|
|
“Because Fraser river salmon are so temperature dependent, global warming is a threat to their very existence.”
- Doug Chapman
Climate change is the change in weather patterns that a specific region encounters. Globally, the rate of temperature is regulated by the system known as the “greenhouse effect”, where gases such as methane and nitrous oxide absorb and emit radiation. All along this process, the radiation can pass through but the heat is not able to escape. The balance of this natural system has been disrupted by human activities. The more advanced and mechanized human lifestyle becomes, the more production of these gases and hence the increased warming trend all around the globe.
NASA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and other organizations’ climate models show warming in the past several years in British Columbia’s Fraser River, with a continued warming trend predicted for the future. This warming is caused by higher and higher carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere, which is the result of the burning of fossil fuels and other anthropogenic factors, including deforestation.
According to Riverkeeper Doug Chapman: “At times, Burrard Inlet already has depleted dissolved oxygen problems because of the huge volumes of improperly treated sewage being discharged daily by Metro Vancouver from its Lions Gate and Iona sewage treatment plants.”
- As the temperature increases, the solubility of oxygen in water reduces. This reduction in dissolved oxygen (DO) threatens fish, amphibians, and cocopods. Less DO causes increased metabolic rates, which can result in faster depletion of food sources and potentially more competition among more adaptive marine life, some of which may be invasive. Fish may become smaller, more susceptible to disease, and malnourished.
- Higher water temperatures also increase plant life, which can cause algae bloom, which further reduces oxygen in the water.
- The Fraser, currently predominantly a snow-melt river, could become a rain-dominated river, which would cause a change in elevation and flow, with a higher flow in the summer and fall. Any climate change like this will alter how fish reproduce, migrate, and survive.
- Water temperatures above 19-20° C are dangerous for salmon and other fish, degrading spawning rates, causing thermal shock, and becoming fatal at around 24° C. Changes in 1-2° C can produce significant cellular changes that are detrimental to cell walls, proteins, and enzyme metabolism.
- Global warming causes changing precipitation patterns, increasing evaporation, melting glaciers, and droughts and floods to become more frequent and intense
Any or all of these factors do and would affect the Fraser River and surrounding wetlands. Any unbalance as such would threaten fish and other wildlife on the Fraser. Already, many rivers in the world have been altered by global warming.
There are many industries located along the Fraser River and other waterways around metro-Vancouver such as pulp mills, mining operations, industrial plants (food, wood product, and manufacturing), and oil refineries. The pulp paper industry forms toxic by-products from its industrial activities such as chlorine bleaching and industrial inceration. Examples of these by-products include dioxins and furans, and are known to suppress the immune system function, damage the liver, and bioaccumulate in fish and shellfish, leading to human health risks if consumed.
The lumber industry uses highly toxic chemicals, called antisapstains, which help protect wood from the discoloration caused by fungi and mould. The chemicals can end up in the Fraser River as a result of spills into storm sewers or being washed off treated wood in a rainstorm.
For more information, see BC’s Marine Environment’s Industrial Contaminants paper.
Agricultural run-off is a concern for the Fraser River and its watershed, and can cause short-term, long-term, and cumulative impacts. Agricultural runoff is a non-point source of pollution and can come from various different sources in different locations. The run-off can consist of pesticides, insecticides, fertilisers, and animal manure — and can enter the runoff through atmospheric deposition, irrigation, and crop residues. These biological and chemical substances can be high in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, pathogens, and a range of other chemical compounds. A rapid growth in agribusiness along the Fraser River has lead to increased pesticide and fertiliser use and farm animal intensities, especially in the Lower Fraser Valley.
Rapid urbanisation in the Lower Fraser Valley has also affected the quality of the Fraser River and its tributaries. Increased infrastructure such as transportation routes and traffic has led to increased surface run-off of pollutants such as hydrocarbons and road-building substances. New development pressures metastasize as the vibrant Vancouver region draws more residents and more economic activity. The Greater Vancouver Regional District now houses more than 2.1 million people. It is expected that in the coming 20 years the population will increase by another 50%.
This growth has detrimental consequences on the watershed due to both the development of surfaces, which exacerbates storm water run-off, and combined sewerage outfalls. There are increased demands upon already inadequate sewage treatment infrastructures and increased indiscriminate waste disposal adjacent to and into the Fraser River and its tributaries. All of these issues can result in surface and groundwater contamination and detrimental longer-term impacts on the biodiversity of the Fraser River Basin.
Sewage pollution from outdated onsite and municipal sewage treatment facilitates are the main contributors to municipal pollution in the Georgia Strait, Burrard Inlet, and Fraser River. In metropolitan Vancouver and the increasingly populated Fraser Valley, municipal sewage pollution contains a large number of toxic substances such as pathogens (bacteria and viruses); nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are also a problem. Increased nutrients in the water can lead to excessive plant growth (such as blue-green algae).
When sewage material decays and algal material grows, they take up oxygen in the water, which is exasperated in the warmer summer months. This process reduces the amount of oxygen available to marine invertebrates and fish at high discharge rates.
Municipal sewage waste can also create potential health risks for recreational users of the waterways. Polychlorinated byphenols (PCBs) were banned from production in the 1970s but are still found in the bottom layers of sediment and can be discharged back to the air. PCBs can affect the neurological, immune, and reproductive systems of mammals and also are known to cause cancers.
The Iona wastewater treatment plant is located in the city of Richmond, just north of Vancouver International Airport. It serves a large portion of the metropolitan Vancouver population. It provides only primary sewage treatment before disposing the effluent in a deep-sea outfall in the Georgia strait. Both the Iona and the Lionsgate treatment facilities require urgent upgrades (see Ottowa Riverkeeper and Eco-Justice).
Also, approximately 150,000m3 of sewage effluent is discharged into the Fraser River Basin from sewage treatment plants located upstream from the town of Langley, close to the mouth of the river. The Hope treatment plant located upstream has only primary, not secondary, treatment of the sewage.
Resources:
Metro sewage plants failing federal test
Hidden killer: Sewage from Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria is Georgia Straight’s number one pollution threat
Water pollution in the Fraser River has many sources. Resource-based economic activities located close to the Fraser River include agriculture, mining, logging, and hydroelectric developments. Water quality in the river can be degraded because of these industrial activities, municipal and urban waste water, and individual polluters. Poor water quality affects the habitat of the flora and fauna in the river, and certain pollutants can cause cumulative effects such as pollutant bio-magnification. Excessive nutrient build-up in the river can lead to eutrophication, where bacteria feeding on organic material can significantly reduce the oxygen content of the water and essentially suffocate fish and other fauna.
The Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia and the tenth longest river in Canada. It drains a 220,000 km² (85,000 sq mi) area and flows for 1,375 km (870 mi) into the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver. Its headquarters are in the Mount Robson Provisional Park in the Rocky Mountains, and it passes across the dry Fraser Plateau and through the coastal mountain ranges to the Pacific Ocean. It rumbles onward near the cities of Prince George, Williams Lake, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and New Westminster. After about 100 km it forms a delta and discharges into the Georgia Strait between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Click to enlarge
 Image persmissions by Andrea McNeil at Parks Canada The majority of the drainage basin of the Fraser lies in British Columbia. However, a small portion does pass into Washington state in the United States. The Fraser Basin system comprises the main Fraser River and a huge network of tributaries that drains more than a quarter of British Columbia before the river’s egress into the Pacific Ocean through Vancouver. The river and its tributaries provide habitat, migration routes, nutrients, and food sources to many ecosystems and communities that exist within the basin. The Fraser Basin is comprised of a mixture of mountainous terrain, interior plains, and inter-mountain valleys. The plains and the valleys are covered with glacial, alluvial, and lacustrine deposits, and the mountains are made up of colluvium and outcrop (predominantly metamorphic and igneous rocks). The Fraser River is naturally high in sediment load due to erosion as it passes through central plateau glacial deposits.
For more information, visit the BC Geological Survey.
Sources:
Rivers of North America (Arthur C. Benke, Colbert E. Cushing – 2005)
Wikipedia (Fraser River)
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia. It drains about one-quarter of the province’s water and ranges from central British Columbia, to Southwest British Columbia and east to the Rocky Mountains near Jasper. The Fraser River’s headwaters are just northwest of Fraser pass in British Columbia’s Rockies and its major tributaries are the Nechako, Thompson, and Harrison rivers.
The Water Quality Index of the Fraser River at Nechako River is ranked as Good or Excellent, where as the Thompson River is ranked as Fair.
What is Water Quality Index?
The Water Quality Index is a freshwater quality indicator that is certified by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) and is developed to attain the environmental quality that is necessary to preserve our natural ecosystem. The index indicates how close we are to preserving and protecting water bodies and the aquatic life within them. Water quality monitoring data is gathered by water quality monitoring stations set up at different sites all along the Fraser River. The Index then compares the data to site-specific water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. These guidelines are values that define the water conditions which if exceeded would negatively affect the aquatic life.
There are many physical and chemical characteristics of water quality that are measured at the monitoring sites, such as streamflow, major ions, trace elements, nutrients, pH, alkalinity, temperature, turbidity and dissolved oxygen. Biological change over time can alter the water quality of a waterbody, but most of the changes are due to the pollution caused by many anthropogenic factors.
These are the main sources of human-induced water pollution:
- Logging
- Mining
- Agriculture
- Dams
- Urban development, wastewater, and septic system effluent
- Industrial plants, pulp mills, and smelters
After accessing all of the site-specific conditions and how well-protected the aquatic life is, the Index ranks waterbodies in the categories of Excellent, Good, Fair, Marginal, or Poor.
The assessment of the water quality of Fraser River is stated as such:
- Fraser River at Red Pass: Good to Excellent
- Fraser River at Hansard: Good
- Nechako River: Good
- Fraser River at Marguerite: Fair
- Salmon River at Salmon Arm: Poor to Marginal
- Thompson River: Fair
- Fraser River at Hope: Good
- Sumas River at the International Boundary: Fair
Water quality is measured periodically at the monitoring stations to see the trends caused by the different variables. If these trends are negatively affecting the aquatic life, appropriate actions are taken to improve the water quality of the site and of Fraser River as whole.
Years before the Europeans discovered the Fraser River, it was inhabited by the aboriginal peoples of British Columbia. They traded with each other by traveling the rivers and trails and had various paths that connected the interior of British Columbia to the coast.
The Fraser River was first explored by the Europeans on June 14, 1792, by the Spanish explorers Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano. They only discovered the northern arm of the Fraser River. During an earlier expedition by José María Narváez in 1791, the existence of the river was known, but the location was not found.
In 1793, Sir Alexander Mackenzie navigated the upper reaches of the river, but it was more fully explored by Simon Fraser in 1808. Further exploration continued as George Simpson came to the river in 1828 to decide whether Fort Langley would be adequate as the Hudson Bay Company’s main Pacific depot. After further examination, Fort Vancouver still remained the main headquarters for the company, but this allowed the establishment of Fort Langley.
Most of British Columbia’s history is linked to the Fraser River because it was an important and essential route between the Interior and the Coast. In 1856, James Huston discovered gold near Fort Kamloops. This triggered the search for gold from the Thompson River to the Fraser River, and eventually the first big gold discovery was made south of Yale. Following the miners from the gold rush, there was an influx of businessmen and merchants who brought their families to settle in this land. This started the formation of different communities and towns, bringing civilization to British Columbia.
Paddlewheelers, mules, and walking were means of transportation for the communities before 1861. Soon after, the Royal Engineers started the development of “the wagon road” to the Cariboo. When this 619 km road was opened, wagons and stage coaches used it immediately. The modernization of the transportation system was essential for Canada to become one nation. This was made possible under the governance of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) route in B.C. was built through the Rocky Mountains, the interior plateau and all along the Thompson and Fraser Rivers. It eventually led to the coast through Vancouver.
The historical significance of the Fraser River, and its importance in the development of the province of British Columbia, has garnered it the title of a Canadian Heritage River.
Mining, manufacturing, logging, pulp and paper making, farming, and energy industries have lined the banks of the Fraser and have fed the region’s development. Consequent of this activity and loosely enforced environmental regulations, or inadequate statutes, the Fraser suffers from a wide range of pollutants, including heavy metals, excessive nutrients, bacteria, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxins. In addition to the industrial stresses exerted on the region, new development pressures metastasize as the vibrant Vancouver region draws more residents and more economic activity. The Greater Vancouver Regional District now houses more than 2.1 million people. It is expected that in the coming 20 years the population will increase by another 50%. This growth has detrimental consequences on the watershed due to both the development of surfaces, which exacerbates storm water runoff and combined sewerage outfalls, and the increased demands upon already inadequate sewage treatment infrastructures.
Mouth: Fraser River Delta, Strait of Georgia
Length: The Fraser River is tenth longest river in Canada, and the longest in British Columbia, at 1,375 km (854 Miles), from source to mouth.
Drainage basin area (watershed): The Fraser Basin contains the Fraser River and numerous tributaries, including the Willow River, Quesnel River, Thompson River, Williams Lake River, Coquihalla River, Vedder River, McGregor River, Nechako River, West Road River, Chilcotin River, Bridge River, Harrison River, and the Stave River. The entire watershed drains to an area of 220,000 km² (85,000 sq mi).
Discharge rate at the River mouth: The Fraser River flows at an average rate of around 3550 m3/second (or 112km3 per year) and dumps up to 20 million tonnes of sediment at its mouth in the Fraser Basin Delta.
Ecological Significance
The Fraser River and its tributaries provide a habitat for a variety of plant and animal species. Vegetation adjacent to the river consists of a variety of conifer species such as White Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, and Douglas Fir. The river hosts a wide variety of marine and freshwater vertebrate species. Included in this, and found in mainly the estuarine parts of river, are six main salmonid species: pink, chum, coho, sockeye, and Chinook salmon — and rainbow trout. Many marine species exist, such as starry flounder, pearmouth chub , redside shine and stickleback.
The Fraser Delta also provides a feeding and breeding habitat for migratory birds and has been recognised as a globally important centre of biodiversity.
Further upstream are species such as green sturgeon, coastal cutthroat trout, white sucker, pygmy whitefish, and chum salmon. The Fraser River is extremely important as it provides a spawning habitat for the pink Chinook and chum Pacific salmon species. The Fraser Delta, the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast of Canada, hosts the Pacific Northwest’s most important salmon runs in North America.
Sources:
Rivers of North America (Arthur C. Benke, Colbert E. Cushing – 2005)
Fraser Basin Council
Wikipedia – Fraser River
The Fraser River has a wide range of recreational opportunities due to its accessibility and diversity. The riverhead is in the Rocky Mountains, and there it provides a haven for canoeing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting enthusiasts. As it makes its way down through the valley, the river provides opportunities for fishing and boating. Close to the community of Lytton, the Fraser Canyon attracts a large number of tourists. There are viewpoints, parks, trails, and an aerial tram that can take sightseers across the Fraser River. Other activities that take place in the basin include backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, and hiking. At the delta mouth of the river in the Lower Fraser valley, there are a number of recreational opportunities including walking, bird watching, picnicking, fishing and boating.
|
Wed, March 10, 6:30 pm
|
