Day three in Central BC, day two of a work trip.
The Nechako Reservoir reservoir was formed by the construction of the Kenney Dam which resulted in a diversion of the Nechako River through a 16-km intake tunnel in the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains to the Kemano Project to service the then-new Alcan aluminum smelter at Kitimat. When it was constructed on the Nechako River in 1952, it resulted in the relocation of over 75 families and was one of the largest reservoirs built in Canada until the completion of the Columbia Treaty Dams and the W.A.C. Bennett Dam that created Williston Lake.
The creation of the reservoir flooded the series of lakes which typified the upper Nechako basin and in the process rendered the Quanchus Range, which lies between the north and south arms of the reservoir, a virtual island. The names of lakes amalgamated into the reservoir are perpetuated as names for the various stretches of water. The north arm includes Ootsa Lake, Whitesail Lake, and Whitesail Reach, the south arm Eutsuk Lake, Natalkuz Lake, Chedakuz Arm, Knewstubb Lake, Tetachuck Lake and others. Because Ootsa Lake is the largest of the original lakes its name is sometimes used for the whole reservoir, though the official name remains Nechako Reservoir.
Today’s travels took us, by helicopter, up to the Kenney Dam for a view, and then down to the ground at Cheslatta to look at a possible site for a future hatchery. But the smoke filled skies, a result of the fires in Fort St. John, made for a poor view. Regardless, it was interesting to fly over a landscape that I’d grown up in, but only ever seen from ground level.
Despite the smoke, the clearcuts were easily visible, as were the many replanted areas….their growing trees a long way off from being harvestable, but clearly human places owing to their alignment.
On landing down near the bottom of the Cheslatta, we pretty much sandblasted a truck waiting for us…
Once on the ground, we viewed the area and the test wells, walked up to the campground and viewed the falls, and had some interesting discussions with representatives from the Nation. It’s a beautiful area.
We had to fly into Vanderhoof to refuel, before flying back to Prince George. We asked the pilot to fly down past the intake for the pulp mill and, in doing do, we also flew past the cutbanks where the Sandlblast used to take place, so many years ago. After landing, we drove out to the mill to look at another possible site for a future hatchery….not as scenic an environment as Cheslatta, but it had its own attractions from a water and siting standpoint.
Long day, very tired…..I intended to run this morning, but I did not because I didn’t think that sucking smoke into my lungs while runnin was the wisest decisions…probably won’t run tomorrow morning either. Oh well, it is what it is…
