▁and ▁over f ishing ▁that ▁are ▁killing ▁the ▁fish . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 3 1 2 ▁acres ▁were ▁logged ▁along ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River ▁to ▁remove ▁tim ber ▁from ▁the ▁new ▁flo od ▁plain . ▁The ▁slash ing ▁of ▁veget ation ▁along ▁the ▁sh or eline ▁weak ened ▁soil ▁stability ▁and ▁made ▁the ▁land ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁wind ▁er os ion , ▁creating ▁sand st orm s . ▁Con vers ely , ▁in ▁wet ▁periods , ▁the ▁cleared ▁areas ▁turned ▁into ▁vast ▁mud ▁fl ats . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁the ▁BC ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁Branch ▁began ▁studying ▁the ▁impact s ▁the ▁d ams ▁were ▁having ▁on ▁the ▁area ' s ▁animal ▁inhabitants . ▁Their ▁find ings ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁sum ▁being ▁designated ▁for ▁further ▁research ▁and ▁harm ▁mit ig ation . ▁Their ▁work , ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁local ▁conservation ▁groups , ▁became ▁focused ▁on ▁pres erving ▁K ok ane e ▁stock ▁je op ard ized ▁by ▁the ▁Dun can ▁Dam ▁which ▁ru ined ▁kilom eters ▁of ▁sp aw ning ▁grounds ▁key ▁to ▁K ok ane e , ▁Bull ▁Tr out , ▁and ▁Rain bow ▁Tr out ▁surv ival . ▁Since ▁Rain bow ▁and ▁Bull ▁Tr out ▁feed ▁on ▁K ok ane e , ▁it ▁was ▁essential ▁K ok ane e ▁stock ▁remained ▁strong . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁BC ▁H ydro ▁fund ed ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁M ead