and at extreme risk of extinction by COSEWIC. COSEWIC conducted a rarely-used emergency fast-track assessment of the Chilcotin River steelhead in February 2018, after only 58 individuals returned to their spawning grounds in the previous fall, representing a decline of 81% and an all-time low. Despite this, the recommendation to add them to the Government of Canada's List of Wildlife Species at Risk was not approved, and the Chilcotin steelhead remain unprotected by the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Population declines are a result of factors such as interception by fisheries and competition with hatchery species while out at sea, as well as predation by pinnipeds. Declining habitat quality and interference in spawning pathways by landslides are other contributors. Disturbance Flooding In July 2019, the Chilcotin River and surrounding communities experienced extreme rainfall. Subsequent flooding led to mudslides, inundated roadways and the destruction of culverts. Residents were cut off, leaving over 300 people stranded and 120 properties destroyed. Water Quality Water quality is complicated and stressors such as climate change and human development can have adverse impacts. Recently, the Chilcotin River monitoring site has seen increases in metal concentrations. There is not a lot of human development in this area but scientists are investigating the cause or driver of this change, noting that increases in sediments because of changes in streamflow could be an element. Mountain Pine Beetles British Columbia experiences recurring outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (MPB) populations, with the largest infestations occurring in central BC. MPB cause widespread tree mortality that also raise the risk of wildfire occurrence and poses a substantial threat to the timber supply industry. Within central BC, the Chilcotin Plateau has already experienced two major MPB outbreaks, first in the mid 1970s - 1980s, and the second in the early 2000s ending in 2010. A team of researchers studying post-MPB infested forests in the Chilcotin Plateau found that although the dominant tree species weren't eradicated, MPB outbreaks in the future would make forests unusable for the timber industry in the long term. References Canyons and gorges of British Columbia Tributaries of the Fraser River Rivers of the Chilcotin Rivers of British Columbia Lillooet Land District