Mackenzie, B.C.-  There is an  air of optimism in Mackenzie  following a meeting with BC’s Comptroller of Water Rights.

A request from  BC Hydro  to be allowed more flexibility in the level of the water in the Williston reservoir and to be able to drop the level to 2140 feet above sea level if needed has been  cause  for  concern.

The District of Mackenzie has argued against  that  request,  saying dropping the level below 2147 above sea level, would  be disastrous for the District and for  local industry.

Yesterday,  representatives of industry and the District of Mackenzie met with the  Water Comptroller, “I am feeling a whole lot more optimistic today than I was yesterday” says Mackenzie Mayor, Pat Crook.

Mayor Crook says  he’s optimistic the Comptroller of Water Rights will decide to maintain the status quo.  That means the  levels of the reservoir will  continue to be subject to the “Williston Variable Operating Level regulation” which was  set in  August of  2007.  Under that  regulation, the reservoir  is  to  be kept  at  a minimum of  2147 feet above sea level.  That is the lowest mark the reservoir has been in  more than  30 years.   Even under that  regulation, the  reservoir can only be dropped to 2147  after giving  six months notice  and approval  from the Comptroller of Water Rights.

BC Hydro had hired  engineers to produce mitigation strategies  for  those who may  be impacted by the  water being lowered below  the  2147  level “The  mitigation strategies put forth in the reports didn’t seem feasible to industry  nor to the District of Mackenzie” says Mayor  Crook.

Reducing the  level of the reservoir   would have meant  the District of Mackenzie would have  to spend millions of dollars  to  find another  way to  deal with  the discharge of  treated effluent.  Mayor Crook says   it would be highly unlikely  the District would be allowed permits  to  divert  the  treated effluent to a  river rather than the lake.   He says  ideas for industry included   construction of causeways for the log dump  “A very  expensive process and the added cost to industry  would be huge so the  mitigation  ideas didn’t make sense to industry”.  Mayor Crook says  with logging activity moving north,   the  reservoir  is a  cost effective  transportation corridor to move the logs “It  costs a lot less to have the logs towed than  to have them trucked ,we need the water levels higher  in order to operate  the log transporter and the tug boats.”

But even if the Comptroller  decided today that there would be no change, and the  Williston Variable Operating Level regulation  would  remain as is,   the  issue could  arise  again  within  the next decade. “Hydro could make an application again in 5 or ten years  if it wants to generate more power” says Mayor Crook “The one venue we have left is to ask for a change to their (BCHydro’s) water license.”

Has the District made that request?   “Not  yet” says Mayor Crook “One fight at a time.  but going forward, that would be the plan.”