Preserving Recreational Navigation, Big Silver, Tretheway, and Shovel Creeks, British Columbia.

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The time has come again to make your voice heard and stand up to preserve recreational navigation on several streams in South West BC. The Private Power producer Inergex has submitted their application for the project to the Environmental Assessment Office for review. Included in this are navigation reports for Big Silver, Tretheway and Shovel Creeks located near Harrison Lake several hours east of Vancouver.

The Navigation reports put together for Inergex by a company called Typlan is full of inaccuracies and miss-leading data. After several meetings with Typlan and Inergex its disappointing to see so little input from the actual user groups make it into these reports. Outlined in these reports are the companies proposed mitigation, or more accurately their lack of mitigation. After bringing the miss-information and weak mitigation measures to the attention of Inergex employees at the latest open house meeting regarding these project I’m hopeful that there is still room and time for improvement. Inergex does seem eager and willing to fix the inaccuracies and possibly amend their weak mitigation offerings. Your voice can insure that this happens by writing into the EAO online comment forms.

Comments written to the EAO online form will be sent to Navigable Waters Protection office and be reviewed by their staff. Nav. Waters has to issue a permit to Inegrx before they can get final approval for the project. Nav. Waters will have the final say in whether or not the mitigation offered by Inergex is acceptable.

To some up the Navigation Reports Typlan basically says that since they saw no paddlers in the area it must not be a very well used resource. For mitigation this was their take: “The Project is expected to have a positive effect on recreational navigation on Big Silver Creek. No specific measures are required to mitigate any adverse effect on navigation. “ – Typlan

It doesn’t take a kayaker to know that dewatering a stream will NOT  ”in fact have a net positive effect on recreational navigation” – Typlan

You can review the Navigational Assessment Reports here and also see the proposed mitigation for each projects:

Big Silver Creek

Shovel Creek

Tretheway Creek

It’s important to remember this is not the forum to appose these projects, comments written in apposing the project as a whole will do nothing to save navigation on these streams. Comments should pertain strictly to navigation and mitigation measures. Stating that these streams are known to have valuable recreation occurring in the form of navigation is key.

Suggestions to include in your comments:

- Recreational Navigation of these streams is valuable.

- Scheduled whitewater releases are the only way to preserve any form of navigation value. (Currently not offered by Inergex)

- The mitigation measures offered are not in line with previous projects, IE –  Ashlu Creek, Rutherford Creek.

- These project WILL NOT improve recreational navigation.

For those unfamiliar with these creeks Big Silver Creek has several runs on it, one of witch will fall in the diversion reach of this project. It is a newer run only being explored in recent years and is seeing a large increase in use every year. This is one of the most scenic and divers streams I have ever paddled on, it has something to offer everyone and the scenery is second to none. Tretheway Creek is listed in the latest guide-book, “River Gypsies Guide to 294 of the Contents BEST Rivers”, its referred to as one of the most special places you can visit in a kayak. Shovel Creek is the lesser known creek and has yet to be fully explored by paddlers.

Thank you for taking the time to write into the EAO and do your part to preserve these special places for future generations to enjoy.  – Comments are only accepted up until February 9. 2012.

The site of the proposed intake and head pond. this and everything roughly one kilometer upstream will be flooded. The geology of this section is unique to the area and adds to the quality of the run. This is one of the possible put in for the current Middle Section. - Photo: Ryan Bayes

Looking down stream from the FSR bridge over the section of creek that will be dewatered. - Photo: Ryan Bayes

The main event on Tretheway Creek. - Photo: River gypsies Guide Book.

“The Navigable Waters Protection Program (NWPP) ensures the public’s right to navigate Canada’s waters without obstruction.” – Transport Canada Web Site.

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