Powerboat traffic on the river has increased over the years. Thus, the negative impacts on the river have increased and will continue to increase with increasing traffic.
Consequently, restrictions to powerboat use are appropriate and indeed essential for the responsible management of the great resource that this river is.
Then is then; now is now.
As I listen to this debate, the words, “Death by a thousand small cuts come to mind.” These words were part of my 45 years as a geotechnical consulting engineer with likely more training and work with river engineering than a geologist who owns property along the river.
Many times, in my letters and reports written earlier in my career, I wrote, “The impacts of the proposed development on the environment are insignificant.” With more experience, I became aware of “cumulative impacts.”
A few words about river engineering, specifically about erosion, sedimentation and energy levels. During spring runoff or summer flooding, river flow volumes and velocities are high, with high energy and thus the increased ability to erode and transport soils.
As flow volumes and velocities decrease slowly, there is progressively less energy and the larger, heavier soil particles (gravels) settle to the river bottom. As the water slows more, sands settle. Even slower flows and silt settles. Finally, in very calm water, typically lakes or river oxbows, the clay settles.
When there is a fall fish spawning, salmon especially, seek clean, coarse sand or gravel for spawning beds. Natural rivers and streams without power boats retain clean sand and gravel beds, suitable for spawning.
Where there are high numbers of power boats and/or high-speed powerboat and water skiing, the energy level in the water is higher and there is erosion. Often, the amount of erosion with each wave striking the shore is small. Multiply a small amount of erosion by each wave by many waves and there will be much finer silt and clay in the water.
Remember, the energy of most waves and propeller wash is too low to move the larger sand and gravel particles, but high enough to erode the smaller silt and clay particles. Once the waves cease and the stirring of the water by prop wash ends by the evening and the river water energy levels decrease, the silt particles settle. Over a summer, enough silt can be deposited to form a silt layer on the formerly clean sand and gravel. Thus, those spawning beds are lost for salmon in the autumn spawn. Thus is likely the situation on many reaches of the Shuswap River.
I am surprised that the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is not involved in this discussion, to my knowledge. They have the regulatory authority for fish habitat disturbance or destruction. Normally, they take fish habitat disturbance or destruction very seriously and act aggressively to prevent such habitat disturbance and destruction.
What does DFO have to say about the impacts of powerboat speed and numbers on fish habitat on the Shuswap River?
To conclude, I recommend that you vote to apply restrictions to powerboat use on the Shuswap River. Remember, 3,000 cars a day on a small road is different than 50 cars a day. The same is true for power boats on a river.
Those opposed to restrictions to powerboat use on this river are using the traditional “Me Economics.” Screw the environment, screw the First Nations, screw you and anyone or anything that opposes or speaks against my plan to do whatever I want, for my own pleasure or profit. This approach is no longer functional for fossil fuel consumption producing greenhouse gases and climate change. It is no longer functional for unrestricted powerboat use on the Shuswap River.
It is time to use the “We Economics” wherein my plans must be good for the environment, First Nation and others. Me Economics has caused too much destruction of too many things. It must stop.
We are in transition from Me Economics to We Economics. This transition requires far-sighted and courageous leadership. I ask RDNO to provide such leadership on this file.
Ed Wilson