Big Bar landslide

By Dave Barry

Salmon run delayed

Work continuing to clear Big Bar slide for migrating salmon

Jul 31, 2019 | 2:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — Slow and gradual success is being reported by officials behind work to restore the natural passage of migrating salmon past the Big Bar landslide north of Lillooet.

More than a month since the slide, a team of workers representing Indigenous, provincial and federal government interests are maintaining a positive outlook.

The integrated Incident Command spokesperson Al Magnan, says work to make the river passable, is moving ahead.

“The strategic placement of boulders, the clearing of log debris and the installation of a fish wheel are all actions that are well underway in the area,” said Magnan. “Progress is being made daily.”

The landslide was discovered in June. A large slab of rock calved off the canyon, in a narrow area of the Fraser River, creating a five-metre waterfall while making it nearly impossible for migrating salmon to navigate upstream. Officials say the slide may have occurred last fall.

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The Incident Command team says the response by its personnel has been excellent.

“Logistical, technical and salmon resource experts, biologists and scientists have been working flat out since the Big Bar landslide was discovered, to improve passage for salmon and we continue to currently implement multiple strategies,” said Magnan.

Magnan refused to offer a timeline for when the river will be passable for the fish, but maintains the situation is improving. Approximately 40,000 salmon have passed by a monitoring station just downstream of the slide and are waiting to head further north. At this point, officials don’t appear to be overly concerned about the delay the slide is causing for the salmon migration.

“There are natural delays in the migrations, there are natural barriers that take time,” said Magnan. “It’s expected that delays happen.”

Even if measures to rehabilitate the river bed are not completed soon, Magnan is confident the salmon will be able to complete their migration.

“We are also incorporating the potential use of a fish ladder. So if natural fish passage doesn’t occur, we have equipment on-site to ensure fish start moving upstream.”

Officials says 1,400 salmon have already been moved past the slide via helicopter. That work is expected to continue daily. the fish wheel is being assembled and could be useable within a few days.

Meantime the Early Stuart sockeye pilot enhancement program has completed its first stage. Approximately 175 fish have been moved to the Cultus Lake salmon laboratory.

The program was put in place to preserve at least some portion of this year’s Early Stuart sockeye run, until officials are certain the run has successfully arrived at their natural spawning grounds.