A rationale for funding comprehensive water quality monitoring in the Shuswap watershed…

Sleuthing the sources of Shuswap Lake pollution
A Shuswap Passion column for the Shuswap Market News
By Jim Cooperman
November 5, 2010

Implementation of the Shuswap Lakes Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP) Strategic Plan is getting a rough reception by many local politicians as described by recent headline news articles. Even though it appears that the key components of the Plan will receive funding, there remains an air of uncertainty about the project. Despite overwhelming public support for implementation as shown by the recent watershed survey, substantial financial support from the province and the obvious need for action due to the recent algae blooms, opposition continues due in part to misunderstandings about the project.

Much of the confusion revolves around the issue of duplication. Although water quality monitoring has been ongoing and results have shown deterioration in Salmon Arm Bay, Blind Bay, and throughout the lake; the results do not provide the comprehensive data needed to accurately identify the sources of excess nutrients causing the problems. To address the need for detailed data, SLIPP contracted experts in the field to design a monitoring program that will provide this information.

Except for Salmon Arm Bay, Shuswap Lake is primarily defined as oligotrophic, with clear water lacking in nutrients. Salmon Arm Bay became mesotrophic in the 1970s, due to an increase in nutrients that resulted in less clear water and more algae growth. Monitoring to date has shown an increase in nitrogen and phosphorus throughout the lakes, which should ring alarm bells especially given the large volume of water and rapid flushing rate in Shuswap Lake.

Impacts on water quality come from a number of possible sources, including sewage effluent, leaching septic fields, greywater from houseboats and cabin cruisers, forestry practices, storm sewers, algae toxins, and agricultural run-off. While it may seem more direct to curtail these potential impacts now, there is too much resistance to change practices and that resistance will continue until agencies have the scientific proof needed to enforce improvements.

Thanks to scientific advancements, water quality monitoring has progressed far beyond the techniques used to date in Shuswap Lake. Expensive, high tech equipment is now available that can identify chemical tracers that indicate the sources of nutrients entering the lake. The SLIPP pilot project calls for comprehensive testing that will be able to reveal whether the excess phosphorus and nitrogen comes from human sources, fertilizers or domestic animals. As well, the program calls for complete integration and cooperation between all agencies to avoid any duplication of efforts.

In addition to the monitoring, the SLIPP pilot project will include annual planning meetings and annual public reports. Everyone will benefit, as the results will lead to access to credible scientific information that will support improved decision making to reverse the current downward trend in Shuswap Lake water quality.

It is somewhat ironic that the highest level of support for the project comes from the Thompson Nicola Regional District which contains the smallest area of the Shuswap watershed. In the centre of our watershed, it is possible that some politicians are concerned that the results of the monitoring will show the need for more expensive upgrades to sewage treatment and/or for expensive changes to agricultural practices. Or it may be possible that these politicians would rather use their gas tax revenues for capital expenditures rather than address the causes of the algae blooms.

For the North Okanagan Regional District, there is a resistance to working with the other two regional districts as they have already allocated substantial funds for their Shuswap River Sustainability planning process. Fortunately, both their process and the SLIPP pilot project will be coordinated by the Fraser Basin Council and thus the water quality monitoring proposed for the Shuswap River will likely be done using the same chemical tracer methodology as planned for Shuswap Lake and its other tributaries.

In addition to the water quality monitoring project, the SLIPP pilot project calls for recreation use studies, improvements to the foreshore development application process, improvements to compliance and enforcement activities, and improvements to stakeholder communication and education. The long term vision is to create a watershed board or council similar to the Okanagan Water Basin Board that has been successfully operating for over 40 years.

The public has long insisted that action is needed to safeguard our lakes and watershed. Everyone who lives in the Shuswap is dependent in one way or another on the lake and its tributaries. Representatives from all relevant government agencies along with representatives from the public have spent years developing the SLIPP Strategic Plan. It only makes sense that governments allocate the funding needed to implement the Plan to protect the future of our watershed.

Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for this ill-conceived development….

Another lawsuit filed against Rink

By Tim Petruk
October 12, 2010
Kamloops This Week

The embattled builder behind a controversial Kamloops development is facing another challenge.

Mike Rink, head of the Kamloops-based New Future Building Group, has had a civil action filed against him in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops, with a group of five sub-contractors and suppliers seeking in excess of $500,000 in connection with a project Rink is developing in the Shuswap.

This latest lawsuit follows a claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court by Denny Segal, a purchaser of a unit in Rink’s Mission Hill development in Kamloops, seeking the return of his $32,000 deposit.

The five companies ‘ Westend Shuswap Concrete and Gravel, Engel Electric, Highland Powerlines Ltd., L. Coster Land Surveying and Rona Revy ‘ say Rink and his wife and business partner Marnie McEachern, failed to pay them for jobs completed at the West Beach Village project, near Lee Creek at the Shuswap, in 2008 and 2009.

According to documents filed at the Kamloops Law Courts last week, Rink and McEachern received more than $13 million in financing for the project.

‘A portion of the said funds were specifically designated by [the lender] for payments of the accounts of the plaintiffs in this action and of other contractors for the supply of labour, materials and services,’ reads a notice of civil claim claim, filed on behalf of the five companies.

‘[Rink and McEachern] misappropriated the said funds by converting them to uses other than payment of the accounts of the plaintiffs and other contractors engaged by the defendants in connection with the West Beach Village project.’

Specifically, the notice of civil claim alleges Rink and McEachern used the money to ‘increase their equity’ in two properties ‘ a home at 263 St. Paul St. West in Kamloops and the Parkside Estate Retirement Residence in Chase.

The document says both properties are legally owned by McEachern.

‘McEachern and Rink . . . directed and/or participated in the . . . misappropriation and misuse of the funds in a manner contrary to their stipulated purpose,’ it reads.

The notice of civil claim alleges New Recreations Ltd. ‘ doing business as Northstar Builders, which Rink and McEachern own and operate ‘ owes $42,240.30 to Westend Shuswap Concrete and Gravel for concrete work at the West Beach Village project.

It also alleges $317,914.47 is owed to Engel Electric for underground electrical work done at the site, while $115,570.88 is still outstanding for Highland Powerlines’ above-ground electrical work.

The document says Northstar owed $57,645.31 is owed to L.Coster Land Surveying for work they did at West Beach Village, while Rona Revy is seeking $15,564.74 for unpaid building material bills.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Rink has been under fire in recent months, with work having ground to a halt on his large Mission Hill development in South Kamloops.

Work was stopped on the development early this summer, after Rink and New Future ran into financing issues.

The first phase of Mission Hill ‘ which stands unfinished above the lower part of the Summit Connector ‘ was supposed to be complete by July, but Rink told KTW bank lenders decided to suspend funding until they reviewed the project.

Employees on the project set up pickets in June after they said they hadn’t been paid in weeks.

Residents living on neighbouring streets are also upset with the project, claiming assessed home prices in the area have fallen by as much as $100,000 since the development was approved by the city in 2007.

According to an email obtained by KTW from the local BC Assessment office to an area homeowner, the lower assessed value is a direct result of the Mission Hill development.

The email, dated June 24, 2010, states the properties in the area of Mission hill have a view adjustment built into the land value and, now that the view is lost, an adjustment has been applied to account for the loss of market value.

The email notes those types of homes normally sell as ‘view properties.’

Rink had yet to respond to the notice of civil claim as of KTW press deadline.

Ten tunes that promote appreciation and respect for the Shuswap….

Shuswap songs hit CD
by Jim Cooperman
October 26, 2010
Salmon Arm Observer

It is whole new concept, using music to foster a sense of place. Thirty-four songwriters took up the challenge to compose lyrics and melodies to convey what it is like to live in and appreciate our region.

In April, the Shuswap’s first ever song writing competition thrilled the audience at the Salmar Classic Theatre. Two months later, many of these songwriters performed again to a packed audience. At that time, there were many requests to produce a CD of these songs. Thanks to the Shuswap Watershed Project and the songwriters, the CD was recorded and is now available.

Songs for the Shuswap celebrates the special features of our region with lyrics that capture its beauty and music that fills one with joy. The recording project was a collaborative effort.

Jesse Clarke of Old Man’s Beard did many of the recordings and all of the tracks were mastered at Sylvain Vallee’s Scotch Creek studio.

The CD begins with Megan Abel’s Shuswap Magic, which took first prize in the youth category. ‘I feel very lucky and am so glad I went through with my first performance the night of the competition,’ Abel says. ‘I had no idea at the time how much more fun was coming my way recording in Jesse’s studio and being an active part of such a wonderful community.’

Next up is Ariana Vrieling’s ballad, My Home with Shae-lyn James, and with the lovely melody played on piano by Monica Wilson.

One cannot help wanting to get up and dance to Peter Blacklock’s, Take Back the Shuswap, that also delivers an important message for everyone to do their part to help protect our watershed.

One of Shuswap’s favourite bands, Birchbark performs Sue Kyle’s winning song, Shuswap Swing.

Monica Wilson’s ode to the good life in Salmon Arm in My Town, paints a picture of grebes dancing and the people smiling.

Sicamous songwriter Len Benty also provides a fun song with a message that our water needs protection. And Sylvain Vallee’s Keep the Water Flowing delivers a message about love and respect for our waters, with a powerful jazz melody using keyboard, drums and a saxophone.

‘A brilliant idea that brought us all together for a purpose larger than us,’ says Benty of the project. ‘It was a real wake-up call to the beauty and vulnerability of the Shuswap.’

Jesse Clarke’s By your Side, speaks to the joy of returning home to his beloved Shuswap Lake. This song, which took second place, fills one with happiness, as the words fit so well with the alt-country melody highlighted by Darrin Herting’s guitar licks and Dick Owings fiddle solo.

Cherryville folksinger Tim Staker’s tune, Rinse Myself, is reminiscent of a Leonard Cohen song.

The CD closes with Lee Creek performer Dave Allan’s British Columbia that instills pride and respect for our beautiful province.

The CDs are available at Askew’s, Salmon Arm Observer, Acorn Music and elsewhere in the region.
[including: Scotch Creek SuperValu, Lighthouse Market in Sorrento, Pink Cherry, Java Jive, CD Plus, Takezushi Restaurant and more]

The songs can also be heard at www.shuswapwatershed.ca.