Arrow Lakes Reservoir gets another $1.25 million in fish food
By Columbia Power
The Arrow Lakes Power Corporation (ALPC), a subsidiary of Columbia Power and Columbia Basin Trust, has signed another five-year funding agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) for the Arrow Lakes Reservoir Nutrient Restoration Program. ALPC will contribute one quarter – or an estimated total of $1.25 million over five years – of the cost of the Reservoir’s Nutrient Restoration Program.
The Nutrient Restoration Program is managed by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, with the majority of funding coming from the FWCP. It aims to benefit fish populations, primarily Kokanee, within the Arrow Lakes Reservoir by dispersing nutrients into the water to enhance aquatic productivity. The contribution from ALPC is intended to offset any fish losses through entrainment at the Arrow Lakes Generating Station
“Since the restoration program began in 1999, Columbia Power and Columbia Basin Trust have contributed approximately $3.13 million,” says Llewellyn Matthews, director of environment for Columbia Power Corporation. “We are pleased to be a part of the continuation of this program.”
Each year from April – September, nutrients, in the form of a liquid agricultural fertilizer (nitrogen-phosphorous) mixture, are dispersed into the Upper Arrow Lake from the Galena Bay ferry as it makes its run from Galena to Shelter Bay. The Shelter Bay ferry is also contracted to disperse nutrients on a north-south run during the peak summer months. The nutrients are added to provide food for phytoplankton which are the base of the aquatic food chain. As the season progresses, intensive monitoring is done to prevent over fertilization and maintain a proper nutrient balance.
The Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program in the Columbia region is a partnership between the Province of British Columbia , BC Hydro, First Nations and community members to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife impacted by the construction of BC Hydro-owned and operated generation facilities. For more information, visit www.fwcp.ca.
Columbia Power is a Crown corporation wholly owned and controlled by the Province of British Columbia. Columbia Power’s mandate is to manage assets and undertake power project investments as the agent of the Province. For more info about Columbia Power, visit www.columbiapower.org.
CBT supports efforts to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin. To learn more about CBT programs and initiatives, visit www.cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998.
