Last year Hydro flooded the lakes to levels hitherto unknown by longtime locals since 1984. This resulted in a mass of flotsam and jetsam, some dating back to the original flooding, proceeding merrily up and down the lakes putting the Arrow Park ferry out of commission, clogging the Needles ferry on occasion, wrecking wharves and docks of private landowners and creating the regrettable image of a troop of dead soldiers advancing and retreating. Mature trees were inundated and/or pushed over by the weight of waves and driftwood.
Yet their arrogant response was that this had happened before, being within historical limits. Hydro keeps the stats and everyone knows statistics are for losers.
This year the lakes have gone up and down more quickly than a woman of dubious character’s underwear. Summer recreation on the lake has been devastated. The fishing sucks.
Such of the wildlife as remain after this debacle are confused. The hardy Canada goose can’t even get a foothold here, there aren’t any shorebirds and the osprey are catching the last train to the coast.
Vegetation and plants – are you kidding? It’s turning into a sinkhole, Hydro’s bathtub to control, but of course “it is well within the historical range.” Fiddlesticks!
“A summer storage agreement negotiated for this year with the U.S. for their fish is just one factor in the low water levels”. Really! I imagine that would be salmon. The FDR built Grand Coulee Dam cut off salmon migration up the Columbia into Canada over 70 years ago and this valley Is experiencing catastrophic water levels to assist American salmon. Give me a break.
Lake Roosevelt, immediately south of the 49th parallel from Trail, was formed by the Grand Coulee dam. According to the indubitable American Corps of Engineers its lake level changed not one iota during the month of July, yet the Arrow Lakes went down approximately 10 feet with another 17 feet to go (according to Hydro).
Who values their recreation etc. more and who pulls the strings in this equation? We must all clean the wax from our ears and take positive action otherwise this valley will be perpetually damned.
