Plans to decommission a dam and power station along the Shuswap River and improve fish access are being criticized by the Splatsin First Nation over lack of consent and territorial concerns.

On Sept. 20, BC Hydro announced it would be decommissioning the near Lumby, and restoring the river to its original channel for spawning salmon.

The facility, built in 1929, represents less than one per cent of BC HydroB次元官网网址檚 generating capacity.

BC Hydro said it explored two options to restore fish passage. The first involved refurbishing the aging facility and build a fishway channel. The second was removing the dam and powerhouse.

B次元官网网址淎fter careful consideration and working closely with Indigenous groups and stakeholders to better understand their perspectives and input, BC Hydro has selected decommissioning the dam and powerhouse as the leading alternative,B次元官网网址� explained BC Hydro spokesperson Jen Walker-Larsen in an email to the Observer.

B次元官网网址淒ecommissioning instead of refurbishing will return that portion of the river to its original channel and create river conditions more similar to what existed before the dam was built.B次元官网网址�

On Sept. 23, after being contacted by the Observer, Splatsin issued a response to the BC Hydro announcement, stating the Crown corporation failed to get B次元官网网址渇ree, prior and informed consentB次元官网网址� from the band. Secw茅pemc Nation Tribal Chief and Splatsin Kukpi7 (Chief) Wayne Christian called the decision to decommission the dam B次元官网网址渁 complete disregard of BC HydroB次元官网网址檚 mandate and our title and rights.B次元官网网址�

Read more:

Read more:

B次元官网网址淲e [Splatsin and Pespesellkwe te Secwepemc] made an offer to BC Hydro to acquire the dam and turn it into a run-of-the-river system to recover the salmon population and generate power and economic opportunities at the same time,B次元官网网址� said Christian. According to a Sept. 23 media release by the Splatsin, that offer was B次元官网网址減romptly denied under the premise there are other Indigenous nations with whom BC Hydro has obligations to uphold.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淗owever, communication from BC Hydro to Splatsin clearly acknowledges that the Wilsey Dam falls within the and the Secw茅pemc Nation, and therefore, no other nations needed to be consulted,B次元官网网址� reads the release.

Furthermore, Splatsin said after the BC Hydro announcement, the band learned Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) and the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) were consulted about the decommissioning.

B次元官网网址淔or BC Hydro to suggest and acknowledge that another nation, ONA or its member band OKIB, have title and rights to an area within SplatsinB次元官网网址檚 core area and within the Secw茅pemc Nation is unacceptable,B次元官网网址� said Christian.

The Splatsin release notes that Shuswap Falls was considered a shared area between the Okanagan Indian Band and the Secw茅pemc Peoples.

B次元官网网址淭his agreement was for access to the Shuswap River fishery, as the Okanagan Fishery was very limited and did not support SalmonB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� reads the release. B次元官网网址淲hen the dam was built, it forced the Okanagan to abandon their fishing grounds above the dam and fish alongside the Secw茅pemc below the falls.B次元官网网址�

BC Hydro said the decision to decommission a facility rests with implications for the electrical system, power generation, operating and upgrade costs and environmental impacts.

B次元官网网址淏C Hydro will continue to consult with the Okanagan Nation and Secwepemc and engage with local elected officials, key stakeholders and the public throughout the project,B次元官网网址� said Walker-Larsen.

Responding to the BC Hydro announcement (prior to the Splatsin response), Shuswap Environmental Action Society president Jim Cooperman said the dam may have made sense when it was built in 1929. However, it became a liability many decades ago B次元官网网址渄ue to the high maintenance cost of removing the sediment every four years that settles behind the dam.B次元官网网址�

And, despite concerns around salmon stocks, promises to construct a fishladder were never followed through.

B次元官网网址淲e applaud the decision to remove the structure and restore the upstream salmon habitat, which has become a common practice in other jurisdictions where rivers have been set free,B次元官网网址� said Cooperman.

to get Salmon Arm stories in your inbox every morning.