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UNBC and Rio Tinto partner to protect fish species in Nechako Watershed

$3.05 million initiative to study climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems and water security
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Kenney Dam with Nechako Reservoir behind it. (Rio Tinto photo)

A $3.05 million partnership between Rio Tinto and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) aims to safeguard vulnerable fish populations in the Nechako Watershed as they face rising water temperatures and other climate-related threats. The five-year initiative will fund research into the impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on sustainable fisheries management and long-term water security.

The collaboration combines $1.75 million in funding from Rio Tinto and $1.3 million in cash and in-kind support from UNBC, enabling critical studies on fish behaviour, water temperature variability, and the long-term effects of climate change on the watershed.

“The Nechako Watershed supports diverse fish species – sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, and the endangered Nechako white sturgeon – that are important to the ecosystems as well as the First Nations and diverse cultures across the region,” said Eduardo Martins, Rio Tinto research chair in climate change and freshwater fish ecology. “With warming trends and extreme temperature events, it’s crucial to address the sustainability of these species and their ecosystems.”

Martins will collaborate with Stephen Déry, who has been reappointed as Rio Tinto research chair in climate change and water security. Déry’s research focuses on monitoring water temperatures and modelling future climate scenarios to help communities, industries, and ecosystems adapt to ongoing environmental changes.

“Through the IRC program of research that began in 2019, our team has worked in collaboration with multiple partners including Rio Tinto to greatly expand our monitoring and understanding of climate change,” said Déry. “Over the next five years, we will continue to investigate how changing climatic conditions affect water and ecosystems across the Nechako Watershed.”

Findings from these research projects will also guide Rio Tinto’s reservoir management practices at the Skins Lake Spillway, supporting the release of ecological flows that benefit both industrial operations and regional biodiversity.

“Climate change is having a significant impact on the Nechako Watershed, which plays a vital role in our hydroelectric operations, First Nations cultural practices, and the quality of life of local communities,” said Andrew Czornohalan, director of energy and watershed partnerships at Rio Tinto BC Works.

UNBC vice-president, research and innovation, Paula Wood-Adams, praised the partnership’s broader implications. “This partnership illustrates the transformative power of collaboration as we work together to find local solutions for global issues,” she said.

The research program will involve 11 researchers, including master’s students, PhD candidates, and post-doctoral fellows.

Rio Tinto marked the 70th anniversary of its operations in B.C. in June 2024. Its Kitimat smelter is supported by a hydropower facility at Kemano and the Nechako Reservoir. According to the company the facility produces aluminum with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.



About the Author: Quinn Bender

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