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[Rodney]

Immediate salmon fishing closure has been issued for several watersheds in Region 5A.

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=161980&ID=all

Due to the breach in a mine tailings dam near Likely, BC, effective immediately
there is no fishing for salmon in the following waters:

-Cariboo River from the confluence of the Quesnel River to the confluence of
Seller Creek; and

-Quesnel River downstream of Poquette Creek.

VO# 2014-355

Notes:

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal
waters of British Columbia. 

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the Salmon Sport Head Recovery
program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped chinook and
coho salmon.  Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical information for
coast-wide stock assessment.  Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program
toll free at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation?  If so, please call
the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line
at (800) 465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at
1-(866) 431-FISH (3474).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Linda Stevens, DFO Williams Lake Tel: (250) 305-4004

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0753
Sent August 5, 2014 at 1618

[Dave]

A wise and appropriate response from DFO, imo.  This has the potential to be really bad but apparently we won't know how serious for some time.  Meanwhile these Quesnel component sockeye and chinook stocks are doing what they do best, heading home ... 

We wish you well.

[bigblockfox]

def unfortunate. where these large stocks of salmon? never been up that way before.           

[islanddude]

They should build a dam on the river to trap the toxic sediment.

[shuswapsteve]

def unfortunate. where these large stocks of salmon? never been up that way before.           

If you are talking about the Quesnel Lake, the tributaries with the largest escapements are primarily the Horsefly and the Mitchell rivers.  There are multiple areas of the lake where there is shore spawning, but not all shoreline areas are utilized as often as others. The use of shoreline spawning areas likely depends in part on how big the escapement to the lake is. On big escapements (i.e. early 2000s) many of the shoreline areas will likely be used. On lower abundance years, not all of them will be used.  Sockeye on the lake tend to go to the prime spots first (i.e. Deception Pt. on the North Arm) then go to the others if more room is needed.  Many of these shoreline spawning areas are on the North and East arms of the lake.  There you go.

[Rodney]

Someone has posted videos of yesterday's town hall meeting in case anyone wants to watch them.

https://www.youtube.com/user/GotNewsNetwork/videos

[speycaster]

That head of the regional district was really good , whenever a nasty question arose he changed the agenda to bring some one else up to the table so the question got pushed back. He must be looking for a safe seat for the liberals in the next election.

[clarkii]

We get an actual idea today how bad this might be.

Water quality tests get released today

[speycaster]

They are still saying that it is unsafe to test the mud, no way to get a sample. These people are REALLY stupid or hoping for a big rain storm to wash the creek bare. A five gallon bucket under a helicopter on a long line seems like it would work for me. After all that creek is a 150 metres wide now. I have been landed in helicopters in a hell of a lot smaller area.

[skaha]

They are still saying that it is unsafe to test the mud, no way to get a sample. These people are REALLY stupid or hoping for a big rain storm to wash the creek bare. A five gallon bucket under a helicopter on a long line seems like it would work for me. After all that creek is a 150 metres wide now. I have been landed in helicopters in a hell of a lot smaller area.

--As you indicated... IF they wanted a sample... they could get one... I don't see why they would need a sample... obviously the stuff was so toxic that it had to be contained in ponds... if it was safe why not just drain it direct in the first place.. this is a no brainer.
--I also agree with the mine spokes person... the water on the surface of the pond where the toxins have settled out should be relatively safe... that is why they use a pond to settle out the toxins... again if it didn't work that would not be a requirement.
--As to MOE spokes person almost in tears... it takes days to get sample results... BS... this is a priority use Christy's jet to transport the samples to multiple labs and get it done.  What takes days is deciding how to spin doctor the results.

[shuswapsteve]

--As you indicated... IF they wanted a sample... they could get one... I don't see why they would need a sample... obviously the stuff was so toxic that it had to be contained in ponds... if it was safe why not just drain it direct in the first place.. this is a no brainer.
--I also agree with the mine spokes person... the water on the surface of the pond where the toxins have settled out should be relatively safe... that is why they use a pond to settle out the toxins... again if it didn't work that would not be a requirement.
--As to MOE spokes person almost in tears... it takes days to get sample results... BS... this is a priority use Christy's jet to transport the samples to multiple labs and get it done.  What takes days is deciding how to spin doctor the results.

Considering when the event happened during the early morning on a long weekend I don't think the turnaround time to get results was that unreasonable. Ever tried sending samples to a lab for water testing? I have. I'm sure that ministry staff did their best to get samples taken and sent to the lab as soon as possible. I'm finding no shortage of experts on water sampling and environmental assessment these days.

[skaha]

--I stand by my statement... yes if I was sending a personal sample from my own tap I would expect it to take months. Not an issue. I wouldn't expect staff to be called in on a long weekend to check samples of my well water either.
--I don't believe you need a PHD to speculate that this was a significant event thus requires some urgency.
--Just as when one has a medical issue on a long weekend and they go to emergency... if their case is not urgent they are sent home with an aspirin and told to make an appointment with their own doctor. They may even get scolded for utilizing the emergency services for such a trivial matter.
--I don't believe anyone is indicating that this is a trivial or routine matter that can wait in line for due process.

--Maybe some registered experts need to go back to school for a refresher course.

[troutbreath]

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Major+Imperial+Metals+shareholder+billionaire+Murray+Edwards/10102715/story.html


Could explain some of the foot dragging

[shuswapsteve]

--I stand by my statement... yes if I was sending a personal sample from my own tap I would expect it to take months. Not an issue. I wouldn't expect staff to be called in on a long weekend to check samples of my well water either.
--I don't believe you need a PHD to speculate that this was a significant event thus requires some urgency.
--Just as when one has a medical issue on a long weekend and they go to emergency... if their case is not urgent they are sent home with an aspirin and told to make an appointment with their own doctor. They may even get scolded for utilizing the emergency services for such a trivial matter.
--I don't believe anyone is indicating that this is a trivial or routine matter that can wait in line for due process.

--Maybe some registered experts need to go back to school for a refresher course.

You don't know what you are talking about. Three days to get results of water samples which includes taking the sample, shipping, testing, review of the results for QA/QC and reporting is actually exceptional. Again I ask you, have you ever taken water samples before, sent them to a lab and received the results. If the ministry was using a private lab then good luck trying to contact them on BC Day.

Ministry staff were treating this urgently. To suggest that they were dragging their heels in getting water samples done with something this significant shows a real lack of understanding on your part. Maybe some anonymous armchair experts should put their rods away for awhile and go to Likely and show them what to do instead of suggesting refresher courses.

[skaha]

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/eemp/incidents/2014/pdf/CRD-Order-to-Restrict-Access-Mt-Polley-TASK152048_20140809.pdf

--But if I went up there to help out I would be breaking the law. (see link above)
--I had actually planned a year ago to be there this week fishing in Quesnel lake.
--For obvious reasons we have had to change our plans.

--I was not aware that environmental emergency plans did not include contingecies for holidays.  I guess incidents only happen during the week 9-5.. thus no plans need to be in place when this is not the case.