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Squamish Nation supports energy project

Recreation users concerned about project impacts
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Power struggle Experienced kayakers and mountain bike riders are concerned that a proposed power project on Skookum Creek will have major negative impacts on recreation.

A creek in Squamish that runs into the Mamquam River is getting closer to becoming a construction zone.

The Squamish Nation has signed a long-term Impact Benefit Agreement with Run of River Power (ROR). While the project has First Nation's support kayakers and mountain bike riders continue to be concerned about the impact the 25 MW power project will have on the creek and the area around it.

Class Five kayaker Steve Arns is worried one of his favourite waterfall runs will be lost if the project goes ahead. He has run the creek twice and said it is the kind of stream skilled weekend warriors can manage. It isn't a waterway for beginners adding that Skookum is only navigable a few days a year.

Kirsten Langan, the ROR Director of Communications, said The Mamquam Access Society (MAS) is discussing impacts and mitigation measures with ROR on behalf of the kayak community.

According to Arns, the company running the power facility on the Ashlu River has installed a great system for kayakers.

"They have 24 days of flow that they make available by opening the dam up and people can reliably go there and expect to have water in the normal season that it used to have water prior to the dam," said Arns.

Kayak enthusiasts have access to an on-line Ashlu booking season. They simply reserve the day they want to kayak and if conditions on the river allow it, the company ensures the flows are sufficient for kayaking.

Langan said ROR would release flow information once the project is built so kayakers can look at the information online and plan trips using the available data.

"On Skookum Creek where it is such a small river they want to divert enough water so that unless there is a rain storm in the fall there will never be any days where you will be able to kayak, kind of like on Rutherford Creek," he said. "You can't kayak on Rutherford Creek anymore because they divert so much water."

Langan said her company is close to having an agreement with MAS and she said Olympic kayaker David Ford reviewed a navigable waters impact assessment created by ROR.

"We're talking about ways in which we can improve the experience for the whitewater users," said Langan. "The area where our project is, it is hampered by extremely limited access."

She said her company has recommended changes in access to the creek by developing put-in and pull-out improvements near the powerhouse, and downstream of the creek along with the installation of signs informing creek users of risk, liability, ratings and classifications.

Arns agreed that the road to the point where kayakers currently put in is very rough and getting down to the creek requires rope systems.

Mike Nelson of the Squamish Off Road Cycling Association (SORCA) said his organization is involved in ongoing discussions with ROR as well. His primary concern is with the power lines that will connect the utility with the BC Hydro grid. Nelson said the lines would link with an existing power right-of-way from the Mamquam River to the Alice Lake area and down to the Cheekye sub-station.

According to Nelson, as many as 15 trails will be impacted by the installation of new lines.

"They have changed their alignments quite a bit from the first take," said Nelson.

According to Langan, the chairman of the company is a mountain bike rider and so is the transmission engineer, so the pair rode with Nelson to see the potential impacts first-hand.

The timing of the work is also a concern for SORCA, Nelson said. The group wants to ensure the bike races held each summer in Squamish aren't impacted by trail closures for construction. The Test of Metal, Gearjammer and Just Another Bike Race all use trails in the area where construction impacts will be felt so Nelson said SORCA is looking for reassurance that the races will be able to go ahead in June, July and August.

Nelson also said SORCA is looking for some long-term maintenance support.

SORCA wants to ensure the trails in the construction area aren't all completely closed for the entire season, as Nelson pointed out logging is also scheduled to take place in the same area, so there is a concern that all the mountain bike terrain between Alice Lake and Skookum could be shut down.

"We'd like them to coordinate with that too (the logging), so not everything is closed at the same time," said Nelson.

Another concern is long-term maintenance for the trails impacted by ROR's work, Nelson said. The work proposed will lead to the canopy being removed from a number of trail sections.

"Once you open things up terrain dries out a little more, there's more maintenance required for trails," Nelson said.

According to Nelson, he is close to responding to ROR with SORCA's latest requests as part of the process of coming up with an agreement.

In a press release issued Dec. 12 Chief Ian Campbell of the Squamish Nation acknowledged that while ROR has been involved in discussions with recreation groups ROR has been working with the Squamish Nation as well.

"The Squamish Nation acknowledges that Skookum Creek and the Skookum Power Project is located within the traditional territory of the Squamish Nation," said Chief Campbell. "We have worked closely with Run of River Power ensuring our concerns around cultural and traditional uses of the area are considered. These are areas of great importance to our people since time immemorial, and we are pleased to work with companies that recognize the values and concerns of our Nation."

"We are proud to be working with the Squamish Nation on a project that will create clean, renewable power and provide a wide range of economic benefits to the Squamish community," said Richard Hopp, President and CEO of Run of River Power.

ROR has a 40-year electricity purchase agreement for the Skookum Power Project with B.C. Hydro. Construction is scheduled to begin after April of 2012 and commercial operation is set for January 2014. When completed, the Skookum project will be ROR's second operating hydroelectric power plant in B.C. The other is at Brandywine Creek. Photo by Steve Arns