Rock slide in Fraser River, B.C., may hinder salmon passage

https://globalnews.ca/news/5435982/fraser-river-rock-slide-salmon/

rock-slide-e1561596731139.jpg
 
A concern however I'd suggest from what I can see in photo and what is reported, this slide has created rapids and turbulence to that area that was not there before the slide. An added obstacle but I would suggest it doesn't seem to me right now to be something salmon aren't used to navigating through. It is amazing what they can travel through when healthy. Now with warming water temperatures and lowering water levels certainly a slide could become more of a problem later on as the summer progresses.
 
CBC radio was saying that the slide it caused a 5-meter waterfall this afternoon. Certainly doesn't look like that to me in the global news report? Makes me wonder if DFO's going to use this to justify further closures?
 
This is starting to feel like a sick joke, yikes





DFO held an emergency call this afternoon to provide a technical briefing with Officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Province of British Columbia for an update on the ongoing coordination efforts and proposed next steps related to a rock slide that occurred near Big Bar just north of Lillooet, BC. A large slab of rock calved off just upstream of a narrow portion of the Fraser River near Big Bar, creating a 5m waterfall in a section of the river

Key Highlights from the call:

-DFO Working to set up acoustic monitoring upstream and downstream of the slide

-technical team arrived on-site this morning (geologists, engineers, etc) to assess and gather info over the weekend and review options moving forward.

-Right now reports of Chinook holding downstream of slide, but don’t appear to be able to make it up 5m falls created by slide

-Emergency team looking at options to remove rocks, feasibility of truck and transfer of fish around barrier, etc.

-DFO looking to work with local First Nations to help.

-DFO and BC looking at emergency response (Emergency Management BC) . Want to know how best to communicate.

-Dale Michie of DFO available as point person over weekend to seek input from First Nations on how to move forward with this.

Phone #: (250)851-5956
E-mail: Dale.michie@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Next call scheduled for Wednesday to provide update on details.
 
spring time said:
The fish swim up the Fraser canyon and hells gate for decades, no problem
Click to expand...

Yes the salmon swim up the canyon - but by the time they get up the Fraser into that area where the slide is, the fish have nowhere near the strength and energy to navigate through that slide.
 
Checked out Google Earth for a “before” image and compared to the “after” one WMY posted above.

Before;
upload_2019-6-29_7-37-15.jpeg

After;
upload_2019-6-29_7-38-21.jpeg
 
the video also says sockeye are two weeks away that is also untrue, should be some early stuart there already.
 
I think the very concerning thing about this slide is that we're relying on an organization that lacks confidence of the sport fishing community to deal with any kind of issue!
 
wildmanyeah said:
the video also says sockeye are two weeks away that is also untrue, should be some early stuart there already.
Click to expand...

Not quite. One of the FN band members mentioned on Twitter that they have not yet seen any early Stuart yet, but expect so in the next week.
 
Dont have the energy or strength to navigate past this?
You do realize the stocks going past this point still have hundreds of km to migrate still? Some of the obstacles they go through past this are way worse imo.
Yes it will be a concern with how low the Fraser already is and the next few months.
The Chinook and sockeye that migrate past this are the strongest that we have in BC. I also think that this also just plays into DFO propaganda.

On the bright side Dale Michie of DFO is one of the more knowledgable and no ******** staff within DFO.

Maybe this will a blessing in disguise and allow for less interception of stocks downriver?
WMY yes there is sockeye moving through that area and there has been for a few weeks. Not many but definetly starting.

If fish were not passing this point even for a day you would see them starting to stack like cordwood in any back eddy directly below this. Hopefully this is not the case.

This is the last thing a lot of these stocks need!
 
Last edited:
Update on the activities undertaken by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Province of British Columbia regarding the Fraser Canyon Rock Slide

As promised, we are taking this opportunity to update you on work being done by DFO and the Province of BC since the issuance of a joint statement on June28th.

Background: DFO and the BC Government were advised on June 23rd that a significant rock slide occurred in a narrow portion of the Fraser River near Big Bar, northwest of Clinton. The natural movement of the water made it very challenging to visually see whether fish were passing through the slide area. The area is very remote, with steep canyon slopes, no accessibility by road, and limited access via helicopter. DFO and BC are actively working together to determine how to help salmon and other fish pass through this area, how to protect these important fish stocks, and how to ensure safe working conditions for all incident responders.

· Acoustic monitoring devices are now installed upstream of the obstruction on both sides of the River. Data is uploaded daily. The first day of monitoring found that 70-90 cm long fish were moving upstream. This means some large Chinook are passing the obstruction however smaller fish may not be able to pass. A second acoustic monitoring device will be deployed downstream of the obstruction.

· The Province of BC has initiated work to create road access to the obstruction site for technical experts and incident responders. Public access is not supported until we are certain of the slope stability and that the area does not pose any safety risks.

· Further investigations into safety for working at the site are being undertaken as well as further evaluations of plans to restore full fish access through the obstruction. Experts, such as geotechnical engineers, are continuing to evaluate the site this weekend and early next week. Investigations into trap and truck locations to capture fish and logistics are continuing in case a temporary solution is required while the slide area is addressed.

· A Unified Command structure is being set up which will include DFO and the Province of BC. First Nation representation in the Unified Command is desired by BC and DFO and we will work with First Nations next week to identify appropriate representatives.

· Telephone briefings for First Nations and other stakeholders occurred on Friday, June 28th. Follow up technical briefings are being scheduled for Wednesday, July 3rd.

In the meantime, we will continue to keep you updated as new information becomes available and will be sending you the call in information for the technical briefing as soon as possible.

Regards,
Bonnie Antcliffe
Jennifer Davis
 
@agentaqua.

Received the same update from Dale Miche via email on Sunday night.

Hi Grxxx, here is the most up to date info at this time:|
DFO and the BC Government were advised on June 23rd that a significant rock slide occurred in a narrow portion of the Fraser River near Big Bar, northwest of Clinton. Will forward updated information as it comes in
<snip out the rest>

Thanks
Dale Michie
Resource Manager – Fraser Interior Area
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
985 McGill Road, Kamloops B.C.
Office: 250-851-4946
Cell: redacted
Dale.michie@dfo-mpo.gc.ca


I'll be on the conference call Wednesday morning. If anyone else from here wants to join in on the call, I'll post the details.
 
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