PROJECT
REPORTS.
Major Projects.
Project Update - Rodgers Creek Estuary Enhancement (November 2020)
The Rodgers Creek estuary was created in 2015 to allow access to spawning salmon at all tide levels.
Over time , the flow to the east deposited rock , gradually shallowing the steam bed. In high flow periods the stream flow naturally overflowed to the south and the ocean.
Scott Christie from Foreshore Marine and Environmental Services, who designed the estuary originally , arranged with North Construction to donate an excavator to fill in the eastern portion of the estuary and expand the natural channel to the ocean.
The work was completed at low tide by North Construction with supervision by Scott.
The improved flow will allow fish passage at most tide levels , and the gradient drop should eliminate material blockage during high flow episodes
There was no charge by either company for this work .
Project Update - Nelson Creek Fish Ladder & Debris Rack (October 2020)
The Nelson Creek Fish Ladder Project was completed in October.
The ladder, designed by ISL Engineering, features a low rise gradient specifically suited to returning chum salmon which were historically the predominant species in the creek. The project was a collaborative effort between West Vancouver Streamkeeper Society, Thunderbird Marina, the District of West Vancouver and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. West Vancouver Streamkeepers were the project leaders and raised over $160,000 to cover the full project cost.
We were very pleased to record the first chum returning to Nelson Creek a week after project completion!
Project Update - Lawson Creek Fish Ladder & Culvert (2019/20)
The improvement to this concrete fish ladder located to the north of the Legion has been a great success. There is no material entering the boxes and the water flow has been greatly improved: a tribute to the excellent design of the structure.
Culvert Ladder Repair
This steel ladder fish ladder is about 30m downstream from the one mentioned above and is located inside the concrete box-culvert that runs all the way down to Bellevue Ave before emerging again into daylight.
The ladder has been in place for about 10 years and consists of three short welded-metal sections to help any fish up one particularly steep section of the culvert. The whole structure is about 10 feet long and is bolted to one side of the culvert. It suffered damage from rocks crashing into it during winter storm events. The ladder has now been repaired by welding reinforced metal to the leading edges of the ladder boxes.
Project Update – Hadden & Brothers Creeks
Hadden Creek - The support structure under the fish ladder and main culvert was failing due to undermining of the foundation caused by extremely heavy creek flows. In August 2019, the District directed a significant upgrade required to ensure stability of the fish ladder and adjacent culvert. Over the years, since constructed in 2007, we have observed four species of salmon that have progressed through the two fish ladders, located at each end of the culvert that passes under Stevens Drive.
Brothers Creek – In September 2019, the Provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure completed the replacement of all sixteen baffles in the culvert running under the Upper Levels Highway. The old large timber baffles had fallen into disrepair having been installed some thirty of so years ago.
