Klinaklini River near Waddington at Risk

[JanD]

A hydroelectric power project is proposed for the Klinaklini River that flows through the Coastal Range near Mt. Waddington.

 

You can find information about the project at:

http://www.eao.gov.bc.ca/epic/output/html/deploy/epic_project_home_289.html

 

The Klinaklini River project is the biggest hydroelectric project proposed by a private company since th building of the big dams. The project is among the 10 biggest hydropower projects in BC and is supposed to generate an average capacity of 280 MW. To give an idea of the scale of development:

 

- A 16.5 km tunnel with 10 m diameter will be bored through to mountain to divert about 300 cms (cubic meters per second) of water.

- 180 km of 230 KV transmission line will be build

- Roads will be build into the proposed Upper Klinaklini Conservancy

- Access roads will be build on both sides of the river

- The project will generate only a few permanent job once in operation while generating in the order of 100 million

dollar annual revenue.

 

The Klinaklini is only one river. The area between Toba, Bute and Knight Inlet has about 40 hydroelectric projects proposed. Two are currently build on Montrose Creek and East Toba River. At the same time, no studies about long term impacts have been carried out.

 

I am an enthusiastic kayaker and climber and I enjoy wild places a lot. That is why I got involved in an opposition movement called the BC Creek Protection Society. We are trying to give wild, free-flowing rivers a voice and try to encourage others to learn about the fairly desperate situation.

 

Cheers, Jan Dettmer ( http://www.bc-creeks.org )