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SOCREDS DOOM MICA LAKE

For some time now various

organizations — including
the IWA and the New Demo-
cratic Party — have ex-

pressed concern at the abso-
lute indifference shown by
the provincial government to
carry out its responsibility of
protecting the recreational
potential of British Columbia.

This indifference is reflect-
ed in the government’s policy
of allowing mining and log-

- ging companies to pollute and

destroy the lakes and streams
of provincial parks. The fact
that these parks will be for-
ever ruined as tourist attrac-
tions is shrugged off as of
little or no consequence:
Those in authority suggest

_ that B.C. has almost unlimited

recreational space, so why
worry over the loss of two or
three parks. This shortsighted
policy has now developed to
the point where no area of
the province is sacred.

A prime example is the
government’s’ callous plan to
completely destroy the recre-
ational potential of the Mica
Dam reservoir by flooding
the area without first ade-
quately clearing it of trees
and other debris.

It attempts to justify this
destruction by claiming that
the clearing costs would be
prohibitive.

The British Columbia Na-
ture Council, a society inter-
ested in preserving the na-
tural recreational areas of the
province, proved in a well

-- documented brief to the gov-

ernment that the Mica Reser-
voir could be cleared at a
minimal cost.

It proposed that because
the Reservoir area was heavi-
ly forested, a slashing project
be carried out on all trees

over two inches in diameter
and five feet in height grow-
ing four feet above high water
level,

It warned the government
that unless this was done, the
magnificent recreational po-
tential of the Mica Reservoir
would be lost to the people
of British Columbia forever.

The Mica Dam is located
about ninety miles north of
Revelstoke and will be a
power and storage dam ap-
proximately 647 feet high
when completed in 1972.
Enough water will be stored
in its reservoir to create a
lake one hundred and twen-
ty-five miles in length ‘and
varying from half a mile to
one mile in width,

LAKE SIZE

Little effort is needed to
visualize the size of this lake;
for instance, if transposed
westward to Vancouver its
eastern end would reach past
Princeton. Traversing this
waterway by boat would be a
real exploration with an un-
excelled view of the Rockies,
and the ranges of the Selwyn,
Selkirk and Monashees.

This area abounds with
wildlife and fish which would
die or vanish from the area
because of the pollution cre-
ated by the decaying debris
if the government goes ahead
with its announced flooding
plans.

The Council’s brief in deal-
ing with this subject stated
in part:

“Moose are the most im-
portant game animal in the
area. Elk, whitetail deer,

KEY MAP

black and grizzly bear, and
caribou are also present.

“Destruction of the high
quality valley bottom habitat
by flooding will displace all
these species to a varying ex-
tent, with the most important
— moose — being by far the
most seriously affected.

“Further losses will occur
to animals displaced from the
reservoir by entanglement
with debris when attempting
to swim across the lake.
Moose and deer will be the
chief victims, however, slash-
ing would reduce these losses
by the avoidance of wind-
throw encumbered _ shores,
with eventual reduction to a
natural level as clearance was
affected.

“At present little recrea-
tional use is made of the big
game population in the area.
However, with increasing ac-
cess, moose populations would
be of immense value both to
non-consumptive users who
wish to see the animals in
their natural setting, and to
hunters.

“Fur bearers present in the
area are beaver, muskrat,
mink, otter, marten, and red
squirrel. All but the last two
species will suffer serious loss
of habitat. Little alleviation
can actually be hoped for in
this instance.

“large numbers of ducks
and geese use the area, which
includes substantial nesting
habitat. No favorable habitat
will remain in the reservoir
since little or no vegetation
will be able to establish it-
self due to silting and fluctu-
ating water levels. As a result,
waterfowl populations in the
reservoir area will for the
most part be displaced. It is of
the utmost importance to
wildlife that all possible con-
tiguous land areas adjacent to
the reservoir be retained in a
condition favorable to wild-
life use. Shoreline clearing
would assist substantially. In

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Ao * cote

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER :

particular, these remarks ap-
ply to the unflooded sections
of the Bush, Sullivan, Kin-
basket, Wood, and Canoe
Rivers.

“An assessment should be
made of the losses to wildlife
in the area and if compen-
satory measures are impos-
sible in the reservoir area, the
losses should be ameliorated
through projects outside of
the immediate reservoir area.

278 MILES

“A total of 278 miles of
river and streams will be lost
by flooding. Only rudimen-
tary surveys were made of
the importance of these
stream areas to sports fishing.
Virtually no information is
available as to the fishery po-
tential of the new lake that
will be created.

“Harlier experience in res-
ervoir flooding — Kenny Dam
is a case in point — has Jed
to an increase in the reservoir
value for sports fishing during
the first years after flooding.
Such a fishery, however, can-
not be utilized unless reser-
voir clearing makes access
possible.”

The brief then described
the scenic character of the
lake to be created and its rec-
reational and commercial pos-
sibilities. It stated in part:

““A compensatory benefit of
artificial flooding is the num-
ber of sheltered arms and
coves created. Side arms of
17, 15, and 8 miles respective-
ly, will extend up the Wood,
Bush, and Sullivan Valleys.
Nine shorter arms of 1 to 4
miles in length will extend up
lesser stream valleys, and
many smaller ones of less
than a mile will be formed.

“This most important arm
leads eastward off the five

ath

TO PREVENT THIS...

mile wide expansion to the
east of the dam. From its head
the Wood River valley leads

“up to Fortress Lake in Ham-

ber Park. This valley may
contain some of the few small

areas of valley bottom habitat
left unflooded in the region.

“Hamber was created as a
Class A Park in 1941 with an
area of 2,431,960 acres cover-
ing most of the Rocky Moun-
tain Trench in the reservoir
section. Later reduced to
Class B status, it was in 1961
cut to 60,585 acres and re-

stored to Class A status. It is _

about 14 miles from the arm
to the park boundary.

“Hitherto effective access
has only existed from the Al-
berta side via a horse trail
from Sunwapta Falls. This
ascends the gently sloping val-
leys of the Athabasca and its
tributary, the Chaba, crosses
Fortress Pass on the Contin-
ental Divide at the eastern
end of Fortress Lake, and
continues on to the western
boundary of Hamber Park.

‘Fortress Pass is just over
4,400 feet in elevation, while
the lake is just under. This is
about 650 feet lower than
Lake Louise. It has good fish-
ing, probably because most of
the streams carrying glacial
silt enter the Wood below the
lake outlet. The area is wood-
ed and the surrounding scen-
ery magnificent. ~

MOUNTAINS

“Alnus Creek enters at the
foot of the lake from the
northwest. Its valley is more
flowery and open and con-
tains a narrow lake. To the
south lies the huge Clemen-
ceau Icefield and many fine

peaks, including

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