Speech (committee meeting)

{
    "time": "2008-05-26 14:50:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Hugh Fraser",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1134151\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Thank you, Mr. Chairman.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134152\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I'll address the issue with respect to erosion. The Fraser River system is a massive river system. It stretches from near Jasper over to Prince George, and then down to Delta. I don't exactly know the length offhand, but it's in the range of maybe 1,000 miles\u20141,600 kilometres\u2014and probably a bit more. As well, there are many large feeder systems flowing into that river system. There are particular areas, particularly in the Cariboo Plateau, where the silts are just part of the natural system.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134153\" data-originallang=\"en\">Since the river was first discovered, it has been known as the \u201cmuddy Fraser\u201d. It's very interesting when you see the river where it meets the Thompson River. You have the beautiful clear water of the Thompson River coming in, and 100 metres downstream from where the Thompson meets the Fraser, you can't even see that there was clear water there. It's just swallowed up. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134154\" data-originallang=\"en\">So we see that there is a lot of sediment that comes down in the system. Stream bank erosion is just part of the natural system, and stream bank erosion protection won't resolve that. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134155\" data-originallang=\"en\">But it is every interesting from a climate change perspective. You've probably all heard of the mountain pine beetle. That has affected a huge area in British Columbia, and it's a growing concern. We discussed that a little bit earlier in terms of how it is going to affect the runoff patterns and potentially the sediment loads. We could possibly be seeing some of those effects already in terms of the increasing rate of silt that's being brought down the river, as well as in terms of the overall hydrology and runoff patterns in the river system.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134156\" data-originallang=\"en\">So I don't think extensive foreshore or management erosion protection work would be feasible or cost-effective.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134157\" data-originallang=\"en\">Maybe I'll just defer the rates question to Nancy, and she can add to that.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1134151\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Merci, monsieur le pr\u00e9sident.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134152\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je vais parler de l'\u00e9rosion. Le fleuve Fraser repr\u00e9sente un bassin hydrographique massif. Il s'\u00e9tend depuis pr\u00e8s de Jasper jusqu'\u00e0 Prince George et jusqu'\u00e0 Delta \u00e0 l'embouchure. Je ne sais pas exactement sa longueur, mais il est de l'ordre de 1 000 milles peut-\u00eatre \u2014 1 600 kilom\u00e8tres \u2014 et peut-\u00eatre un peu plus. En outre, il y a aussi de nombreux effluents qui se jettent dans ce fleuve. Dans certaines r\u00e9gions, particuli\u00e8rement le plateau Cariboo, les limons font partie du syst\u00e8me naturel.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134153\" data-originallang=\"en\">D\u00e8s sa d\u00e9couverte, on a appel\u00e9 le fleuve le \u00ab Fraser boueux \u00bb. C'est tr\u00e8s int\u00e9ressant de le voir au confluent avec la rivi\u00e8re Thompson. Vous avez la belle eau claire de la Thompson qui se jette dans le Fraser et 100 m\u00e8tres plus loin vous ne pouvez m\u00eame plus voir cette eau claire. Elle a \u00e9t\u00e9 simplement aval\u00e9e.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134154\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous voyons donc que beaucoup de s\u00e9diments descendent dans ce syst\u00e8me. L'\u00e9rosion des berges fait partie du syst\u00e8me naturel et aucune mesure de protection n'y changera rien.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134155\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mais c'est tr\u00e8s int\u00e9ressant du point de vue du changement climatique. Vous avez probablement tous entendu parler du dendroctone du pin Ponderosa. Il a d\u00e9vast\u00e9 une superficie \u00e9norme de for\u00eat en Colombie-Britannique et c'est un souci croissant. Nous en avons parl\u00e9 un peu tout \u00e0 l'heure, du point de vue des effets sur le ruissellement et la charge s\u00e9dimentaire. Nous en voyons peut-\u00eatre d\u00e9j\u00e0 quelques effets avec la quantit\u00e9 croissante de limons transport\u00e9s en aval, ainsi que sur le plan de l'hydrologie d'ensemble et des tendances du ruissellement dans le bassin hydrographique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134156\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je ne pense donc pas que de vastes travaux de protection contre l'\u00e9rosion des berges seraient faisables ou rentables.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1134157\" data-originallang=\"en\">Pour ce qui est de la question sur les tarifs, je vais laisser Nancy r\u00e9pondre.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/committees/fisheries/39-2/36/hugh-fraser-5/",
    "politician_url": null,
    "politician_membership_url": null,
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2485898",
    "document_url": "/committees/fisheries/39-2/36/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Ffisheries%2F39-2%2F36%2F"
    }
}