JRWA Letter Writing Campaign
How to Send This Letter
Sending a letter to your elected representative is one of the most effective ways to show that people care about the health of the Jordan River watershed. It only takes a few minutes.
Find your representative
If you live in British Columbia, you can look up your MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) here:
Copy and personalize the letter
Copy the letter below into an email
Add your representative’s name
Include your name and community at the end
Optional: add a short sentence about why the Jordan River matters to you
Send your email
Paste the subject line and letter into a new email
Send it to your MLA’s listed email address
Subject: Concern over legacy mine impacts on Jordan River
Dear [Representative’s Name],
I’m writing as a concerned resident/visitor to the Jordan River watershed to ask for your attention to ongoing water quality issues linked to historical mining activity at the Sunro mine site.
Community-led monitoring near Maple Bay has identified elevated levels of copper in both sediment and water entering the lower Jordan River. Sediment samples exceeded Canadian marine guideline thresholds, with the highest results several times above the probable effect level, and some water samples also exceeded provincial guidelines. These findings indicate that copper is present at levels that warrant attention, while further monitoring is needed to understand long-term conditions.
Copper is well documented to affect salmon, even at low concentrations, particularly during sensitive life stages. These findings raise concerns about the long-term impacts of legacy mine waste on aquatic ecosystems in the watershed.
The Jordan River has already experienced significant cumulative impacts, including altered flow regimes from hydropower development and habitat loss in the estuary. The addition of ongoing contamination from historic mining activity further limits the potential for ecological recovery, including the return of salmon.
As this issue relates to provincial oversight of contaminated sites and freshwater protection, I’m looking to your office for clarity on how it is being addressed.
I’m asking that you:
Review the available water quality data related to the Sunro mine site and downstream environments
Identify and advance appropriate remediation or containment measures for legacy mine waste where risks to aquatic life are present
Ensure that responsibility for addressing contamination is clearly established and acted upon
This is an opportunity to address a known source of pollution and support the long-term health of a watershed that holds ecological, cultural, and community value.
Thank you for your time and for your work on environmental stewardship in our region. I would appreciate a response outlining any current or planned actions related to this issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name][Your City/Region]