Gravel removal is certainly a provincial responsibility—correct me if I'm wrong here, please—but because it may affect fish or fish habitat, we have to play a role and give approvals.
It's been a bit of a pain over the last few years. Usually you get a rush to remove gravel when there is a threat of flood. But you just can't go out with a wheelbarrow and a shovel and remove a bit of gravel. I've seen some maps...and if it's of interest or concern to the committee, you should have somebody provide a map to see how the Fraser, and I presume other rivers, had been filling in with huge amounts of gravel. Just for fish passage alone I think we should be looking at some gravel removal, because you're seeing changing of courses in the river.
In terms of gravel removal, you know, somebody has to do it. Usually it's a contractor. To get to the gravel you quite often have to build access ways, whether it be bridges or whatever. Quite often there is an effect on fish habitat. Sometimes it's near spawning grounds. All of these things have to be factored in.
What we are now doing with the Government of British Columbia is trying to be proactive, trying to move ahead to make decisions—where you can remove it, what needs to be done—and have all these things in place. It seems the overall plan, as we move forward, is that you won't be seeing panic, you'll be seeing an orderly gravel removal to avoid flooding. Diking certainly is much more beneficial when it comes to controlling floods, but gravel can play a part. I think it's also needed just to make sure we have proper flow on the river.
Does anybody want to add anything to that?