Introduction

The Peace River is one of the most diverse and productive river valleys in the Parkland and Boreal Forest of Canada. It is a nationally significant waterway that supplies water to the Peace-Athabasca Delta, one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world. The valley provides key year-round habitat for moose, elk and deer, as well as significant habitat for rare birds of prey such as golden eagles, bald eagles and osprey. The river contains high species diversity of fish and diverse vegetation, including prairie grasses and cacti. The south-facing slopes of the river valley constitute the last remaining habitat for prairie and parkland vegetation, which has been virtually destroyed by agricultural development in the Peace River district and throughout Alberta.

In 2003 a joint EUB/NRCB panel denied Glacier Power’s application to construct and operate the Dunvegan Hydroelectric Project, including a six-metre high, power-generating weir across the Peace River near the Dunvegan bridge on Highway 2. The panel noted that the cumulative economic, social, and environmental effects clearly outweigh the project’s benefits. Glacier Power has reapplied after doing an environmental assessment under CEAA, at the urging of AWA and other conservation groups. Presently, the issues that need to be addressed at a public hearing are being decided. Among AWA’s concerns are the possibilities of slumping, the introduction of invasive plant species, negative effects on fish species, and the setting of a precedent for similar developments along the Peace. A pre-hearing conference was held in the town of Peace River on January 28, 2008.