions.\u00a0 BC Hydro did not send any more water than what is absolutely required, and this was managed and reviewed daily as part of inflow forecasts and operations planning.\u00a0 BC Hydro and the U.S. coordinated additional storage in the spring of 2023 to support higher Arrow levels from May through June. \u00a0However, any water stored in the spring was later released from July through mid-August to meet U.S.\u00a0 domestic needs as required under the agreement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>97.\u00a0 Is BC Hydro going to fund a fish ladder at Grand Coulee with their 8 billion profit last year?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>Answer from BC Hydro:<\/strong> Fish passage in the U.S. portion of the Columbia basin is the responsibility of the U.S. government.<\/p>98.\u00a0 Will there be any initiatives to improve spawning channels on more creeks along the Arrow Lakes?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>Answer from <\/strong>the <\/strong>B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship:<\/strong> The Hill Creek Spawning Channel provides enhanced spawning habitat for Arrow Lakes Reservoir and compensates for significant spawning habitat lost upstream of Revelstoke dam.\u00a0 Collectively, spawning habitat is not limiting for Arrow reservoir kokanee.\u00a0 Creating more spawning channel habitat elsewhere is not expected to improve overall kokanee outcomes. \u00a0However, there are issues with spawner access and habitat for some of the smaller spawning tributaries which are of concern to the Province and BC Hydro.\u00a0 Those issues will not be resolved by constructing spawning channels but rather through site specific habitat improvement measures where feasible.\u00a0 Unfortunately, in years with low tributary flows into the reservoir due to climatic conditions (e.g. drought), particularly in combination with low reservoir levels, access to spawning habitat in some tributaries cannot be resolved through habitat improvement.<\/p>99.\u00a0 What is being done to address the low water levels and the impact to our fish and overall habitat loss in the Valley? The loss is extreme and should never be allowed to happen again. What is the plan moving forward?<\/strong><\/p>Answer from BC Hydro: <\/strong>The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) is a partnership between BC Hydro, the Province of B.C., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations and public stakeholders to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by existing BC Hydro dams.<\/p>The FWCP is funded annually by BC Hydro.\u00a0 The FWCP directs those funds towards priority actions across its three regions to fulfil its mission and work towards its vision of thriving fish and wildlife populations in watersheds that are functioning and sustainable.\u00a0 The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program conserves and enhances fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by BC Hydro dams.<\/p>
Although fish stranding is not an uncommon occurrence and can happen in any year, BC Hydro recognizes that the impacts were more significant under last year\u2019s operating conditions.\u00a0 BC Hydro documented all reports of fish stranding on Arrow Lakes Reservoir during last year\u2019s drought conditions.\u00a0 In addition, to minimize impacts to fish, crews were deployed to assess stranding sites and salvage fish where possible.\u00a0 530 kilometres of shoreline were assessed to identify pools and focus ground surveys and salvage efforts, and 159 pools were sampled at 26 different sites.<\/p>
Answer from <\/strong>the <\/strong>B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship<\/strong>: The Province, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and BC Hydro also surveyed creek mouths in advance of spawning migration to assess passage as well as collecting additional water temperature data.\u00a0 Ground and aerial counts for kokanee are complete and information indicates the kokanee spawner return increased compared to recent years and that fish were able to access the tributaries where the majority of fish in Arrow Lakes Reservoir return to spawn.<\/p>Answer from <\/strong>the <\/strong>B.C. Columbia River Treaty Team:<\/strong> Canada, B.C. and the Ktunaxa, Secw\u00e9pemc and Syilx Okanagan Nations are seeking improvements in the Treaty through negotiations with the U.S. to reduce the type of impacts we\u2019ve seen on Arrow Lakes this past year.\u00a0 The additional flexibility the Canadian negotiation delegation is seeking would allow B.C. to adjust its Treaty dam operations to support ecosystems (including fish), Indigenous cultural values, and socio-economic interests.\u00a0 There is river management scenario modelling underway that is informing how to use any new flexibility.\u00a0 Part of this involves looking at different elevations throughout the year on Arrow Lakes Reservoir.\u00a0 Research to determine objectives for this modelling process is being led by the Ktunaxa, Secw\u00e9pemc and Syilx Okanagan Nations in collaboration with federal and provincial governments, the Columbia River Treaty Local Governments Committee and environmental non-governmental scientists and technical consultants.<\/p>100.\u00a0 Were there any environmental and\/or biological studies completed in August and September 2023 relating to the impact low water levels have had regarding fish spawning, stranded fish in pools, mortality, and before and after fish population data (for the time periods of August to September 2023)?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>Answer from BC Hydro: <\/strong>Although fish stranding is not an uncommon occurrence and can happen in any year, BC Hydro recognizes that the impacts were more significant under last year\u2019s operating conditions.\u00a0 BC Hydro documented all reports of fish stranding on Arrow Lakes Reservoir during last year\u2019s drought conditions.\u00a0 In addition, to minimize impacts to fish, crews were deployed to assess stranding sites and salvage fish where possible.\u00a0 530 kilometres of shoreline were assessed to identify pools and focus ground surveys and salvage efforts, and 159 pools were sampled at 26 different sites.<\/p>Answer from <\/strong>the <\/strong>B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship<\/strong>: The Province, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and BC Hydro also surveyed creek mouths in advance of spawning migration to assess passage as well as collecting additional water temperature data.\u00a0 Ground and aerial counts for kokanee are complete and information indicates the kokanee spawner return increased compared to recent years and that fish were able to access the tributaries where the majority of fish in Arrow Lakes Reservoir return to spawn.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>101.\u00a0 What are your plans to mitigate the impacts of rapid volume release of water during spawning periods?<\/strong><\/p>Answer from BC Hydro:<\/strong> Under the terms of the Columbia River Treaty, BC Hydro is required to continue sending water to the U.S. during periods of dry conditions.\u00a0 BC Hydro did not send any more water than what is absolutely required, and this was managed and reviewed daily as part of inflow forecasts and operations planning.\u00a0 Unfortunately, BC Hydro does not have the unilateral rights to hold back flows for Canadian fisheries objectives without agreement from its U.S. counterparts.<\/p>The operation of Arrow Lakes Reservoir follows the Lower Columbia Fish Stranding protocol to help minimize impacts on fish by coordinating fish salvage response if needed during a flow reduction or implementing ramp rates as required to manage flow changes.<\/p>
Although fish stranding is not an uncommon occurrence and can happen in any year, BC Hydro recognizes that the impacts were more significant under last year\u2019s operating conditions.\u00a0 BC Hydro documented all reports of fish stranding on Arrow Lakes Reservoir during last year\u2019s drought conditions.\u00a0 In addition, to minimize impacts to fish, crews were deployed to assess stranding sites and salvage fish where possible.\u00a0 530 kilometres of shoreline were assessed to identify pools and focus ground surveys and salvage efforts, and 159 pools were sampled at 26 different sites.<\/p>
Answer from <\/strong>the <\/strong>B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship:<\/strong> The Province, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and BC Hydro also surveyed creek mouths in advance of spawning migration to assess passage as well as collecting additional water temperature data.\u00a0 Ground and aerial counts for kokanee are complete and information indicates the kokanee spawner return increased compared to recent years and that fish were able to access the tributaries where the majority of fish in Arrow Lakes reservoir return to spawn.\u00a0 The Province through the FWCP enumerates kokanee spawners annually as a component of the Arrow Lakes Reservoir Nutrient Restoration Program and the Hill Creek Spawning Channel.<\/p>Answer from <\/strong>the <\/strong>B.C. Columbia River Treaty Team:<\/strong> As part of negotiations to modernize the Treaty, Canadian and U.S. delegations are looking at different ways of managing the volume and timing of water releases to support a wide range of interests in both countries, including fish spawning and other ecosystems objectives.<\/p>102.\u00a0 What future plans are being considered to avoid rapid water level drops (volume per day released through the dam)?<\/strong><\/p>Answer from BC Hydro:<\/strong> Under the terms of the Columbia River Treaty, BC Hydro is required to continue sending water to the U.S. during periods of dry conditions.\u00a0 Last summer and fall, BC Hydro did not send any more water than what is absolutely required, and this was managed and reviewed daily as part of inflow forecasts and operations planning.\u00a0 Unfortunately, BC Hydro does not have the unilateral rights to hold back flows for Canadian objectives without agreement from its U.S. counterparts.<\/p>Answer from <\/strong>the <\/strong>B.C. Columbia River Treaty Team:<\/strong> As part of negotiations to modernize the Treaty, Canadian and U.S. delegations are looking at different ways of managing the volume and timing of water releases to support a wide range of interests in both countries.\u00a0 Further details are confidential as negotiations are still underway; however, before any agreement is finalized, we will explain to Basin residents what is being proposed and seek feedback.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>