Saying the very community is at stake, District of Mackenzie council has established a task force to battle B.C. Hydro's quest to increase the amount of water it can draw out of the Williston Reservoir.
The utility wants to reduce the minimum operating level for the reservoir to 2,140 feet above sea level from the current 2,147, saying it will only draw down the reservoir to that level in the event of a drought or other "system events."
Those events could include an ice storm affecting the transmission lines from the Columbia region generating stations, major earthquake, or security-related issues affecting B.C. Hydro infrastructure.
But task force members say allowing the level to drop lower than 2,147 will create a myriad of trouble beginning with not enough water to adequately supply the community's pulp mill, two sawmills and bio-energy plant.
Combined, they directly employ 770 people in the community of 3,500 people 186 kilometres north of Prince George.
As well, water-based log delivery systems would become landlocked and the pulp mill's effluent discharge would breach provincial regulations.
Likewise, the town's effluent discharge system would also run into problems. If the level is "consistently maintained" at a lower level, the district could be forced to build a new outfall to Parsnip Reach, at a cost of $2.7 million and likely have to upgrade its wastewater treatment system for another $5 million.
"What's at stake? In short ... our community is at stake," the task force says on its website, willistonwater.ca. "Williston Reservoir is not just a source for B.C. Hydro's power revenues, is the lifeblood of Mackenzie."
The 2,147 mark is a compromise between the level of 2,150 the town was seeking and the 2,140 B.C. Hydro had wanted when the issue was first raised.
B.C. Hydro spokesman Bob Gammer has said it is working with the district and industry on ways to mitigate impacts.
He said two phases of a study into the proposal have been completed and input from the district and industry will be included along with the study findings to be forwarded near the end of this year to the comptroller of water rights who will then determine next steps.
Site C would not increase the risk of so-called "system events" occurring, Gammer has also said.
The task force has also set up a Facebook page at Williston Reservoir Mackenzie Task Force and is encouraging residents to fill out an impact statement and share their concerns with Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris.
