In August 2014, the tailings storage facility of the Mount Polley gold-copper mine failed catastrophically releasing 25 million m³ of contaminated liquids and solids into the environment. This represents the second largest mine spill in the world. Most of this material flowed down Hazeltine Creek, eroding a further 1 million m³ of topsoil and channel material, and was deposited in Quesnel Lake, a large, deep lake that is important for migratory Pacific salmon and other resident fish species. Since the spill, researchers and students associated with UNBC’s Quesnel River Research Centre (QRRC) and collaborators from DFO, UBC and University of Lethbridge have been investigating the effects on the receiving aquatic environment, especially Quesnel Lake and Quesnel River, which flows out of the lake and joins the Fraser River at Quesnel. We will describe the main findings to date, focusing on the movement of contaminated sediment and impacts on the foodweb.  

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Presentations are also made available to remote participants through Zoom Webinar. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.

Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.