Public Notice

Babine River Counting Fence Dock Replacement

Public Comments Invited
January 08, 2025 – The Fisheries and Oceans Canada must decide whether the proposed Babine River Counting Fence Dock Replacement, located at the Babine River Counting Fence in Bulkley-Nechako, BC is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.
To help inform this decision, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is inviting comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. All comments received will be considered public [and may be posted online]. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.
Written comments must be submitted by February 08, 2025 to:
Kevin Pate
Senior Project Engineer
1110 - 401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC. V6C 3S4
Kevin.Pate@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Project Summary

The Babine River counting fence is a Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) site located on the Babine River in Bulkley-Nechako, BC. The counting fence and site field camp are managed in partnership with Lake Babine Nation to record water quality measurements and conduct spawning salmon enumeration surveys from July to October.
The site currently has two docks: one is out of service due to structural concerns and the other lacks adequate capacity. DFO plans to demolish both docks and replace them with a single wooden dock on steel piles (diameter 168mm), located at [55.425060, -126.695025]. This new dock will reduce the overall on-site dock footprint from ~95m² to ~38m². Work is anticipated sometime in April–August 2025 depending on workable water levels and on-site conditions.
Project activities include timber pile extraction, demolition of two docks, steel pile driving, construction of a new dock, and environmental monitoring throughout. Best management practices and mitigation measures will be implemented throughout the project, including the deployment of a silt curtain or equivalent for sediment control and a spill response plan. Pile extraction and driving will be performed using the most suitable and least intrusive method possible. Machinery is expected to operate on land. The two existent docks to be demolished are wood on timber piles. Exact material of the piles is unknown but will be handled as creosote or ACZA treated and proper disposal procedure will be followed.  

Project Locations

The Babine River counting fence and site field camp are located on the eastern banks of the Babine River, 1km downstream of Nilkitkwa Lake, 20km north of Fort Babine, and 120km northeast of Smithers. Site access is via forestry roads. The project is within the traditional territory of Lake Babine Nation and is being pursued as part of the site partnership between Lake Babine Nation and DFO. 
Latitude, Longitude: 55.425060, -126.695025