Archive: Sustainability
Morse Creek is one of the few remaining “Uptown” Creeks in Maple Ridge and forms a major component of the north slope watershed as it flows towards the south Alouette River.
Morse Creek on 11 July 2006, 10 days after the infraction at the source of the dispute. Photo: © Ken Hemminger
I applaud the District of Maple Ridge and particularly the Staff, in their successful position they took to protect a watershed in the Smart Growth Area of Maple Ridge.
If someone wanted to know how much soil was moved by the owner of this property on July 1 2006, you just have to look at the trees!
A positive step to environmental sustainabilty, an example to all.
Proposed Residential Development of 12256 - 222St, Maple Ridge. Development Permit: DP/032/07
This proposal has requested a variance to the setback from the T2 watercourse [referred by the Developer as a drainage channel!] in the amount of 2.27 meters and 1.33 meters – these were the numbers presented by the developer at the Public Information Meeting of Dec 17, 2007.
Background information for this north slope watershed in Maple Ridge:
- The District of Maple Ridge at this point has spent approximately $60,000 protecting Morse Creek which is part of this north slope watershed, to prevent it’s compromise. So why wouldn’t the DMR require a building design that preserves this part of the watershed?
- The “Smart Growth on the Ground - Bulletin 3 June 2004” indicates that the DMR has committed to completing an integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP) for each watershed. This commitment includes public participation.
- The 2004 Progress Report with the GVRD[now Metro Vancouver] – Liquid Waste Management Plan
states on
- Page17 C38, that there is a “Silver Valley Storm Water management Plan”, and
- Page 17 - C39 states that 2 studies for watersheds will be completed in 2005 [These are the two watersheds mentioned in the Technical Bulletin June 2004]
The above-mentioned documents [the watershed studies] directly relate to this application DP/032/07 [at 12256 222 St] in that T2 [a creek that empties into the South Alouette] is part of this watershed. This variance request applies to the underground parking as well as the building, so the recharge area for T2 will not just be a surface challenge. The volume of material that would have to be removed [due to the underground parking] will affect the soil hydrology and its’ water carrying capacity for T-2.
This same creek passes through agricultural land and includes a parcel of agricultural land owned by the DMR, so maintaining pre-development base flows on T2 is very important for the District. The newly formed Agricultural Advisory Committee should be informed of these developments.
The District is also planning on improving the 128/Abernathy connection in connection with the Golden Ears Bridge so we shouldn’t have to spend taxpayer’s money on over sizing the road culverts on 128th Ave to compensate for any increased storm water from upstream developments.
Upcoming meetings of the Advisory Design Panel
The next meeting of the Advisory Design Panel is May 13, 2008 so the above mentioned project may be on that agenda and the District staff may want to consider the down stream impact of this “variance ” request for 12256 – 222 Street, Maple Ridge.
If you have any concerns about this application please contact the Planning Staff at the District of Maple Ridge or the Mayor and Councilors. 604-463-5221.
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After attending the 7 November 2007 Public Open House on the Alouette Rivers Flood Management Task Force it seems that local officials would be wise to address taxpayers concerns as the wet season nears and the possibility of flooding looms large.
Hot spots and their affect on the Alouette River
Initially, we need to reduce some of the ‘hot spots’ on the rivers. The spots, including such blockages as ‘log jams’, ‘gravel buildup’, and ’silted-in areas’ that divert the natural waterways in the Alouette Watershed. Of course, we are now beyond the DFO window to work in and about a watercourse, so that presents a timeframe problem for the Municipality. The reality, though, is that the presence of these hot spots will not allow natural scouring of stream channels, especially considering the level of deposits that occurred over the past few years.
Eliminating downstream impact of development
As was indicated at the meeting by District of Maple Ridge staff, it’s important to ensure that what people do in one area, does not affect adversely other peoples’ property and its use.
Since it is evident that upstream development is having an impact in the Alouette River Watershed, the DMR should go to the next step. The DMR should follow and enforce the currently accepted principles of Integrated Storm Water Management, in which the majority of developmental storm water is re-infiltrated at source. In other words, the DMR should reduce or eliminate the use of streams and / or watercourses for the purpose of disposing water from hillside developments. One of the ways that this reduction can be achieved is by reducing housing density in hillside areas.
The above may not create a balanced or holistic solution but it’s a start.
South Alouette Concerns and Observations
1. The continued erosion and silt entering the S. Alouette at Mud Creek [approx 1.5 km south of the Alouette Dam - please note that there are two Mud Creeks]
2. The northwest corner of the property at 24085 130 Avenue; the owner has created a slide situation which continues to allow silt to enter Millionaire Creek
3. The property at 13300 240, a 25 acre parcel that was logged [without a Tree Removal Permit] and then in the fall of 2005 had major amounts of blast rock placed on it [no soil permit] this allowed creek surging and downstream soil erosion. The Ministry of Environment has had a water monitoring device at the mouth of Main Millionaire Creek since 2001, so if the Task Force needs some base-line data, the data is available from the MOE [I have copies].
4. The property at 23762 132 Ave. NE corner - this is the Headwater area of T-13 or Fern Creek. Again, this area has many loads of blast-rock placed on it [mid February 2006]
5. With the recent approval of the DMR gravel pit on 256 St and 140 Ave areas it is important to determine the base flows of the four creeks [Dickens, Doggett, Frodo and Mud Creeks] prior to any extraction process. The base flow info is imperative to determine if the extraction process will affect this part of the watershed and then also the down stream areas of the Alouette Watershed. We need a proactive, not reactive approach for the long term protection of the Alouette River Watershed.
I understand that there are other segments of the North Alouette River that need to be addressed.
Some of the information coming out of the recent public hearing regarding the development of gravel reserves north of Webster’s Corner suggests that the District of Maple Ridge stands to make truckloads of money from the resource. There’s no denying that there is an economic opportunity in the reserves but I’d argue that simply leaping before looking doesn’t maximize our community ’s interest in the project.
Firstly, many of the families that live in the area are not in favour of the proposed gravel pit as there is not a safe route to move this “municipal gold” between the point of extraction and its destinations. Simply put, residents didn’t move to the area to have trucks rolling past their homes for years on end and the prices they paid for their properties reflect this position.
Secondly, there are environmental issues that must be addressed prior to the development of the resource; if we want our kids and their families to enjoy what Maple Ridge has become known for, wildlife and fish habitats must be considered before these assets are compromised and any changes are implemented.
In the recent past, the District of Maple Ridge proposed a financial plan that relied on borrowing money against “future development cost charges” (that were to come from new developments across the District). Citizens of Maple Ridge would use this borrowed money to develop the infrastructure that was required by the community.
The question then, is obvious: why can’t the District bring forth a business plan that borrows money against future gravel royalties to develop an appropriate infrastructure to support the resource?
This money could be used to build a proper, safe road that doesn’t endanger or disrupt local residents unreasonably along with providing funds for real-world riparian compensation along waterways, preservation of marsh areas, and the creation of effective wildlife corridors.
And by borrowing against future income, all of this work could be completed BEFORE a single ounce of “municipal gold” is extracted.
This extra development will create jobs, maintain the quality of local residents’ investments, preserve our ecological assets, and send a clear message to developments within the District of Maple Ridge that all future projects must maintain a solid economic, social, and environmental balance.
Today, we had two events occur in the Millionaire Creek Watershed!
The not so good: oil entering storm drains
An asphalt paving company sprayed oil over a large portion of 239B St near 130A Avenue in Maple Ridge. With heavy rain, this oil washed into the storm drain system that empties into Main Millionaire Creek (and then into South Alouette River). This type of activity indicates clearly that development practices within watersheds is in need of improvement and a higher level of monitoring is an absolute necessity.
Spawning salmon in Millionaire Creek
So closely intertwined that it doesn’t really need explanation is the spawning salmon that was sighted under the fish counting program being carried out by the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS).
“You never know where fish will go!”
P.S. An additional thought about where the spilt oil goes! After running off the roadway the fluid enters into the storm drain system which consists of a Vortechnic device and a flow control system. These systems should be cleaned by the developer before the District assumes responsibility.
In case you’re living outside of southwestern British Columbia, you should know that it has rained pretty much every day for the past month. In addition to contributing to a growing number of SAD cases in Maple Ridge, the inclement weather has made for some trying times for local builders and developers. Given that it’s extremely difficult to control storm water on land without a lot of water retention properties, builders who work in conditions like these can cause significant damage to the environment. Mixed with the runoff from the heavy rains, topsoil, fill, and sand contributes to increased siltation levels, something that has an adverse effect on fish populations and the water quality in local creeks and rivers.
Last week, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans stepped in and told a number of local developers and construction companies to come up with sound storm water management solutions within seven days. According to the Maple Ridge News,
The guidelines the department [the DFO] follows when an area is under construction requires that total suspended solids be no more than 25 milligrams per litre of water above the levels that preceded construction.
Maple Ridge, however, allows levels to be 75 milligrams per litre on rainy days, something [DFO biologist Bruce] Clark challenges.
“If 25 [mg of solids per litre] is a problem for fish, why would 75 mg be acceptable?”
Is this recent flurry of DFO activity a sign of things to come? Or will things go back to the way they were when the rains subside? Only time will tell, but this latest news is certainly a signal that it’s time for the District of Maple Ridge to get serious about controlling water runoff and siltation levels in new developments and subdivisions.
In 2004, the city planners in the Ontario town of Stratford committed themselves to the development of an urban plan that fused traditional grid-based models of development with more recent models of suburban planning. The planners hope that their efforts foster a sense of community while giving people the chance to walk places (instead of driving).
According to a writeup in Canadian Geographic,
The fused grid, in the words of CMHC senior researcher Fanis Grammenos, “recaptures open space from the car” and hands it back to pedestrians. Studies confirm the obvious: people who regularly encounter one another on the sidewalk are likelier to meet and talk. And having been introduced by the canny efforts of urban planners, they are on their way to forging new neighbourly relationships.
Culs-de-sac, parks and walkways can be configured in virtually limitless ways. But, in each case, the purpose remains the same. By transforming some of the paved-over land into green space, the fused grid does more than control traffic and encourage walking. Views are enhanced, more ground becomes available to absorb rainfall, and more vegetation takes up more carbon dioxide.
Surely this sort of idea can be used by city planners across North America and the ideas, should they come to fruition, will make for a more compact community, one that encourages commerce and fosters community building, while reducing unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions caused by commutes between out-of-the-way developments and major retail centres.
A couple of days ago, the Municipal Council for Whistler adopted a comprehensive sustainability plan. Called Whistler 2020, the plan will guide the community’s development in the coming years and ensure that growth is both sustainable and smart for the community at large.
WorldChanging has a good short analysis of the Whistler 2020 plan and points out that the document is a great example of a community taking a proactive stance on development as a way of limiting Whistler’s overall footprint. The entry also points out that Whistler 2020 is seen as the starting point in a larger process, a process that will culminate in the creation of Whistler 2060, when the community is to be fully sustainable.
What’s really inspiring about Whistler 2020 is that its existence shows that it’s possible for communities to write workable sustainability plans that include new, smart growth developments. The best part is that the implementation of the plan ensures that these developments will have negligible negative impacts on the entire community over the short and long term.
Sources: WorldChanging, “Whistler 2020″ | Whistler 2020
In the Sun newspaper on Nov 26, 2004 there was a revealing article on the “Fraser River Basin”, this basin consists of 13 major watersheds along the Fraser River’s 1400 kilometers. The sustainabilty report on the Fraser Basin talks about personal health, house prices, private vehicle use, flooding, Agriculture Land Reserve and GHG (green house gas emissions - if BC were a country we would be ranked number 4 in per capita GHG).
So what do we do? Join an environmental group. Plan a “carbon neutral event“. Sell your SUV. Ask your municipal councils what they are doing. Plant coniferous trees. Email us your thoughts.
Excess is its own punishment.
