Yukon Energy gets 20-year licence renewal for Whitehorse dam

The Yukon Water Board has issued a new licence for the Whitehorse dam, giving Yukon Energy the green light to continue operating the utility for the next 20 years. The decision follows a public hearing last month that heard from impacted First Nations. Built in 1958, the dam generates a significant amount of year-round power for Whitehorse and other on-grid communities. But First Nations have long raised concerns about the dam, especially its impact on Chinook salmon, a revered traditional food source that has been in decline for decades. Those concerns include fears that the dam’s fish ladder – the longest wooden fish ladder in the world – is ineffective, and that the dam’s turbines kill or injure fish. The new licence terms include maintaining and repairing the fish ladder; submitting an updated operations, maintenance and surveillance manual; and, conducting a yearly safety inspection of the dam and its facilities. The corporation must also update its Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan with the Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN), Ta’an Kwäch’än Council (TKC) and Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN), as well as submit a timeline for items like a fish management by the end of this year. Other measures include regulatory check-ins with the board every five years. The Whitehorse dam, owned and operated by Yukon Energy, received a 20-year licence renewal this week. Photo: Jordan Haslbeck/APTN News Yukon Energy, which received approval to renew its licence with the territory’s environmental assessment board earlier this spring, previously told APTN News the corporation is committed to working with First Nations to ensure the dam’s continued operation has minimal effects on salmon. “This new 20‑year licence provides certainty that Yukoners will continue to benefit from renewable energy in the decades ahead, while we continue to work with First Nation governments and local communities to advance solutions to reduce effects of the facility and improve operations year-over-year,” said Chris Milner, CEO and president of Yukon Energy, in a statement. The dam still requires authorization from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in order to bring the facility into compliance with the Fisheries Act. The new licence will be in place until July 30, 2045. APTN News was unable to obtain comment from KDFN, TKC and C/TFN by deadline. Continue Reading