KETTLE RIVER WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN: A CRITIQUE

In 2010 the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary began a process for a Kettle River Watershed Management Plan (KRWMP). The Plan was finalized and published 2014/2015.

The process began after repeated appearances of the Kettle on the Endangered Rivers List.
The Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.’s Endangered Rivers List of March 2011 listed the Kettle River as the #1 Endangered River in the Province. The Kettle reached this sorry position after climbing up the list over several years, having been #2 in 2010.

See our full critique here:

http://www.boundaryalliance.org/krwmp_a_critique.pdf

Our extended article critiques the way this process was initiated, the inadequate Terms of Reference and critical gaps, errors and omissions in the Technical Assessment (Summit Environmental Report) and the KRWMP Report. The article also criticizes the adequacy of the Plan in addressing current and future issues affecting the Kettle Watershed and in creating full public awareness of those issues. The KRWMP is less a “Management Plan” than a limited overview of the issues, lacking concrete actions to address the issues, and a Plan which largely suggests other levels of Government do what is needed.

Our extended article expands on the following topics:

·         Background

·         Terms of Reference

·         Process Structure,

·         How well did the KRWMP Structure Work ?

·         Public Meeting Format

·         Water Quality & Source Water Protection

·         Water Quality: Heavy metals & substances

·         Low water flows & High temperatures

·         Conclusions & Recommendations

Our final recommendation is that no one should use the KRWMP as a template.

Our extended article also links to our youtube video below.
If your devices and download speeds allow, video is available in up to 1920 x 1080 high definition.

KETTLE RIVER DRONE TOUR

Other KRWMP articles can be found on our website and the website page below:

Our KRWMP page: http://www.boundaryalliance.org/ba_014.htm

E.COLI COUNTS IN RANGELAND STREAMS: 2016 EDITION

Our full report on testing of representative rangeland (public land) streams in 2015 and 2016 is available in the link below.

 http://www.boundaryalliance.org/e.colireport2016.pdf
 

As in previous reports, the patterns show that E.coli counts are almost entirely related to range-cattle presence or absence and that E.coli counts that could be attributable to wildlife (in the absence of cattle) are negligible or frequently nil.

The multi-year, multi-month scope of this study is unusual in that most studies monitor over shorter periods.

Our 2015-2016 results together with our other reports going back to 2007 provide compelling evidence that

E. coli contamination in streams relates directly to the presence or absence of range-cows.

Testing in 2015-2016 is a continuation of earlier studies, reported in earlier articles:

http://www.boundaryalliance.org/e.coli_report2013.pdf

http://www.boundaryalliance.org/ecolireport2009.pdf

 

The 2013 Report has a full discussion of factors affecting stream contamination (in addition to tenure holders) including the roles of Ministry of Forests and Range, Forest & Range Evaluation Program, BC Cattlemen's Association.

 For all E.coli & Cattle related articles see our web page:

http://www.boundaryalliance.org/ba_008.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

GILPIN GRASSLANDS SAGA: 2016 Edition

The sorry history of “range management” in the Gilpin continued in 2016.

For the complete story see extended article at:     http://www.boundaryalliance.org/gilpin_saga2016.pdf

 The video below tells part of the tale, and if your devices and download speed allow, the video is viewable at up to 1920 x 1080 high definition.

Drone views provide a new perspective.

In 2016 we saw repeats of earlier issues plus some new ones.

• Range cattle invading, damaging, and  contaminating parkland, and a protected area at Gilpin Creek.
• New wildlife unfriendly fencing installed in the Gilpin.
• Flooding of Lost Lake area by tenure holder or agents through failure to set up cattle waterer.
• Will the tenure holder do the right thing in 2017 to prevent damage? Will Range Branch, MFLNRO, ensure it?
• Cattle grazing on public land makes no economic or ecological sense

For previous articles on problems in the Gilpin and on range cattle issues see www.boundaryalliance.org

and the page  http://www.boundaryalliance.org/ba_008.htm

LOGGING in BC: 32 YEAR TIMELAPSE VIEW

Timelapse is a global, zoomable, view on Google Earth showing how the Earth has changed over 32 years.
Navigate to areas of interest as usual within Google Earth, mosaics can be viewed at various speeds.

Navigate to the Boundary area BC, for a startling view of the extent of logging in the area. Although the Timelapse video indicates it covers the period 1984 to 2016 it appears that their info is taken from 2 year old source views, so the last couple of years of active logging in the Boundary don't show.
Sustainable?

https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/#v=50.42741,-119.97841,9.911,latLng&t=1.20

Our thanks to independent Biologist Brian Horejsi for the link.

NEW ZEALAND RIVER WORLD'S FIRST LEGAL ENTITY

2017:
New Zealand passed a bill recognizing the Whanganui River as a legal entity. A world first.

Ruling means the river will be entitled to representation in court proceedings.

The New Zealand Parliament passed the bill making it the first natural resource to be given a legal personality.

I know the initial inclination of some people will say it's pretty strange to give a natural resource a legal personality, " said New Zealand's Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson. "But it is no stranger than family trusts, or companies or incorporated societies."


 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39282918

With extracts from BBC and Daily Mail
Our comment:
Good to think about the possibility of legal status for rivers here. Locally the Kettle River was given Heritage Status years ago, but Heritage Status and the recent Kettle River Watershed Management Plan, have failed to protect the Kettle River system from past, present and future threats.


A few days later:
An Indian Court, acknowledging the New Zealand action, has given similar protection to the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, "meaning that if anyone harms or pollutes either river, the law would view it as no different from harming a person."      See more:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/indian-court-gives-2-rivers-same-rights-as-a-human-1.3333556