Editor's note: This is a letter to Squamish's mayor and council and other government agencies. It was copied to The Chief for publication.
In around 1984, a "floodgate" was installed by the District of Squamish. At the time it was stated byour local government at the time that this gate would only be used five days out of the year, and that it would be so little that impact on the area would be insignificant.Annual sampling of vegetation will be done in order to monitor any changes which may occur.
That was then.
Today we have an area of the Squamish River estuary that has undergone not only major changes to thevegetation, but a severe decline in the water quality of the area. So many of our coastal estuaries in B.C. are under the stresses of misguided infilling and road building that what remains needs to be protected.Our salmon stocks depend on areas like the Squamish estuary to stay intact, andcontinue to perform as nurseries for young salmon, if we hope to have healthy fish stocks today and into thefuture. The free flow of tidal waters into the Bridge Pond is now severely impeded. This floodgate is in operation every day, with the official stance from the District of Squamish that it is now a non-tidal area. The situation at the Bridge Pond is nothing short of a clear violation of the federal Fisheries Act. Harmful long-term impacts to fish habitat has happened, and there seems to be no indication of this stopping anytime soon:
Salinity levels far below normal;
Trees establishing themselves;
Water quality low (may even be dead zone conditions in summer time);
Has gone from brackish water tidal estuary to a primarily freshwater environment.
I have attached a map showing, in order of priority, a Bridge Pond recovery plan. I ask that all local, provincial, and federal agencies come together and use this plan as a basis for starting the process of repairing this important fishery habitat. I have also included a YouTube link that may better serve to explain the situation, and some supporting documents.
John Buchanan
Squamish
