‘It’s ludicrous’: Coastal GasLink pushes its pipeline under a Wet’suwet’en river while salmon are spawning | The Narwhal: Coastal GasLink is drilling under the Wedzin Kwa (Morice River) as spawning salmon lay their eggs throughout the river system.

The work is being done during a period outside of the “least-risk window” for in-stream construction, according to reports filed with the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office. Put another way, Coastal GasLink is putting its pipeline under the river at the riskiest time for salmon.   
                               
                               

While laying the pipeline under Wedzin Kwa
doesn’t include major construction directly in the river, the question
of whether this work will impact the gravel beds where salmon lay their
eggs remains unanswered by the company and provincial and federal
regulators. Coastal GasLink has to drill to a depth of 11 metres under
the river to complete the work.

Mike Ridsdale, environmental assessment
coordinator with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en, an administrative body
that works on behalf of the Hereditary Chiefs, said he was never
satisfied with the company’s plans, which were approved by the B.C. government in 2014.

“The lack of sufficient adequate baseline
data in terms of fish populations and least-risk windows was out to
lunch — they were terrible,” he told The Narwhal. “Right now, there’s
eggs that are in the gravel. All that vibration, what’s that going to do
to them? Are they going to develop correctly?”