Preliminary Issues
Ash River Water Use Plan
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The following documents the issues that have been raised with respect to Ash River hydroelectric facility operations. The issues were identified through questionnaires, informal discussions, the Ash Water Use Plan (WUP) Open House on September 27, 2000 and the first Ash WUP Committee meeting held October 18. These issues form a starting point. They will be solidified at the third Consultative Committee meeting.
Issues
Related to Ash River Facility Operations
INTEREST:
RECREATION
Recreation
in Elsie Reservoir
·
Boat
access at Elsie may be a problem at low reservoir levels
·
Recreational
fishing in Elsie may be negatively affected at low levels due to stumps, and
floating debris (this needs to be confirmed)
·
Campground
usage and aesthetics of a low reservoir level.
Recreation on Great Central Lake
·
Access to dock at Drinkwater
campground at low lake levels
Recreation below Elsie Dam
·
Opportunities
for fishing throughout the system (Ash, Stamp, and Somass Rivers and Dixon and
Great Central Lakes).
·
Access
to swimming, fishing, and beach areas along river.
INTEREST:
ECONOMICS/TOURISM
General
·
Port Alberni is
marketed as the ‘Salmon Capital of the World’ so an interest in salmon
productivity/health. The spin-offs
are more recreationalists (fishing/camping) leading to more money into the
Alberni Valley economy.
INTEREST:
FISH
Fish in the Ash River
·
Instream
flow requirements below dam for:
·
Summer
steelhead migration – minimum flows needed for migration over obstructions
·
Minimum
flows for rearing (there is currently a minimum flow requirement in place of 125
cfs measured at a flow monitoring station).
·
Potential
effects of temperature on fish species
(such as Sockeye) – generator
discharge into Great Central Lake and the impacts on temperature in the Stamp
River from reduced Ash River flows.
·
The
release of cold water and impacts on fish downstream.
Cold water from intake and low level outlet can lead to stratification.
·
Fish
stranding associated with changes in discharge from Elsie Dam both at the low
level outlet and the overflow spillway.
·
The
removal of nutrients out of the river system as the water that is released out
of the low level outlet tends to be clear with minimal nutrient levels.
Fish in the Elsie Reservoir
·
At low
reservoir levels, spawning fish may not be able to access tributary streams from
the reservoirs, and conversely may not be able to migrate from the streams back
into the reservoirs as fry (young fish) – primarily cutthroat and rainbow
trout
·
Low
reservoir levels may have negative impacts on fish. At low reservoir levels, fish are squeezed into a smaller
volume and have a higher competition for food, this, combined with increased
temperatures (in summer) with lower dissolved oxygen (at the higher
temperatures) may stress fish and lower survival rates
·
Fish
cover, such as stumps in the reservoir, provide good protective habitat
·
Rare and
endangered species (we are not sure if this is an issue – Bob Westcott of BC
Hydro is investigating)
·
Possible
impacts of changing reservoir levels on productivity of the littoral zone (the
productive zone around the rim of a lake where light penetrates onto the bottom
and promotes plant growth), which in turn will impact fish production.
·
Nutrient
levels in reservoirs may be impacted by operations (related to above bullet)
General
Fish Issues (throughout system)
·
Entrainment
(when fish get sucked into the intake the pressure change stresses their system
and/or may cause physical damage).
INTEREST:
WILDLIFE
Wildlife
·
Impacts
may occur in the littoral/riparian interface (that is, along the edge of the
reservoir, and along the edges of the rivers) by fluctuating water levels.
This impact is a loss of productive areas.
Impacts can occur on species all along the food chain – from
terrestrial insects to amphibians, to aquatic mammals to nesting birds,
‘dippers’ (birds that walk in the water and feed by dipping their beak into
the water).
·
At high
reservoir levels nests of waterfowl may become inundated (seasonal issue).
·
Generally,
there is a lack of knowledge of wildlife in the Ash system.
INTEREST:
HERITAGE
Heritage
·
Generally
there is a lack of knowledge of heritage sites in the area.
There are heritage sites at Great Central Lake.
·
Medicinal
and ceremonial plants, and cleansing and cultural areas are around Elsie.
INTEREST:
POWER GENERATION
Energy Production
·
A
responsibility to maximize the value of the Ash power plant and reservoir system
within agreed upon constraints
·
The Ash
system provides capability and flexibility for the entire BCH system to meet
system load in the most economical way
·
The Ash
system provides reliability for the Vancouver Island electrical system,
especially for the Alberni Valley and the West Coast.
INTEREST:
FLOODING
Flood Routing Downstream of Elsie Dam
·
Flood
concern among First Nations within
the reserve. Also residents
along areas such as Ferguson Road.
Some of these areas are flooded on a yearly basis.
·
Potential
erosion downstream of the dams.
OTHER
ISSUES/CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CONDUCTING THE WATER USE PLAN
·
When
power generation is curtailed (when Elsie Reservoir goes below 317.97
91 metres)
no water is passed through the penstock into Great Central Lake.
This can lead to lower lake levels in Great Central Lake.
A lower lake level can impact fish and recreation.
·
There is
interest in a fish ladder to be constructed at Elsie Dam to allow fish species
to access/migrate into Elsie Reservoir and to a prime spawning habitat just
above Elsie. The ladder would be
placed at the overflow spillway or perhaps where the low-level outlet is
located. While this is a physical
or footprint issue, and outside the scope of WUPs, the Consultative Committee
could recommend one within the WUP Report.
·
Interest
that Great Central Lake will be used
as a future community water supply.
·
The
Beaver Creek Improvement District takes water out of the watershed to serve
about 3400 homes.
·
There is
an interest in watershed management. It
is recognized that many of the people involved in the discussion have an
integrated perspective on the system. Thus, while the water use plan process is
focussed directly on gaining insights into planning system operations (reservoir
levels and water flows) people and Hydro (through community relations and social
and environmental management staff) will look for opportunities to draw links to
broader stewardship opportunities within the watershed.
·
The
linkage to the Elsie Dam Safety Upgrade and the Port Alberni Emergency
Preparedness Plan. Issue of
potential flooding along the watershed if Elsie Reservoir levels are above the
loose layer (above 326 metres) and a major earthquake occurs.
New spillway channel (324 metres) will keep water levels below the layer
except during extreme rainfall where the level could rise (very short duration)
to the loose layer. This potential
flooding issue will only last until the end October 2001 when the second stage
of the safety upgrade is complete.
