Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy and others will take part in a virtual information session this week to discuss extremely low water levels in the Arrow Lakes reservoir this year.
The information session will be held on Wednesday from 6 until 7:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar. To register go to https://engage.gov.bc.ca/columbiarivertreaty/info-sessions.
Conroy will be joined by representatives from the Canadian Columbia River Treaty negotiation team, BC Hydro and the Columbia River Treaty local governments committee.
According to a media advisory, they will share information about low levels on the Arrow Lakes that have adversely affected fish populations, recreation and tourism, and caused dust storms and exposed debris.
The session will also provide information about what is being done to address the situation and efforts underway to reduce these types of impacts.
“As someone who has called Castlegar home since childhood, I am very disturbed to see the current situation in the Arrow Lakes reservoir,” Conroy wrote.
“I wish there was an easy way to fix this. I have shared your frustration over the summer and into fall, watching the impact on recreation, tourism, our economy, and our fish and wildlife habitats.”
Conroy said the province-wide drought is partly to blame, but the treaty also requires BC to spend a specific volume of water to the U.S. for flood protection and power generation.
“As troubling as the situation has become this summer, it has drawn attention to the treaty, which is a positive thing,” she said.
Conroy is not at the negotiating table, but as minister responsible for the treaty, she says she’s in frequent contact with the team and federal Indigenous leaders.
She called it a “key goal” to get more flexibility for how BC operates its treaty dams and said BC negotiators have shared photos and stories from the Arrow Lakes with their American counterparts to illustrate how important that is.