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The South Shuswap Scoop
Watershed Moments
March 2022
By Barbra Fairclough BC Timber Sales put out call to referral regarding cut blocks In January, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District K0WG, K5M7, and K5MG located on the south ridge slope of (CSRD) board received correspondence from the Ministry of the watershed. Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Development (FLNR) Ms. Spanevello attended a CSRD board meeting as a deleconfirming an update from BC gation requesting a moratorium on Timber Sales (BCTS) of the prologging in the Bastion Creek Waposed logging on Bastion Creek tershed. Bill Granger a retired proon the Salmon Arm reach of fessional geoscientist assisting resShuswap Lake. idents, said BCTS due diligence to BCTS has completed a debris manage risks was based on outdatflow assessment for the Bastion ed analysis. Ms. Spanevello said creek Community Watershed. This that BCTS had not been cooperastudy is an update to the 2000 Detive and a request through freedom bris Flow Assessment for the Basof information was made to obtain tion Creek Community Watershed. information. It is with respect to three proposed The CSRD in response to the cut blocks that straddle the north significant concerns expressed by boundary of the watershed reprethe residents of Bastion Bay resenting a combined 13.67 ha. garding the high potential for deThe overall objects of the asbris flow hazards in the area prior CSRD Photo from the 2019 Geomorphic study into the sessment were to determine the to a comprehensive risk assessment future landslide risk on Bastion Mountain hazard and risk to public safety and study is complete, wrote a letter in infrastructure from future damaging debris flow/debris hazard, April to Katrine Conroy Minister, FLNR. channel avulsions, and/or landslide events on Bastion Creek. The letter was to request a moratorium on logging in the The other purpose of the study was to comment on the increwatershed until a full risk assessment study is completed and mental risk of the proposed BCTS forest development activities the mitigative requirements of the area to protect life and propon debris flow/ debris flood hazard. erty are known. This study was proposed in response to a CSRD request for June letter from Gerry MacDougall, Regional Executive a moratorium on logging in the watershed. Director (FLNR) in response to the request says that “Given Early in 2019 Catherine Spanevello and the residents the considerable measures to ensure operations can be conductof Bastion Bay became aware of the potential risks when (continued on page 7)
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