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MAY 27, 2016
Inaugural Medal Presented | Page 3
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Townsman Inaugural Festival Saturday | Page 4
Cranbrook
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Vol. 70, Issue 91
Koocanusa, Kootenay Lake affected by low snowpack
www.cranbrooktownsman.com
Birders touch down in town
TRE VOR CR AWLEY
What was looking like a strong snowpack earlier in March has given way to an early runoff due to warm temperatures in April, which will have an effect on water levels at Kootenay Lake and Lake Koocanusa. Joel Fenolio, the Upper Columbia Senior Water Manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said that Lake Koocanusa will likely be short of it’s preferred elevation of 2,454 feet by July 31. “We had above average snowpack through march, looking pretty healthy in terms of refill and operations throughout the spring and summer,” Fenolio said. “And then April hit. “Basically we lost our snowpack and we’re well below average in terms of snowpack. The latest round of storms has helped that, but we need it to continue through June in order for Lake Koocanusa to refill.”
See KOOCANUSA, Page 5
Sportsnet happy with ticket sales for Grand Slam TRE VOR CR AWLEY
Tickets are selling fast for the upcoming Grand Slam of Curling Tour Challenge in November. WIth the box office opening on April 15th, the event has already sold over 230 full ticket packages, which is an encouraging sign for Sportsnet and local organizers on the ground. “The first day, we sold 100 tickets,” said Todd Pellerin, one of the local organizers who helped bring the event to Cranbrook.”
See GRAND SLAM, Page 3
A proud parent and new young ‘uns, pictured at Jim Smith Lake in the days of late spring.
STEWART WILSON PHOTO
BC Field Ornithologists hold AGM in Cranbrook, celebrate launch of Breeding Bird Atlas of BC B A R RY CO U LT E R
This weekend Cranbrook will be the feathery focal point of British Columbia, and the talk will be all things avian, as the British Columbia Field Ornithologists touch down in town for their annual general meeting. The British Columbia Field Ornithologists (BCFO) is a province-wide organization made up of birders and professional ornithologists a blend between public birding and science. George Clulow, President of the BCFO, spoke to the Townsman about the upcoming meeting, and also the recent pro-
duction of the BC Breeding Bird Atlas — one of the most significant such publications in the world. Though he’s from the Lower Mainland, Clulow was on a pre-convention birding expedition in Southern Alberta. “We bridge a number of areas — hobby birding, birdwatching and the more scientific side of things as citizen scientists,” Clulow said. “We run birding trips for members, but we also participate in gathering information for other groups.” “The British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas — which has just been completed and has just gone online — is one example
writ large. The production of the atlas has been a massive undertaking, Clulow said. “A lot of our members contributed field work, and as an organization we also supported it financially. We weren’t the biggest supporter, because government was involved as well.” “It’s a huge thing. There’s so much data in there — information produced by government, by business, by conservationists, by preservationists …” The work has been years in the making.
See ORNITHOLOGISTS, Page 5
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