86 per cent of a river gone: First Nation calls on BC Hydro to let more water through – The Narwhal

May 15, 2025

Katzie First Nation wants BC Hydro to let more water into the Fraser region’s Alouette River, as it faces pollution, drought and decreased salmon

Mike Leon leans over the water to point out a salmon redd — a “little fish nest, I call it,” he says. It’s easy to miss in the gravelly riverbed of the sánəsaʔł stáʔləw (Alouette River) in q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) territory, also known as Maple Ridge, about an hour’s drive from Vancouver.

The Alouette Dam, not far upriver, means the water in ánəsaʔł stáʔləw is lower and slower than it would be naturally. Leon, lead guardian for q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation, says slow water makes it more likely silt will settle on salmon eggs, which can smother them.

q̓ic̓əy̓ is raising the alarm that the river’s ecology has been severely eroded by the dam. The nation commissioned a report that found the river’s flow has been reduced by 86 per cent since the river was dammed in 1928. But the situation has grown more urgent as the Fraser River region experiences increasingly dry conditions and summer heat nears.

Read More: https://thenarwhal.ca/katzie-first-nation-alouette-dam/