Fish out of water

It’s hard to imagine that a rainforest could suffer from “drought”.  You may recall, however, the frenzy during the summer of 2006, when Tofino in Clayoquot Sound, one of the rainiest places in the province, ran out of water during the height of tourist season.  This time, Terrace, on the edge of the rainforest in the northwest, has been put on alert.  Terrace normally receives just over a metre of rain and snow annually.  As a result of hot temperatures, a low snowpack this past winter, and little rain so far this summer, the BC Ministry of Environment has listed the Skeena region, including Terrace, as “very dry”.  The Ministry issued a low stream flow advisory and request to Skeena residents to limit water use.

The flow of the Skeena and its tributaries defines the lives of the watershed’s residents – human, fish, and wildlife.  This summer’s dry conditions, however, have disturbed the cycle and rearranged the regular schedule of events.

Rivers that are normally swollen and muddy from spring run-off in late June were emerald green.  Fishermen were catching Chinook salmon weeks earlier than normal (likely due to the rivers running clearer earlier, which makes lures easier for fish to see).  Rivers and lakes that are normally too cold to contemplate swimming in most of the year were refreshing and inviting in July.  People’s wells are drying up – something residents never anticipated.  Young coho are dying, because the swampy tributaries where they rear are drying up.  Sticklebacks, usually the hardiest of fish species, are facing a similar fate.

All beings have some ability to adapt to the various impacts of water shortages, but how much change can the Skeena’s fish withstand?  We won’t even know the impacts of the dry summer on this season’s young salmon population until the adults return to spawn in a few years.

As long as salmon thrive, communities, like those within the Skeena watershed, will also thrive.  Safeguarding salmon safeguards the cultures and identities of communities that have been shaped by salmon as a source and symbol of life.  The BC government is currently considering changes to the Water Act.  Now is the time to make your voice heard and your values reflected in a modernized Water Act.  Sign our petition to demand that the BC government ensures a renewed Water Act protects our water resources for salmon and for communities that depend salmon.

By Karen Tam Wu, ForestEthics