Council OK's plan for creek

By Dan Hilborn
Published June 21, 2006


After three years of study, the City of Burnaby has given preliminary approval to its vision for the Still Creek watershed, which is expected to reduce the amount of flooding in the city while improving habitat for fish and wildlife.

From Pipe Dreams to Healthy Streams: An integrated stormwater management plan for the Still Creek watershed, prepared by the cities of Burnaby and Vancouver with assistance from the GVRD and other partners, was approved by Burnaby city council on Monday night.

"Anyone who has driven through the Still Creek watershed has seen the flooding," said Coun. Dan Johnston, chair of Burnaby's environment committee. "This report is about slowing that water flow and returning some of the native vegetation to the habitat."

The report sets out eight goals for the future development of Still Creek and details more than 100 possible future 'action items' for the urban waterway.

The major stormwater management goals include reducing the impact of flooding on people and property while reducing stream erosion and downstream sedimentation.

The proposed environmental goals include protecting and enhancing streamside and aquatic habitats, protecting urban forest and terrestrial habitats, improving water quality, augmenting native species' biodiversity, connecting people with the watershed and its feeder streams and providing stream-related education.

Contacted after the meeting, Mark Angelo, head of the fish, wildlife and recreation program at BCIT, said he understands the need to focus on floodwater management in the Still Creek watershed before working on water quality improvements for fish.

"There is an emphasis on flood control, perhaps more than returning fish to the creek, but the two aspects are not mutually exclusive," said Angelo. "I think in this case you have to look at the two simultaneously."

Coun. Lee Rankin said the report takes a long-term view towards managing the creek.

"I don't think we can be under any kind of illusion that these type of watershed improvements are easy," Rankin said. "But I believe this is something that we can look forward to over the next 25 or 50 years."

Among the key recommendations is a proposal to designate the creek as a environmental flood channel zone to prevent the construction of new buildings in the flood zone or along the stream bank.

The city would also like to open a 'green corridor' along the creek, with an integrated network of trails, viewpoints and other recreational facilities to enhance the public enjoyment of Still Creek, its tributaries and Burnaby Lake.

Burnaby would also like to see the amount of 'hard surface area' in the watershed - concrete, asphalt, buildings or other non- permeable surfaces - reduced by 10 per cent by the year 2025.

Other possible environmental protections include the proposed use of aeration devices to improve oxygen levels in the creek during summertime.

Angelo said one of his key concerns is that the creek is eventually protected by either a 15- or 30-metre riparian zone.

"There is a push for a protected linear corridor," Angelo said. "As part of that, if we can maintain minimum riparian standards as opposed to hit and miss standards, that would be positive."

While the report stops short of setting minimum standards, Angelo said it does "a pretty good job" of striking a balance between flood control and fish enhancement.

"At the same time, I want to make sure that we do everything possible to make sure those development pressures are managed as best we can," he said. "When we first started working on Still Creek more than 30 years ago, it was perhaps the most polluted waterway in all of B.C. We've made some dramatic headway, but there's still more work to be done.

"When I look at Still Creek now there's certainly reason to be encouraged. My hope is that progress will continue I think if you look at all things together, this report strikes a pretty good balance. Certainly, I'd liked to have seen more focus on protecting fish habitat, but that said, we also understand some of the balances that have to be struck given those other concerns."