Re: “Potential sewage ‘zones’ unveiled,” June 26.
I’m a resident of the Gorge/Jutland area of Victoria. I have two concerns about the Capital Regional District’s proposed sewage treatment-plant options.
The Rock Bay option is described as centred on a property that is deemed industrial/commercial. This is a bit misleading.
Some of the greatest increase in residential units and residents has been in the areas surrounding the Rock Bay site: the Selkirk Waterfront (300 to 500 new residents), the Railyards and nearby residential (600 to 800 residents) and Songhees (1,000-plus residents).
The description of the proposed site in Rock Bay does not give adequate consideration to the significant residential communities that might be negatively affected.
The second concern is the potential threat to vulnerable fish species and their habitat in the Gorge Waterway. There is now extensive provincial and federal legislation to protect fish species and their habitat.
One such species that occurs in the Gorge Waterway is the sea-run cutthroat trout, which was decimated from years of over-fishing and habitat destruction. Additionally, there have been significant recent returns of coho salmon in the Colquitz River and Craigflower Creek that link to the Gorge Waterway.
Fortunately, the sea-run cutthroat trout in the Gorge are slowly but surely recovering, thanks in part to the work of the CRD and other organizations in promoting habitat improvement and the removal of garbage from the Gorge.
I would be deeply concerned that the placement of a sewage treatment plant in Rock Bay, if linked to the Gorge Waterway, might have a negative impact on fish species and their habitat.
Tom Lester
Victoria
