'In total disbelief': Many fish found dead in 'bone-dry' B.C. creek
Officials in Nelson, B.C., say they've diverted water from Anderson Creek due to an emergency repair on the main drinking water source
Many fish were found dead in Anderson Creek in the City of Nelson, B.C., about 660 kilometres east of Vancouver, after water had to be diverted from the creek for repair work. (Submitted to CBC by Brent Holowaychuk)
Some Nelson, B.C. residents are expressing concern after allegedly hundreds of fish died in a local creek that ran dry.
Officials in the city, about 420 kilometres east of Vancouver, are now investigating the incident, which happened Thursday at Anderson Creek.
The city said the creek ran dry in part because it had to shut off the city's main drinking water source for emergency repairs and use the creek as a secondary source.
But the situation was a shock to some locals.
A section of Anderson Creek in Nelson, B.C. ran dry after the city had to divert water when the main drinking water source was shut off. (Submitted to CBC by Brent Holowaychuk)
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'Felt devastating'
"I was in total disbelief .… There was no water," said Nelson resident and business owner Brent Holowaychuk. "There was the odd, little pool, but it was bone-dry for all intents and purposes."
Holowaychuk, who lives near Anderson Creek, said he and his son found hundreds of dead fish, as well as some that were still alive in tiny pools.
He said his family knows the creek well, because they've taught their children to be careful during the fierce spring freshet, when melting snow or heavy rain can cause water levels to rise.
"This just felt devastating, because there was hundreds, hundreds of dead fish."
Holowaychuk, his son, and their neighbours spent about an hour-and-a-half moving some of the surviving fish into larger pools, hoping to give them a chance to survive until the water returned.
The water in Anderson Creek is typically low at this time of year, but Holowaychuk said the deeper pools can run a couple feet deep. "And there's always water running."
A Nelson, B.C. resident says he found hundreds of dead fish in a creek after it ran dry at the end of August. (Submitted to CBC by Brent Holowaychuk)
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Anderson Creek diverted for drinking water: city
The city said in a press release Friday that the section of Anderson Creek ran dry in part because of an emergency repair earlier in the day at the Five Mile Creek water intake.
Five Mile Creek, which supplies 70 per cent of Nelson's drinking water, was shut down for about six hours during the repair.
"The city's water was supplied entirely by our secondary sources, which are Anderson and Selous creeks," the press release said.
But "a number of unanticipated factors," including the amount of water that seeps into the creek bed and high residential water consumption, meant that the amount of water flow left to supply Anderson Creek was insufficient, the city said.
The City of Nelson holds a license that allows it to divert 1.5 million gallons (almost 5.68 million litres) of water per day from the system to supply local households, according to its statement.
The city said it is aware a number of fish died when the water levels dropped and it is investigating the incident along with environmental consultants, biologists and regulatory officials.
Holowaychuk wondered if the city could have alerted residents about the incident, as speculation on Facebook had caused some residents to worry about the cause of the dry creek.
CBC reached out to the City of Nelson and the province, which deals with water licences, but did not hear back before the publication deadline.
The water sources are now back online and supplying water, but the city noted Five Mile, Anderson and Selous creeks are at their seasonal lowest point and urged residents to follow current water restrictions that are in effect.
Creek concerns
Ramona Faust, Nelson resident and chair of the West Kootenay Watershed Collaborative, said she's concerned about the local creeks connected to Kootenay Lake.
Anderson Creek, she said, is one of many that may struggle due to low water levels in the summer.
Faust hopes local officials and residents learn from the incident.
"I don't think anybody was expecting that, you know, a few hours diversion would cause a creek to go dry," she said.
"That shows you the sensitivity of our creeks now ... and also that predictability is starting to be something that we can't count on."
The incident comes as the West Kootenay Watershed Collaborative is planning a public event this Saturday, including a panel discussion with a hydrologist who will share observations of the creek.
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This article, written by Lauren Vanderdeen, was originally published for CBC News.