In November, BC Hydro dumped 3000 cubic meters of gravel, roughly 300 truckloads, of Gravel into the Columbia River, at Centennial Park and at Mount Begbie Road. This is a continuation of a project that started in 2014.
The overall goal is to put 22,000 cubic meters of gravel back into the Columbia as it was removed during the last Illecillewaet River dredge in 2013. In order to prevent ice damming and flooding of residence in that area, BC Hydro will dredge the mouth of the Illecillewaet River downstream. The City of Revelstoke and the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development work in partnership to make this happen.
BC Hydro spokesperson, Jennifer Walker-Larson stated in a release “It is important to make sure gravel removed from the Illecillewaet River is put back into the Columbia River system. Revelstoke Dam limits the movement of gravel and sediments into that stretch of the river and gravel and sediments are a key component of fish habitat that provides both nutrients and spawning habitat.”
If you happened to see 300 trucks dumping gravel in the river, rest easy as Hydro is simply putting back what they took out and ultimately for the betterment of the fish habitat.
Hydro will be replacing 9,500 cubic meters of gravel back into the Columbia in the near future.
