Working to Protect the Pristine Namakan River

UPDATE: OPEG will soon be releasing their final environmental report for review. We will keep followers posted on how it addresses our concerns.  Please support our efforts to prevent irresponsible development and inform your elected officials of your opinion.  A strong public voice will help increase oversight of this project.

Image of proposed development site, courtesy of Pat Crimans.

The Ojibway Power and Energy Group (OPEG) is seeking approval for a hydroelectric development on the Namakan River in the heart of Voyageurs, Quetico and Boundary Waters wilderness area in Northwestern Ontario and Northern Minnesota.  A large and growing community of Canadian and American citizens is opposing this project.  Development would prove detrimental to the pristine surrounding environment without bringing significant economic benefits to the region.  The Coalition to Protect the Namakan is a crossborder initiative including Voyageurs National Park Association, Rainy Lake Conservancy, Quetico Foundation, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and the Ottawa Valley Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

The OPEG draft Environmental Report contains numerous deficiencies and environmental problems.  The Coalition to Protect the Namakan prepared key concerns regarding this proposal.  Click the link below to learn more about our topics of concern, such as:

• Impact on Lake Sturgeon populations, a species at risk in Minnesota and Ontario, and other effects on wildlife.
• Damage to water quality and altered flow of the Namakan River, connecting protected areas across an international border.
• Loss of last free-flowing waterway on historic voyageur route and wilderness in popular tourist region.
• Cumulative impacts of further development in planning stages.
• Economic viability and alternatives for the Lac La Croix First Nation.

A final report is due in the fall, followed by 30 days of public comment before Ontario officials decide on a course of action.  Beyond the environmental, economic and procedural assessment, a high level of public interest will increase scrutiny and play an important role in any decision. We therefore urge any concerned citizens (US or Canadian) to contact your government officials with your own comments.

• Click here to leave a comment for U.S. and Canadian officials
• Click here to download a “Save the Namakan” postcard, a collaborative initiative of the Coalition to Protect the Namakan.

Image courtesy of the Quetico Foundation.