WHEREAS the normal movement of fish in rivers and streams may be blocked by the location of hydroelectric dams contrary to Section 20-1 and 35-2 of the federal Fisheries Act; AND WHEREAS this may restrict the rearing and spawning activity of certain species of fish: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM urge the provincial government to require that BC Hydro include some form of appropriate access of passage for fish to their historical spawning grounds including fish ladders or bypass canals, where possible, at existing dam sites.
Ministry of Energy, Mines Natural Gas Minister Responsible for Housing The Provincial Fish Protection Act provides legislative authority for water managers to consider impacts on fish and fish habitat before approving new water licences or amendments to licences or issuing approvals for work in or near these streams. Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO has ultimate authority over fish habitat through the Fisheries Act, which is the main federal legislation affecting all fish, fish habitat and water quality. The provision of fish passage has been a component of Canadas Fisheries Act since 1867. BC Hydro commissioned an Evaluation of Restoring Historic Passage for Anadromous Fish at BC Hydro Facilities June 2001. Five dams: Coquitlam 1914, Alouette 1924, Ruskin 1930, Terzaghi 1948, and Wilsey 1929, now owned by BC Hydro, were found to have blocked the historic access of anadromous fish populations at the time of construction. Fish passage structures were not provided at these five dams according to individual agreements with the DFO, which waived their general requirement that all manmade obstructions in rivers were to be provided with a fish ladder. Three other dams: Comox 1912, Puntledge 1912 and Seton 1956, were built on anadromous-bearing rivers where the DFO insisted that fish ladders be provided. BC Hydro has a seven step Fish Passage Decision Framework in place to screen and evaluate fish passage proposals. Funding to assess fish passage opportunities has been provided through the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. For example, since 2008, 465,000 has been provided to assess fish passage opportunities on the Alouette River. Project impacts of a proposal to build a fish ladder as part of the planned upgrades to the Ruskin dam and powerhouse, did not rationalize that level of compensation. Further work would be needed to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed fish ladder infrastructure alternative to the present approach of transporting sockeye salmon by truck from the bottom of the Alouette Dam up to the Alouette Lake Reservoir.