The Bridge River Region is a mining district situated in southern British Columbia on the eastern side of the Coast Range. The boundary of the region is defined by the drainage basin of Bridge River above Moha. The region is isolated. The geology is complex, and highly metamorphosed sedimentary, volcanic and intrusive rocks are present. The rocks range in age from Permian to Recent. Mineralization is thought to be linked with the location of the region on the eastern margin of the Coast Range batholithic intrusions. The topography is mountainous and strongly glaciated. The hanging valley of Bridge River is the deepest erosional feature of the district. Generally, the valley is at an elevation of 2000 feet, and the flanking Bendor and Shulaps ranges rise to 8000 and 9000 feet. The rugged nature of the country makes transportation especially difficult. Towards the Chilcotin Plateau, the mountains are more subdued in character. During the snow-free season, sheep and cattle are pastured in the alpine grazing ranges of this transition belt of mountains. The country is also the habitat of big-game animals which are a resource of the tourist industry. The Bridge River Region has many climates because of great relief. As a whole, the climate is continental, although continentality is modified by proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The annual average temperature in the main area of settlement is forty degrees and the annual average precipitation is twenty-four inches. Four months have average temperatures below freezing. The country is forested but timber is generally of little commercial value. Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and Lodgepole pine are the basis of a small-scale forest industry. The industry is largely subsidiary to mining. Trapping is a part-time occupation based on the fur-bearers of the region. The many creeks of the district head from snow-fields and glaciers. Hurley River and Cadwallader Creek have been developed for hydro-electric power. Bridge River, which has its source in extensive ice-fields, ultimately will produce 620,000 horse power. Most of this power will be supplied to Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Rapid run-off makes storage dams necessary. The resultant flooding obviates most agricultural development. Historically, mining has been the dominant industry of the Bridge River Region. Beginning in 1858, miners came into the district seeking placer gold. Their sporadic and desultory activity gave place to the more permanent lode gold mining around 1898. In modern times, Bralorne and Pioneer Gold Mines have developed as successful producers. Efficient transportation has come to the region by the building of the Bridge River highway which provides a link with the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. Bralorne and Pioneer are small-scale, fully mechanized mines. Most of the ore is produced by shrinkage and cut and fill stoping. Bralorne ranks first as a gold producer in British Columbia and Pioneer holds fourth place. The known reserves at both mines will last eight years at present rates of production. Much exploration work is going on in the district to bring other mines into production. The population of about two thousand persons in the Bridge River Region is almost entirely dependant upon mining. Three quarters of the people live in the company towns of Bralorne and Pioneer. The destiny of future settlement rests largely with the mining industry. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

[No abstract submitted] / Applied Science, Faculty of / Materials Engineering, Department of / Graduate

The Bridge River drains the east slope of the Coast Mountain Range and is a major tributary of the Fraser River in southwestern British Columbia. The lower Bridge River has been regulated since the installation of Terzaghi Dam in 1948, which left a section of dry riverbed for an interval of 52 years prior to 2000. An out-of-court settlement between BC Hydro and Federal and Provincial Fisheries regulatory agencies resulted in the required experimental discharge of 3 m3/s below Terzaghi Dam in 2000. This study investigated growth of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) trees in response to the experimental discharges. Mature trees did not show a significant response in radial trunk growth or branch elongation. In contrast, the juvenile trees displayed an increased growth response, and the successful establishment of saplings provided a dramatic response to the new flow regime. Thus, I conclude that cottonwoods have benefited from the experimental flow regime of the lower Bridge River. / xii, 89 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed July 18, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-88).

Through the analysis of relationships between aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities in Upper St'at'imc Territory in British Columbia, this thesis illustrates how bridging and bonding forms of social capital affect vulnerability and cooperation to prepare for disasters in communities characterised by cultural conflict. Social capital is based upon networks of trust and reciprocity, which enable individuals to cooperate to achieve shared goals. In Upper St'at'imc Territory, people are most likely to have close relationships or bonds with those from the same cultural background. The absence of inter-cultural bonds means that bridges linking those less well known to each other (from each culture) are necessary to facilitate cooperation. However, there are few arenas that enable the formation of bridges between aboriginals and non-aboriginals. Pre-existing patterns of social capital between aboriginals and non-aboriginals were played out in BC Hydro's Exercise "Bridge River", a simulation exercise to prepare for a potential dam incident affecting downstream communities. Lack of bridges between the cultures was highlighted by low levels of cultural interaction during the exercise and the establishment of separate emergency operations centers. Nevertheless, the exercise resulted in some aboriginals and non-aboriginals coming into contact with each other and building new bridges. Unfortunately opportunities for strengthening these bridges through regular cultural interaction are limited. This is due to cultural divisions in membership of emergency preparedness organisations as well as wider social and employment networks. The exercise reinforced the strong bonds that enable non-aboriginal emergency responders to work well together. The benefits of these strong bonds are restricted if they result in excluding aboriginal participation in emergency response organisations. Exercise "Bridge River" organisers were unaware of the strong bonds among non-aboriginal emergency responders. This affected their ability to anticipate how these bonds were used during the exercise and resulted in delaying the process. Social capital is essentially a neutral phenomenon, how it is used determines whether or not it is a destructive weapon or a constructive tool for building disaster resilient communities. Nevertheless, social capital can be easily destroyed and bridges burnt by conflict and lack of trust between cultural groups. Understanding a community's social capital will enhance disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts. Inter-cultural social capital produced in one arena can be used to increase cooperation in disaster preparedness. At the same time, disaster preparedness activities can be used as a foundation to strengthen and build bridges between cultures.

Through the analysis of relationships between aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities in Upper St'at'imc Territory in British Columbia, this thesis illustrates how bridging and bonding forms of social capital affect vulnerability and cooperation to prepare for disasters in communities characterised by cultural conflict. Social capital is based upon networks of trust and reciprocity, which enable individuals to cooperate to achieve shared goals. In Upper St'at'imc Territory, people are most likely to have close relationships or bonds with those from the same cultural background. The absence of inter-cultural bonds means that bridges linking those less well known to each other (from each culture) are necessary to facilitate cooperation. However, there are few arenas that enable the formation of bridges between aboriginals and non-aboriginals. Pre-existing patterns of social capital between aboriginals and non-aboriginals were played out in BC Hydro's Exercise "Bridge River", a simulation exercise to prepare for a potential dam incident affecting downstream communities. Lack of bridges between the cultures was highlighted by low levels of cultural interaction during the exercise and the establishment of separate emergency operations centers. Nevertheless, the exercise resulted in some aboriginals and non-aboriginals coming into contact with each other and building new bridges. Unfortunately opportunities for strengthening these bridges through regular cultural interaction are limited. This is due to cultural divisions in membership of emergency preparedness organisations as well as wider social and employment networks. The exercise reinforced the strong bonds that enable non-aboriginal emergency responders to work well together. The benefits of these strong bonds are restricted if they result in excluding aboriginal participation in emergency response organisations. Exercise "Bridge River" organisers were unaware of the strong bonds among non-aboriginal emergency responders. This affected their ability to anticipate how these bonds were used during the exercise and resulted in delaying the process. Social capital is essentially a neutral phenomenon, how it is used determines whether or not it is a destructive weapon or a constructive tool for building disaster resilient communities. Nevertheless, social capital can be easily destroyed and bridges burnt by conflict and lack of trust between cultural groups. Understanding a community's social capital will enhance disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts. Inter-cultural social capital produced in one arena can be used to increase cooperation in disaster preparedness. At the same time, disaster preparedness activities can be used as a foundation to strengthen and build bridges between cultures. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The interactions between rivers, surrounding hydrogeological features, and hydraulic structures such as bridges are not well-established or understood at the network scale, especially under transient conditions. The cascading hydraulic effects of local perturbations up- and downstream of the site of perturbation may have significant, unexpected, and far-reaching consequences, and therefore often cause concern among stakeholders. The up- and downstream hydraulic impacts of a single structural modification may extend much farther than anticipated, especially in extreme events. This work presents a framework and methodology to perform an analysis of interdependent bridge-stream interactions along a river corridor. Such analysis may help prioritize limited resources available for bridge and river rehabilitations, allow better-informed cost/benefit analysis, facilitate holistic design of bridges, and address stakeholder concerns raised in response to planned bridge and infrastructure alterations. The stretch of the Otter Creek from Rutland to Middlebury, VT, is used as a test bed for this analysis. A two-dimensional hydraulic model is used to examine the effects individual structures have on the bridge-stream network, particularly during extreme flood events. Results show that, depending on their characteristics, bridges and roadways may either attenuate or amplify peak flood flows up- and downstream, or have little to no impact at all. Likewise, bridges may or may not be sensitive to any changes in discharge that result from perturbation of existing structures elsewhere within the network. Alterations to structures that induce substantial backwaters may result in the most dramatic impacts to the network, which can be either positive or negative. Structures that do not experience relief (e.g., roadway overtopping) may be most sensitive to network perturbations.