Big Bar landslide response information bulletin

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• Ongoing onsite operations
• Current images of work being done at the landslide site

Ongoing onsite operations

Preparations continued this week for the installation of the pneumatic fish pump system at Big Bar. A contract for the supply of this equipment was awarded to Whooshh Innovations Ltd. The first system is expected to be operational in late May; it will then be replaced by a higher capacity model in late June. The pneumatic pump system will move fish past the slide when water volumes are too high for fish to use the “nature-like” fishway. The current focus remains on constructing the concrete fish ladder, which is being built using 500 interlocking blocks and will guide fish to a holding pool. Site work is also underway to prepare for the installation of the Whooshh tubes that will transport the fish past the slide.

The Province of BC’s River Forecast Centre is predicting that water flows will soon be the highest recorded for the month of April in this portion of the Fraser River. By April 28, flows could reach 5,000 cubic metres per second (cms). Crews are taking every safety precaution as they continue to work on the concrete fish ladder in wet conditions. However, this progress may slow if water levels rise further.

In addition, Kiewit is improving the overland access road for use by trucks to transport fish for upstream release or for delivery to hatcheries.

Archeology work continues onsite with the assessment of an access road to the French Bar Creek release site and the assessment of a new holding tank area to be used for chinook enhancement operations.

Current images of work being done at the landslide site