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[chris gadsden]

We just completed a story with Global Vancouver this afternoon regarding this issue. It should run tonight during the 6 News Hour. Rod was good enough to provide a fishing video he filmed this year in the Vedder Canal that they may use to go for the story, Thanks Rod. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URRrP882DvA


 Global is presently at Chilliwack City Hall getting the staff's side of the proposed project.

[chris gadsden]

After we completed the interviews after with Global I filmed Marvin Rosenau and he will give you a good picture of why we are against this project. It is impossible to get the true message out in a 2 minute news clip. I will have one with John Werring later.  https://youtu.be/OuYnRTlOJ50

[arimaBOATER]

After we completed the interviews after with Global I filmed Marvin Rosenau and he will give you a good picture of why we are against this project. It is impossible to get the true message out in a 2 minute news clip. I will have one with John Werring later.  https://youtu.be/OuYnRTlOJ50

Your voices are making a differance.
Without opposition possibly gravel extraction would be a yearly happening  !!! ( on this river/canal. )
And it would be done in the name of flood control.
The heart is desperately wicked who can know it !!!!!!!

[chris gadsden]

Here is the video with John Werring I filmed after we did the story with Global. https://youtu.be/xDBz_uw5R2k

[Rodney]

https://globalnews.ca/video/7006252/controversy-over-plans-to-mine-gravel-from-vedder-river-in-chilliwack

[chris gadsden]

This is what gravel mining looks like on the Vedder River, I filmed this in 2016 the last year they took gravel out. Do you think this is good for fish habitat? https://youtu.be/aj13jRub9Ik

[chris gadsden]

I just read the application for this work and part of the applications says  "to be authorized to carry on work that "WILL RESULT IN SERIOUS HARM TO FISH". So they are admitting they are harming fish in the application, how can this be allowed?

[coldfinger]

I emailed my concerns over the gravel extraction planned for the Chillwack Vedder river.

Below is a response I got from the Director of Planning & Engineering Chilliwack.

 "Thank you for your email and your concern regarding protection of the Vedder River habitat.  The City of Chilliwack shares your concern with the long-term protection of this valuable asset. The current Sediment Removal Program has been ongoing for over 30 years and the following document provides a summary description of the Vedder River and Canal history and process for sediment removal:

http://vedderriver.ca/reports/1-APEGBC-Article--Flood-Mngt-Vedder-River_Canal.pdf

“Natural river processes carry sediment from the upstream Chilliwack River Basin into the Vedder River and Canal. Historically, approximately 50,000 cubic metres of sediment are deposited, on average, every year. The sediment reduces the channel’s capacity to convey the Design Flood Event (DFE) and thereby increases flood threat to surrounding communities. Sediment removal is necessary to maintain the provincially recommended level of flood protection (Q200), and removal sites are selected to preserve sufficient freeboard along the diking system during the DFE”

 The environmental planning and monitoring of sediment removal has a long history of demonstrating that the process is able to accommodate the sediment removal to provide the necessary flood protection while also providing habitat enhancements.  The habitat conditions for excavations are evaluated in detail pre and post excavation. Looking at the history of excavations on the river, the analysis shows that most excavations yield positive or neutral habitat outcomes. Excavation strategies to encourage habitat diversity and offsets, built into each excavation, helps to assure these results. The removal of sediment follows a set of guidelines and best management practices developed with input from experienced fish habitat biologists, various river engineers, and agency experts that has been shown, over more than two decades to yield a consistent set of flood protection and habitat benefits.  The following website provides the background for the Vedder River Management Area Committee and includes links to previous and current planning and environmental reporting:   

http://vedderriver.ca/

 Frank Van Nynatten, in our Environmental Services Department is pleased to discuss this program in further detail or answer any questions you may have. Feel free to contact him at vanny@chilliwack.com or call 604 793-2720

 Thank you again for your interest in this process and taking the time express your concerns. 


Best regards.

David Blain

 David Blain, M.A.Sc., MBA, P.Eng. | Director of Planning and Engineering
P: 604.793.2907 | F: 604.793.2756 | E: blain@chilliwack.com"

Seems they feel justified in their approach, confident in their reports and NOT inclined to listen to concerns.

[chris gadsden]

I emailed my concerns over the gravel extraction planned for the Chillwack Vedder river.

Below is a response I got from the Director of Planning & Engineering Chilliwack.

 "Thank you for your email and your concern regarding protection of the Vedder River habitat.  The City of Chilliwack shares your concern with the long-term protection of this valuable asset. The current Sediment Removal Program has been ongoing for over 30 years and the following document provides a summary description of the Vedder River and Canal history and process for sediment removal:

http://vedderriver.ca/reports/1-APEGBC-Article--Flood-Mngt-Vedder-River_Canal.pdf

“Natural river processes carry sediment from the upstream Chilliwack River Basin into the Vedder River and Canal. Historically, approximately 50,000 cubic metres of sediment are deposited, on average, every year. The sediment reduces the channel’s capacity to convey the Design Flood Event (DFE) and thereby increases flood threat to surrounding communities. Sediment removal is necessary to maintain the provincially recommended level of flood protection (Q200), and removal sites are selected to preserve sufficient freeboard along the diking system during the DFE”

 The environmental planning and monitoring of sediment removal has a long history of demonstrating that the process is able to accommodate the sediment removal to provide the necessary flood protection while also providing habitat enhancements.  The habitat conditions for excavations are evaluated in detail pre and post excavation. Looking at the history of excavations on the river, the analysis shows that most excavations yield positive or neutral habitat outcomes. Excavation strategies to encourage habitat diversity and offsets, built into each excavation, helps to assure these results. The removal of sediment follows a set of guidelines and best management practices developed with input from experienced fish habitat biologists, various river engineers, and agency experts that has been shown, over more than two decades to yield a consistent set of flood protection and habitat benefits.  The following website provides the background for the Vedder River Management Area Committee and includes links to previous and current planning and environmental reporting:   

http://vedderriver.ca/

 Frank Van Nynatten, in our Environmental Services Department is pleased to discuss this program in further detail or answer any questions you may have. Feel free to contact him at vanny@chilliwack.com or call 604 793-2720

 Thank you again for your interest in this process and taking the time express your concerns. 


Best regards.

David Blain

 David Blain, M.A.Sc., MBA, P.Eng. | Director of Planning and Engineering
P: 604.793.2907 | F: 604.793.2756 | E: blain@chilliwack.com"

Seems they feel justified in their approach, confident in their reports and NOT inclined to listen to concerns.

Thanks for writing to them, the answer is what they give to all that write to them. The Gravel Stewardship Committee has been working hard on this and have had several meetings including with FOC. Our techancial people show the river is degrading of gravel the last while. There is so much more than what the City is saying. I feel it is more about getting easy access to gravel for construction purposes than flood control. In 2016 the last year they took it out they wanted it for the new Molson brewery plant in Chilliwack and sub division development. The stewardship committee was able to stop the mining in 2018 and hope to stop this destruction of fish habitat this year too.

As many people know any gravel extraction in a river is bad news. Thanks again for writing and posting it here.

[chris gadsden]

We just got notified that the gravel extraction application by the City of Chilliwack has once again been denied. Thanks to the work of the Stewardship Committee for their hours of work on this file. This now will be 6 years that environmental damage has been prevented as the last year the river was mined was in 2016 and now it will be until 2022 before another application can be filed.

[coldfinger]

Fantastic News. Thanks Chris,
Hat's off to the effort of everyone involved. Getting this years gravel extraction application denied ,may be a short lived victory.With the expansion of development facing the valley, one can only assume the need for cheap access to clean gravel will result in the need to go thru this same exercise again in a years time. Unfortunate, but you may want to keep that file on the top of the cabinet.
But for today,
Cheers
cf

[Old Blue]

We just got notified that the gravel extraction application by the City of Chilliwack has once again been denied. Thanks to the work of the Stewardship Committee for their hours of work on this file. This now will be 6 years that environmental damage has been prevented as the last year the river was mined was in 2016 and now it will be until 2022 before another application can be filed.

Awesome stuff.  Job well done by yourself and the Stewardship Committee.

[jacked55]

Thanks for all your efforts chris.

[dobrolub]

thank you Chris and others!

[jackster]

I miss those dug out ponds for coho fishing in the fall.