Big Bar landslide response information bulletin

April 6 2021

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• Work on alternative fish passage systems underway
• Current images of work being done at the landslide site

Work on alternative fish passage systems underway

Spring work is underway at Big Bar, with the response team focused on implementing alternative fish passage systems, among other priorities, in advance of the 2021 Fraser salmon migration season.

The construction of the “nature-like” fishway, which will allow fish to navigate past the landslide at lower and moderate flows, is nearing completion. Crews successfully blasted the rock outcropping at the south end of the fishway on March 20 and March 27 to straighten the path of the “nature-like” fishway, which will significantly improve fish migration.

At the West Beach, crews are reconfiguring the 2020 concrete fish ladder for use with “trap and transport” operations this year. The liner membrane of the structure is being upgraded with concrete floors to prevent erosion and damage, and improve ease of cleaning and maintenance. Silt that has accumulated at the bottom of the ladder is being removed. Construction has begun on a platform which will hold large pumps that supply water for the ladder. First Nations and DFO fisheries technicians will use the ladder to draw fish to a holding pool, where salmon will be collected, transferred to truck-mounted tanks and transported 4.5 km north for release back into the Fraser River.

Further bathymetric survey or underwater mapping is underway to better understand river grades, depth and water velocity at the “nature-like” fishway. Work on rock fall mitigation is ongoing with a focus on areas near where summer operations will take place.

Crews are also making progress on the work camp at KM 96, which will be used to house summer operations staff.

Current images of work being done at the landslide site

Additional images of the work underway as part of our response efforts can be seen on the Government of BC’s Flickr channel.