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Restoring a salmon stream : a balance of habitat diversity, flood control and community needs

British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium; University of British Columbia. Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

To mitigate environmental impacts associated with improvements to an electrical facility, B.C. Hydro partnered with the Ministry of Environment Land and Parks (MoELP) and the City of Surrey to restore fish habitat in McLellan Creek. The creek, a tributary of the Nicomekl River, was modified in the 1960's, resulting in removal of upstream access and the deposition of fine silt over much of the remaining habitat. The challenge met by the restoration design was to provide upstream access and quality habitat for salmonids at low flows, while maintaining the flood control function of the channel at high flows. This was achieved through removal of four concrete weirs and enhancing the stream with a variety of structures, substrates and native vegetation. The restored channel contains over 300 meters of spawning habitat for coho salmon (Oncorynchus kisutch) and chum salmon (O. keta) and 300 meters of salmonid rearing habitat. The project provided a unique opportunity to involve the local community. The area surrounding McLellan Creek contains a protected nature lagoon and regional park and is used extensively for walking, cycling and observing nature. Including suggestions from neighborhood residents, special interest groups and municipal committees into the restoration plan was a positive experience that ultimately added value to the project. Initial results include documented spawning by chum and coho salmon and the successful passage of a 1 in 50 year flood event. Plans for next year include continued monitoring of fish activity and an engineering assessment of the channel.

Conference Paper

application/pdf

2009-07-14

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/10790

Unreviewed

British Columbia Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation

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