Welcome to Streamkeepers

Our goal is to protect and restore streams, streambed and riparian areas that foster stream-dependent biodiversity. We will do so in a socially, environmental and economically sustainable way. Giving residents and visitors alike access to a healthy watershed.

Streamkeeper members and volunteers spend an enjoyable, fresh snow and sunshine day in the Selkirk mountains repairing the roof, cutting firewood and cleaning this backcountry cabin.

Five years ago, Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society (SWSS) had the opportunity to inventory mine tailings and ponds in the Salmo River watershed while conducting a Bull Trout survey. This inventory resulted in the preparation of the Mining Inventory Report which is now available (MiningInventoryReport.pdf), but be warned -- the file is large and may take awhile to download. SWSS identified the Yankee Girl Mine tailings site as a priority concern due to its proximity to the river and to the Village of Ymir.

For the next three years, SWSS conducted tours of the Yankee Girl Mine tailings site with as many individuals, government officials, environmental consultants, mining representative and groups as possible. This was done in the hopes of garnering interest and support to contain and cover the tailings site. The Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (WL&AP) prepared an Environmental Impact Assessment Summary Report on the contaminated status of this site, (see report.pdf). This information was presented to the community at a meeting held at the Ymir Community Hall in March of 2003.

With the release of this WL&AP report and in response to the community letter writing campaign that was launched after the community meeting, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) contacted the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management (MSRM) who are the government department responsible for Crown Land. DFO issued an order to restore the site. MSRM has prepared a Limited Stage II Preliminary Site Investigation and is preparing a Detailed Site Investigation in order to determine how to properly remediate the contaminated site.

On November 2004, MSRM held a community meeting at the Ymir Community Hall in order to update the residents on the procedure required to prepare the Detailed Site Investigation. It is expected that MSRM will address the community with its recommendations in the spring of 2005, with remediation to be completed by September 2005.

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SWSS has approximately 6 meetings per year, most being held in the spring and fall. They are normally held on the second Monday of these months. Please contact SWSS by emailing gerry@streamkeepers.bc.ca or calling 250.357.2630 to find out the date of the next meeting, or watch the bulletin boards in the communities of Salmo and Ymir.