1934
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Grand Coulee Dam is constructed in Washington
State to control floods and produce electricity. It stops anadromous
runs of sockeye and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the Columbia
Basin, primarily in Arrow Lakes and Upper Columbia River near Invermere.
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1948
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Spring floods devastate houses, businesses and communities
along the Columbia River in Canada and the U.S. claiming 41 lives,
leaving 38,000 people homeless. A U.S./Canada International Joint
Commission (IJC) begins study of the basin for possible sites for
flood control storage projects. The IJC identified areas of storage
within Canada to control future flooding situations.
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1949
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Mysid shrimp introduced in Kootenay Lake as a food source
for intermediate-sized rainbow trout.
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1953
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Cominco phosphate fertilizer plant on Kootenay River
is operational and causes a significant decline in water quality and
an increase in nutrient levels in Kootenay Lake.
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1961
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Canadian and U.S. governments sign Columbia River Treaty,
requiring Canada to build large dams and storage reservoirs: the Mica,
Hugh Keenleyside and Duncan dams. The Canadian government transfers
the Canadian portion of the treaty to the B.C. government. The U.S.
is allowed to build Libby Dam in Montana and flood land upstream in
Canada (Koocanusa Reservoir).
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1962
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The B.C. government creates BC Hydro as the "Columbia
River Treaty Entity" responsible for building and operating dams
and reservoirs for flood control and power production.
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1964
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Columbia River Treaty is ratified with the B.C. government
allowed to sell a 50% share of downstream benefits for 30 years to
build Columbia River Treaty dams and reservoirs.
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1967
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Duncan Dam is constructed above Kootenay Lake and creates
a 7,145 hectare Duncan Lake reservoir.
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1968
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Fisheries managers introduce Mysid shrimp into Arrow
Lakes Reservoir as a food source for young fish-eating trout.
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1969
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The Hugh Keenleyside Dam is constructed, flooding the
Upper and Lower Arrow two lakes to create one reservoir of water and
eliminating an estimated 30% of spawning/rearing habitat.
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1972
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Libby Dam is constructed, affecting both fish and wildlife
habitat. Nutrient retention in Kootenay Lake (phosphorus loading)
declines to one-third of historical levels following pollution control
measures at Comincofs fertilizer plant.
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1973
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Cominco fertilizer plant on Kootenay River shuts down.
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1976
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The Mica Dam is constructed and begins operations with
a further impact on fishing stocks. Seven Mile Dam is constructed
on Pend dfOreille River, impacting ungulate habitat. Mica and
Pend dfOreille compensation programs are created to compensate
for fish and wildlife impacts by the dams.
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1977
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Number of spawning kokanee returning to spawn in North
Arm of Kootenay Lake is estimated at 1.4 million.
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1980
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Hill Creek Spawning Channel is completed to compensate
for impact of Hugh Keenleyside Dam on fish populations. The channel
is 3.2 km long, 6.1 km wide with 56 settling-basin holding areas for
spawners and a capacity for 150,000 kokanee salmon.
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1982
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The Hill Creek Hatchery is completed to replace the
anticipated loss of Arrow Lakes fish spawning capacity as a result
of Revelstoke Dam.
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1984
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Revelstoke Dam is constructed, flooding 150 km of mainstem
Columbia River and 200 km of tributaries, and significantly impacting
fish stocks and habitat over a 11,560 hectare area. Cumulative impact
of dams was the estimated loss of 66% of the bull trout population.
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1987
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Hill Creek Hatchery size is doubled to produce Arrow
Lakes fish lost as a result of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam. Capacity
is 100,000 fingerling bull trout, 20,000 yearling rainbow trout, 60,000
yearling Gerrard rainbow trout and up to 2 million kokanee eggs per
year.
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1990
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Kootenay Lake South Arm kokanee stocks are virtually
extinct. B.C. Environment, Kootenay Region Fisheries holds public
meetings to explore restoration options.
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1991
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Kootenay Lake North Arm spawning kokanee escapement
declines to 237,000.
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1992
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BC Environment and BC Hydro begins five-year experimental
fertilization project in North Arm of Kootenay Lake.
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1994/95
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The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) is created which consolidates all previous compensation programs in the basin. The Program begins delivering projects to sustain and enhance fish and wildlife populations affected by BC Hydro dam-related activities in the Columbia Basin. Funding is $3.2 million (indexed for inflation based on 1995 dollars) in perpetuity from BC Hydro as a part of the crown corporation.s water license agreement.
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