would find employment with BC Forest Products. The company spent $60 million on a "forestry complex" to process timber resulting from clearing land for the construction of the dam. For residents who had lived in the surrounding areas prior to the dams planned construction, development caused many to be pushed off homesteads for small monetary settlements. One resident who owned a thousand acres of land, much of which was used for farming, was offered only twenty-eight thousand dollars by BC Hydro to secure the property. However, for local residents of Anglo ethnicity, full-time waged work was more easily accessible due to the employment opportunities produced directly and indirectly by the damming project. Environmental and ecological impacts Downstream The W. A. C. Bennett Dam held tremendous economic potential, but for its surrounding environment the experience was not so positive. Since its construction a number of environmental changes have taken place. The dam has been responsible for less drastic fluctuations in the water levels of the downstream portions of the Peace River, creating modifications to both the plants and animals in the region. In addition, it has also been blamed for creating changes in the landscapes of the Athabasca Lake and Peace River, known as the Athabasca Delta. This part of the river faced significant water loss. Downstream of the dam the flood plains of Peace-Athabasca Delta were drying up after the floods that had occurred every two or three years came to a halt and no longer revitalized the wetland biodiversity alongside the delta. For this reason, the delta experienced lower water levels, affecting both the landscape of the delta and its aquatic life. Following the completion of the Williston Lake reservoir in 1971, water coverage in the delta was reduced by 38 percent and twenty years later, the amount of wetlands had declined by 47 percent. A reduction in the amount of discharge resulted in the accumulation of toxins and sediments downstream, decreasing the quality of the water. Fish also experienced changes as a result of the low water levels: fewer channels were accessible for walleye to reach spawning grounds and for juvenile fish to reach nursery areas therefore jeopardizing their ability to reproduce. Dinosaur Lake was created directly downstream of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam when the Peace Canyon Dam was completed. The Peace Canyon Dam was built to produce hydro-electricity for a second time with the water