To the Editor,
Re: Council approves demolition of dams, May 16.
In order to avoid a long summer of confrontation, let us employ some common sense in dealing with the Colliery dams.
The provincial dam safety board wants the ‘danger level’ lowered.
No problem. Simply lower the water level in one dam by deepening one sluiceway and replace one dam a year starting next year.
Ripping out both dams will kill two ecosystems including all those fair sized turtles in the lakes.
There will inevitably be sediment loss that will end up in the lower river area and destroy the fish habitat and may well cause flooding.
Dumping pieces of the dams in the empty black holes will not prevent the walls of the lakes collapsing into the mess at the bottom.
The upper dam is mostly bedrock. Are we going to dynamite it to provide slag?
As covered by the News Bulletin, Veterans of Clayoquot will utilize direct action to prevent the destruction of our beloved park.
This can be easily avoided by at least one more member of council to see the light and vote to act rationally.
Dave Cutts
Nanaimo