COMPLETED HABITAT WORK

Brae Slough – Township of Langley

Connecting to the Fraser River, Brae Slough is a tidal channel located on McMillan Island near Fort Langley. Over time, the upper portion of Brae Slough filled in, so that water flow through the area were only for a few weeks in the spring.  

Working in collaboration, Kwantlen First Nation and the project team excavated, enhanced and re‐vegetated about 1.3 km of tidal slough habitat to create new year-round habitat for young Chinook and Coho Salmon, and native wildlife including salamanders, Pacific Tree frogs, and Red-Legged frogs.

Habitat improvement work included constructing a new channel and planting native vegetation within the historic slough area.

Colony (Wilson) Farm – City of Port Coquitlam

Improvements to habitat and water management in the Wilson Farm area of Colony Farm Regional Park will benefit fish, birds and other wildlife and restore tidal flow to the field drainage for the first time since it was diked in the early 1900s. Drainage improvements such as tidal flap gates will provide access for young Coho and Chinook salmon to rearing habitat.  The gates allow fish access while also preventing flooding of the fields. Channel and planting features, such as marsh benches, have been implemented to enhance habitat for wildlife species dependent on tidal estuaries. Collaboration for project construction included Kwikwetlem First Nation.

Hjorth Creek – Surrey

In June 2009, work began to create additional habitat at Hjorth Creek, a tributary of the Serpentine River. Now complete, this area features about 12,000 square metres of new aquatic habitat and about 21,000 square metres of new stream‐side habitat, including large woody debris and in‐stream boulders for cover. New culverts provide fish and wildlife passage under Highway 1, and the existing creek flow has been diverted to the new and improved channel.

This additional channel was designed to benefit young Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, amphibians, small mammals and native wildlife.

Mundy Creek – Coquitlam

The PMH1 Project, in collaboration with the City of Coquitlam, has undertaken a habitat improvement project at Mundy Creek, which connects to the Fraser River. The existing channel provides salmon spawning habitat. Extensive construction work took place to create a backwater channel, complete with large woody debris and stream‐side plantings.

The new channel will provide winter habitat for young Coho Salmon, which prefer smaller streams with less flow. The improved fish habitat will also include natural cover for shade as well as refuge from predators.
Culverts are being replaced under Lougheed Highway to enhance fish passage between the upper and lower portions of this creek.

The channel was connected to the existing Mundy Creek channel in  2010, once the planting was completed and the new habitat had stabilized.

Other PMH1 Habitat Works

Habitat improvements have also been completed in Burnaby along the Brunette River, tributaries of Burnaby Lake, and Deer Lake Brook.  Planting has also been completed along Como Creek in Coquitlam.   These improvements provide enhanced habitat for young Coho and Chinook salmon, amphibians and wildlife dependent on wetlands.  

HABITAT WORK UNDERWAY

Buena Vista Creek – Burnaby

In August 2009, work began at Buena Vista Creek (near Gaglardi Way Interchange) to create habitat and improve habitat connectivity between the large natural areas of Robert Burnaby Park (south of Highway 1) and Burnaby Lake Regional Park (north of Highway 1).

Three new fish and wildlife crossing culverts are being constructed; two under Highway 1 and one under the eastbound Highway 1 off‐ramp to Gaglardi Way.

Approximately 3,800 square metres of new aquatic habitat, and 15,000 square metres of new stream‐side habitat will be created as part of this work.

Stream habitat will be created using rock, gravel and large woody debris, and the edges of the new watercourses will be lined with native plants. Work on the Buena Vista Creek area is being completed in stages, with the planting completed in 2012.

UPCOMING HABITAT WORKS

Still-Creek Burnaby

New stream habitat will be created adjacent to Still Creek (near the Willingdon Avenue Interchange) and will provide winter rearing habitat for young Coho Salmon.

The new habitat will be a back‐watered, off‐channel pool (see graphic below), which means it has only one entrance and exit for water flow. The new pool will be created using rock, gravel and large woody debris, planted around the edges with native vegetation.

Other PMH1 Habitat Works

Other works scheduled for completion as part of the PMH1 Project (details to come as scope is finalized) include: 

• Burnaby - Upper Brunette River, Burnaby Lake, Cedar Creek, and an unnamed creek near Kensington Avenue Interchange.
• Coquitlam - three watercourses near the Port Mann Bridge. 
• Surrey and Langley - unnamed streams near the 176th Street Interchange, and Fraser Heights.