One of Maple Ridge’s major conservation groups is launching a high-profile campaign to protect the Alouette River.
The Alouette River Management Society is inviting the public to the event at the Rivers Heritage Centre in Allco Park, this Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m.
Members of conservation groups will speak at the event.
“This initiative, which is forced upon us by unprecedented threats to the river, is something we would rather not have to do,” society president Cheryl Ashlie said Monday in a news release.
“But the situation leaves us no choice. We cannot simply sit by and watch the river deteriorate. There is a huge amount at stake and future generations would never forgive us if we didn’t try and stop it. This is a giant step for us and as far as I know, no other organization like ours has attempted anything similar on the Alouette River.”
The group says that the river is a major salmon and recreational river, but described it as “highly threatened.”
The event will incude a tour of the Allco Fish Hatchery, in Allco Park, at the north end of 248th Street.
Representatives from a number of groups, including watershed and salmon enhancement organizations will also be in attendance and speaking. There are limited spaces and people are asked to rsvp to: sophie@alouetteriver.org
ARMS opposes a plan to build 26 homes near the South Alouette River and 241st Street. The group also wants BC Hydro to build a fish ladder when it lowers the lake level next summer to do seismic upgrades on the Alouette dam system.
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