Water management through the Deadman Creek Improvement District is primarily concerned with water flows in Deadman River for domestic, fisheries and agricultural demands. An historic dam at Snohoosh lake was constructed at the turn of the last century to support agricultural developments in Walhachin and was reconstructed between 1968 and 1977 (Don Ignace, pers. com.) to accommodate the needs of Valley residents.
Water management planning to accommodate fish flow needs at Snohoosh Lake Dam began formally with provincial and federal fisheries managers and the Improvement District in 1985. Water flow plans of today are designed to accommodate needs for irrigation and fisheries values. Fisheries managers worked together to incorporate flow patterning that would emulate historic freshet timing and minimize low flow extremes, while protecting water reserves sufficiently to accommodate agriculture and domestic water needs downstream.
Watershed Restoration
Stream channel instability has been cited as an ongoing concern since the 1990 flood which caused wide spread channel disturbance. However, stream bank stability problems were cited along the channel in the 1980’s long before the flood event, and may have exacerbated it’s impact. Riparian restoration programming led by the band has included replanting of indigenous vegetation, management of cattle impacts through fencing and stabilization of access points, and prescribed habitat treatments. In addition, the band has worked with valley residents to address the impact of roads, pollution, natural resource and urban development.
An Integrated Watershed Restoration Plan for Deadman Watershed was prepared in association with Forest Renewal BC (FRBC) in 1998 for Ainsworth Lumber Company. The plan specified broad watershed level planning objectives to guide restoration work in stream and in upslope areas of the Deadman Valley. Unstable soil sites and eroding stream channels were targeted in areas associated with the company’s forest practices. Recommendations and priorities for future assessments arose from 5 phases of overview assessments:
·
Interior Watersehed Assessment Procedure (IWAP)
· Sediment Source Survey (SSS)
· Overview Fish Habitat Assessment Procedure (OFHAP)
· Watershed Level Planning and Project Component Objectives
· Access Management Map
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10.
