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Trees and high water create hazard on the river ALISTAIR TAYLOR CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
A December mudslide on the Campbell River continues to compromise the safety of recreational users of the river habitat. Water levels on the river are high and the flow is powerful. Reaching out into the currents like the fingers of a demon tree in a horror cartoon are the trunks and branches of trees. And their catch could be swimmers and people floating down the river on inner tubes and air matresses. Just down from the John Hart Generating Station are trees that were swept down by a slump that took out a portion of the Canyon View Trail. They are now creating a potential hazard for people who like to float or snorkel down the river. The danger worries Jamie Turko, a swift-water rescue specialist with Campbell River Search and Rescue and a river rafting guide. “This is a hazard,” Turko said Wednesday crouched on a maple tree anchored on shore but spanning most of the way across a
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Campbell River Search and Rescue volunteer Jamie Turko crouches on a “strainer” – a tree that has fallen into the Campbell River and poses a hazard for recreational users on the river. Swimmers and tubers can get swept into the tree and pinned underwater by the force of the current.
channel on the north side of the right into it. Somehow we’ve got to find a way to get this out for river. “It’s called a strainer. It allows public safety.” Turko has been in discussion water to flow but not solid objects,” he said. “The main cur- with BC Hydro, the Quinsam Hatchery, DFO and rent comes right other river users down and pushes about the situation. right into this big Everyone agrees it’s old maple here that’s a hazard and are willfallen in. Any of the ing to resolve it with tubers or swimmers or air mattresses are campbellrivermirror.com public safety in mind. When water levels going to be sucked
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drop – expected to be sometime soon – Turko wants to take the trees out of their current situation and move them to where they’re less of a danger to the public. But Turko is aware that the trees are part of the natural process and create fish habitat on the river. That’s why the plan is to move them to point where they can parallel the river course but Continued on Page A3
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