Drought signs raise fears of another fish die-off in B.C. rivers

Crayon rubbings form part of Project 84,000, an art project and environmental awareness campaign that honours thousands of steelhead, trout and other fish that died in the Cowichan River last summer. Handout photo taken April 23 at Vimy Hall near Duncan, B.C. Images of steelhead and trout flicker over long sheets of paper, brought to life in blue and green crayon rubbings by the thousands.

"The enormity of the loss was something that really struck me," said Shepherd, a community researcher with water sustainability group Xwulqw'selu Connections, who said the project aimed to help people comprehend the scale of the loss of life. About 40 per cent of the province is already at Level 3, 4 or 5 drought, meaning drought impacts are possible, likely or certain, respectively. The April snow survey by the B.C. River Forecast Centre showed thein the province, at just 63 per cent of normal, potentially increasing drought risk this spring and summer.

In the Cowichan Valley, community members treat fish and rivers as relatives and family members rather than resources, he added."It's a beautiful river, but it's more than that. It's like family … and I think that's how so many of us feel," he said.The DFO said in a statement that the fish kill was more likely due to "stressful environmental conditions than of a specific cause.

Last summer, he watched as a small stream next to his home in Kamloops, B.C., dried up in just a couple days. "They support the forests, they support the eagles, they support the bears, they support the killer whales," he said. "They connect the freshwater ecosystem to the ocean. Very few things can do that.

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

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