WHAT’S KILLING THE FISH? Biologists study mystery kokanee deaths near Shelter Bay - 4
E
V
E
L
S
T
O
K
E
Vol. 114, No. 25
$1.25
Ski Town Showdown - 10
Revelstoke Dam spilling is awesome spectacle
1
www.revelstoketimesreview.com
50 0 1 6
Weds., June 20, 2012
78195
TIMESReview
7
R
Energy critic links Hydro dam spilling to IPP contracts AARON ORLANDO editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
The Revelstoke Dam spills water on June 17 following weeks of heavy rain in the Revelstoke area during the freshet season. The roaring spectacle blanketed the area around the dam in a fine mist and attracted dozens of onlookers to watch the raging torrent. The dam Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Times Review reached a peak spill rate of 24,000 cubic feet per second on Sunday.
Council proposes parking closures for bike route City to seek public feedback on compromise plan to close off north side of Fourth Street in Southside to parking. Committee hopes to extend closures along entire route next year after more consultation AARON ORLANDO editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
Revelstoke city council has opted to explore a temporary compromise between two proposed bike route plans by seeking stakeholder input in the next two weeks on a plan to eliminate onstreet parking on the north side of Fourth Street in Southside. The proposal calls for dedicated bike lanes on both sides of the road and no parking on the
north side of Fourth Street from the Illecillewaet Bridge to Townley Street. The rest of the route, which runs from Townley along Third Street and Douglas Street to the Big Eddy Bridge, will consist of ‘sharrows.’ Sharrows include the addition of painted bicycle images on the street and bike lane signage, but they are not a dedicated bike lane and no parking is eliminated. The plan is to get the bike
lanes in place in the beginning of next year. August. In a letter to council the The decision came at coun- Enhancement Committee pushed cil’s June 12 meeting after the for bike lanes this summer: “This representatives from the city’s bike route has been under discusEnhancement Committee brought sion for one-and-a-half years and the revised plan forward. the committee would like to see The Enhancement Committee action this season,” wrote comwants to try the system out until mittee chair Toni Johnston in a October, then conduct a new wave June 7 letter. “Tourism Infrastrucof public consultations in the fall ture Funding has been available with the hope of extending the since fiscal 2011. We respectfully dedicated bike lanes and parking closures along the entire route Bike lane, page 2
The Revelstoke Dam provided a Father’s Day spectacle as it gushed water over its spillway. The event attracted a steady stream of visitors who gathered to take photos and video of the massive torrent of water. BC Hydro had warned of impending spilling in May. In a May 18 email, BC Hydro spokesperson Dag Sharman told the Times Review that the Revelstoke Dam reservoir was “quite low” and absorbing runoff. “The risk of spill is heightened because of province-wide high snowpack and expected high water inflows into our reservoirs, low domestic demand, and negative export prices,” he wrote. Sharman said the planned spills were related to requirements to maintain minimum flows to benefit fish and wildlife habitat. That amounts to a minimum of 142 cubic metres per second. Revelstoke-based Hydro spokesperson Jennifer Walker-Larsen said the Revelstoke Dam reservoir has filled up and is now about 15 centimetres below full pond. The dam spillway is being used to pass inflows from rain and snowmelt. On Sunday, the dam spilled at a peak rate of about 24,000 cubic feet per second, in addition to generating electricity. Spilling will continue this week at a reduced rate of about 10,000 cubic feet per second. On average, inflows into the reservoir in June are about 24,000 feet per second. Last week, rain and snowmelt caused inflows to peak at 42,000 cubic feet per second and average 33,000 cubic feet per second. In May, NDP Opposition critics claimed that energy policies imposed by
NDP critic, page 3
"NOBODY WORKS HARDER FOR YOU THAN RE/MAX"
271A Viers Crescent $239,000
319 Taylor Street $315,000
917 & 919 2nd St. West $389,000
"Right Agents for Today's Market" Revelstoke Realty
328 Edward Street $575,000
607 Barry Road $399,900
209 1st St. West, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0 250-837-5121/fax: 250-837-7020
revelstoke-realty.com
1875 Hay Road $689,000
OMREB Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board