If a lake or gravel pit can drain away you have to wonder about the other waterways. I know the last post on Latimer some people thought it's an artificial lake, but the surrounding area was affected too.
Campbell Heights project built too fast: City
EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER
From left: John Werring, Carrie Baron, Paul Ham and Vincent LaLonde look out over one of the retention ponds on a stream leading to the Little Campbell River is designed to allow young salmon refuge until they’re old enough to head to sea.
By Kevin Diakiw
Oct 17 2007
A clear stream meanders for about a mile through Cambpell Heights before spilling into South Surrey’s Little Campbell River.
The stream’s silty bottom is thick with vegetation, tiered with periodic beaver dams, while its banks, at least on the lower end, are home to new life – scores of recently planted evergreen saplings only a few inches tall.
Open pools serve as refuge for young coho, enabling them to grow big enough so they can head out to sea in preparation for their eventual return for spawning.
To the casual observer, it’s a perfect habitat.
Then again, David Suzuki Foundation biologist John Werring isn’t a casual observer.
Werring is the author of “High and Dry: An Investigation of Salmon Habitat Destruction in British Columbia,” which characterized the Campbell Heights development as one the worst examples of salmon habitat damage in the province.
Last Friday, city engineers and Werring toured the property, where the biologist credited Surrey staff for some remediation work, but said he still stands behind the conclusions in his report.
Carrie Baron, Surrey’s drainage and environment manager, paces the banks of the stream and details the lengthy $2.5-million repair work so far. Another $500,000 will be spent by the time work is done. The total bill, Baron says, will be paid for by developers through development cost charges.
While she acknowledges about a half-dozen feeder streams were lost in the development, the main channel, she asserts, was made better in an attempt to meet the Department of Fisheries and Oceans “no net loss” requirements.
The city and Werring differ on many details of what has transpired in the last few years, but on a few points they agree.
They concur that the Campbell Heights development occurred too quickly, causing Baron’s staff to work on large areas of the stream.
It would have been better to work in segments, she said.
The city and Werring also agree the Campbell Heights development damaged the salmon habitat and the lower portion of the main channel is heading toward its pre-development state, however, much still has to be done.
And further upstream, the banks are a barren expanse of gravel, poor ground for replantation. Baron said some attempts to replant in this area have failed, and the city is examining “terracing” the bank so it can hold topsoil and plants. Werring points to several areas in danger of slope failure, near vertical areas of dry gravel.
In other areas, the city used rich topsoil for replanting, which resulted in weed growth in the stream, choking off access for salmon.
Werring contends the habitat will never return to what it was before development. However, the city maintains by 2009, it will have the area returned to similar or better salmon habitat than what was there before.
City staff delivered a report to council Monday rebutting High and Dry.
City council commended staff efforts to repair the damage done to the area.
Council will also schedule a tour of the area with Werring and city staff to see for themselves what occurred in the area.
kdiakiw@surreleader.com 
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Topic: More on the "gravel pit" area (Read 2011 times)