Peace Project Water Use Plan - BC Hydro

Peace Project Water Use Plan
Annual Report: 2010
The approach to the boat launch ramp is along a gravel path. The gravel approach to
the ramp is in good condition. However, the concrete ramp is in very poor condition
as a result of erosion, and has been closed since April 2009 (although it appears that
some boaters are still using the ramp).
There is damage at the upper part of the boat launch ramp. A portion of the ramp has
been undercut by erosion. Concrete barriers have been placed in the middle of the
ramp to keep boaters from straying towards the edge.
At the lower end of the ramp, the bank has slumped and become oversteepened.
The concrete planks on the surface of the boat launch ramp in this location have
shifted downhill as a result of the oversteepening of the bank.
Relatively rapid erosion is also occurring at the top of the bank.
The substrate at Dunlevy is generally relatively firm, with a good mixture of sand and
gravel, as shown in Photo No. 9. There are areas of finer substrate. The areas most
subject to slumping, including the area directly below the most eroded upper area
have this finer substrate.
M&N staff discussed the erosion issues at the site with three local users.
� Dan Bullian, BC Hydro, Manager of Environmental and Social Issues, visited
the Dunlevy site with the project team. He described the erosional problems
as being exacerbated by an increase in the operating water levels in the
Williston Reservoir. Hydrometric data obtained from the Environment Canada
web site indicate that the water level in the Williston Reservoir did not exceed
El. 670 m between 1985 and 1994. The peak water level has varied since
1994, but the operating maximum of El. 672.1 m has been approached
several times since then, including summer 2007 and 2008.
� Bleu Rowe of BC Hydro, speaking as a boater rather than as a representative
of BCH, stated that erosion had been occurring over the past 15 years, and
had been getting worse every year.
� Dennis Beattie, an outfitter in Hudson’s Hope and President of the Northern
Peace local association of the Guide Outfitters Association of British
Columbia, stated that a great deal of damage occurred in the past year as a
result of wave action generated from strong southeast winds. He also noted
that the ramp is not usable low water, and pointed out that the ramp had been
constructed without riprap protection.
The boat launch at the Dunlevy site is directly exposed to waves that may be
generated by southerly winds in the Peace Arm and within Dunlevy Inlet itself: there
is a direct line of sight from the boat launch to the south shoreline of the Peace Arm.
This supports the boaters’ opinion that wind-generated waves at high water are the
likely cause of the erosional problems. However, there may be additional
geotechnical issues at the site.
� There is visible ongoing erosion at the toe of the bluff at low water and
associated slumping. This is the likely cause of the access problems at low
water.
BC Hydro Page 28