B.C. First Nations say Chilcotin River landslide, flood hit heritage sites, salmon
First Nations in British Columbia's central Interior are measuring the impacts of a massive landslide that blocked the Chilcotin River for days, followed by a subsequent torrent of water that sent trees and debris downstream.
The Williams Lake First Nation says village sites that date back 4,000 years were swept away as the Chilcotin River carved away riverbanks, while the Tsilhqot'in National Government says critical salmon migration routes are seriously damaged and the threat of more slides exists.
The landslide south of Williams Lake that dammed the Chilcotin River last week broke free on Monday, sending raging water, trees and debris downstream to the Fraser River, which flows through the Lower Mainland to Georgia Strait.
Two heritage sites located along the banks of the Chilcotin River near the Farwell Canyon Bridge and a third site downstream at the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers sustained extensive damage, the Williams Lake First Nation said in a statement Thursday.
"We are grateful that the landslide release has not caused catastrophic damage, but we are deeply saddened by the potential loss of irreplaceable Secwepemc history," said the statement.
The statement was released following an aerial tour of the landslide and flood area by Williams Lake Chief Willie Sellars.
"We remain hopeful that once the situation stabilizes, valuable Secwepemc artifacts, stories, and insights will still be uncovered," it said.
B.C.'s Emergency Management Ministry, which has scheduled a news conference Thursday to update the situation, says in a social media post that the flows on the Chilcotin River have now returned to pre-landslide levels and crews are monitoring the area for risk of additional landslides and bank erosion.
Chief Joe Alphonse, the Tsilhqot'in National Government tribal chair, said damage assessments are still underway, but there are now serious concerns about the impact the churning water had on spawning channels for migrating salmon.
With the valuable sockeye salmon run expected to reach the Chilcotin River in the coming days, it appears the landslide and rushing water created difficult new obstacles for the fish on their way to spawning areas, he said in an interview Thursday.
"For salmon passage, it's going to be a little worrisome," said Alphonse.
At the landslide site, Alphonse said there's a pinch point where migrating salmon will have to get through to continue their journey, he said.
"It's not completely blocked," Alphonse said. "It's probably a four- or five-foot jump they'll have to get through. The amount of pressure shooting through there and the elevation is pretty steep."
Earlier this week, the Tsilhqot'in launched an emergency salmon task force to call on all levels of government, including U.S. states, to take measures to preserve the sockeye and chinook stocks.
Alphonse called on the Fisheries Department earlier this week to introduce "automatic" sport and commercial fishing restrictions to protect Chilcotin River and Chilko Lake salmon.
The Fisheries Department said in a statement Tuesday that based on historical timing, it believes the majority of adult chinook salmon returning to the Chilcotin River this season migrated past the slide site before last week's landslide.
It also said the majority of adult sockeye salmon are expected to arrive at the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers around the third week in August, and coho not until the early fall.
The Fisheries Department was not immediately available Thursday for comment on the salmon runs.
Alphonse said it also appears much of the Chilcotin's riverbank area at the Farwell Canyon remains unstable and heavy rains could trigger another landslide.
Downstream communities along the Fraser River at Lillooet, Lytton and Boston Bar reported higher water levels similar to those of spring runoff after the water released, along with the presence of logs and debris.
There have been no reports of flooding.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They thought he wasn't making it': B.C. soccer star's family on his shocking shooting — and remarkable recovery
Born and raised in Metro Vancouver, Nathan Demian was living his dream playing soccer for top-ranked Ohio State University, when he was shot during a post-game pizza run with his brother Saturday night.
MPs approve $21.6B in supplementary spending; Conservatives vote against
Parliament has approved $21.6 billion in government spending, in a late Tuesday vote in the House of Commons.
No injuries reported after gunshots fired inside Etobicoke high school, 2 suspects outstanding
Toronto police are searching for two suspects after gunshots were fired inside an Etobicoke high school late Tuesday afternoon.
DEVELOPING Luigi Mangione shouts as he is led into courthouse where he contests extradition to N.Y.
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted Tuesday while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder.
'Which one of those two is going to win?': Poilievre prods Trudeau, Freeland over spending tension
Revived talk of tensions between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland prompted new questions Tuesday, about how big the federal deficit will be in next week's economic update.
Waterloo Region mistakenly applied $13.7M discount to Amazon build in Blair
The Region of Waterloo will not be able to demand $13.7 million from a developer after they said a discount was mistakenly issued for the development of an Amazon fulfillment centre.
Dolly Parton explains why her longtime husband doesn't attend events with her
Dolly Parton has been married for 58 years, but you probably could count on one hand the times you have seen her with her husband.
Ex-minister cites 'threat to security' for denying emergency passport to Abdelrazik
Former foreign minister Lawrence Cannon says he denied an emergency passport to Abousfian Abdelrazik in 2009 because he considered the Montreal man a possible threat to national security.
TikTok files legal challenge of federal government's shutdown order
TikTok is challenging the federal government’s order to shut down its operations in Canada, saying it will eliminate hundreds of jobs and potentially terminate a quarter of a million contracts that it has with Canadian advertising clients.