Image Credit: B.C. Government

By Ashley Legassic

BIG BAR SLIDE

Crews expected to work on Big Bar landslide site through the winter

Nov 6, 2019 | 2:25 PM

LILLOOET, B.C. — The federal government is hoping crews can work quickly during the winter to repair the area of the Fraser River that’s been impacted by the Big Bar landslide.

In a news release, Fisheries and Oceans Canada says Phase 1 of the operation from July to September successfully achieved the short-term objectives — ensuring the safety of personnel and the public, and moving salmon past the slide by whatever means possible.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada was first notified of the slide on June 23.

Since then, salmon have been trapped and transferred, and natural fish passages have been partially re-established.

Through the month of October, federal, provincial and First Nations governments transitioned the response from emergency to an ongoing project response.

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Construction site preparation work adjacent to the slide area and on the west and east banks concluded mid-October.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says water velocity and levels, along with rock stability and security at the site, are still being actively monitored. There’s minimal on-site activity while crews urgently plan for winter construction work.

“While the majority of the 2019 Fraser salmon migration has now concluded, continued sustained efforts will be required in the short and long-term, possibly even into years ahead, to reduce the impact of the landslide on future salmon stocks,” the release states. “Work is also ongoing to finalize the scientific evaluation of the success of the measures taken during the emergency response and to identify lessons learned for future implementation.”

The majority of winter construction is expected to happen before the spring freshet in March while water levels are at their lowest.

“We are fully aware of the high stakes involved,” Fisheries and Oceans Canada says in the release. “The Fraser River is one of the largest salmon producers in the world. More than 140 First Nations in BC are annually licensed to fish Fraser salmon for food, social and ceremonial purposes; Indigenous fishers also represent a significant portion of the commercial salmon fishery.”

The hope is that rock manipulation throughout the winter will reduce or eliminate the trap and transport requirement.

The government says during Phase 1 of the project, the incident command team received support from the US Army Corps of Engineers for its proposed engineering plans. Both the Departments of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces have also been engaged, and a number of experts in the use of explosives and heavy construction continue to be engaged as part of the planning process for getting rid of the barrier.