My Saturday morning relief from pondering the salmon sit-chee-ation:
inspired by Gary Larson
Pardon the pun, my seeking relief…
The other day as I prepared a presentation for the Cohen Commission, I came across a report funded by the World Bank:
With an edge of cynicism, and trace of conspiracy theory… when I see reports funded by the World Bank looking at major river drainages… I start to think “dams”…
Apparenlty this “study” was part of the “Integrated River Basin Management and the Principle of Managing Water Resources at the Lowest Appropriate Level – When and Why Does It (Not) Work in Practice?”
Scary little tidbit from the report, pg 48:
The largest input of wastewater occurs in the Fraser River Estuary, largely through effluents discharged from the Vancouver area wastewater treatment facilities. Together, three plants in the region release roughly 429,000 m3/day. A wide variety of industrial discharges, including metal fabricating plants, sawmills, pulp and paper mills, chemical plants and other activities release a range of contaminants in relatively low-volume discharges to the Fraser River. Other more poorly characterized effluents are those released through the 20 combined sewer overflows (McGreer and Belzer 1999), which transmit an estimated volume of 6,270,000 m3/yr to the North Arm and main stem of the Fraser (FREMP 1996).
Over 6 million cubic metres — in 1996 numbers!
One cubic metre of water is 1000 litres — Thus, over 6 million cubic metres is 6 billion litres (if my math is correct).
A typical toilet flush is about 5-7 litres. That’s a flush for at least every person on earth… in one year… in 1996… entering the mouth of the Fraser and Salish Sea.
What do you think it is now, 15 years later?
Might this explain why a longtime fisherman like Terry Slack didn’t see any of the great multitude of 30 million+ salmon in the Fraser North Arm this year (if I heard correctly, Terry?).
(Somebody better phone Houston and tell them we have a problem… or maybe just “text” or Twitter them)
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But don’t worry I think I’ve solved the great salmon mystery:
Solving salmon mysteries
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I’ve also heard about the development of a NEW Salmon Enhancement Program — the current one in B.C. pumps out over 650,000,000 salmon fry of various species out into the North Pacific to compete against the other 4.4 billion pumped out from around the North Pacific rim. All at great cost — financial, and to genetic viability of current wild stocks.
Salmon Enhancement Program?
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There’s also a new study being recommended to the Cohen Commission — Study #13 — “Measuring Sockeye Spawning Success”:
Sockeye Spawning Bed?