District of Squamish (DOS) officials hope to meet their federal fisheries counterparts and local groups in response to concerns raised about the environmental impact of a frequently closed floodgate on a sensitive intertidal zone in the Squamish Estuary.
Mayor Rob Kirkham, asked last Thursday (June 27) for his response to a letter from Squamish resident John Buchanan, said officials want to determine what, if anything, can be done to remedy what the environmental watchdog described as the "harmful long-term impacts" of leaving a floodgate at the Bridge Pond closed for long periods.
In his letter, Buchanan wrote that the situation with the floodgate, which was installed in the early 1980s, has evolved over time. Keeping the gate closed for much of the year has resulted in "major changes to thevegetation [and] a severe decline in the water quality of the area," he wrote.
With the gate open only occasionally, Buchanan wrote, the area has been converted into a mostly freshwater environment in which fish are unable to spawn. "The official stance from the District of Squamish [is] that it is now a non-tidal area," he wrote.
Kirkham thanked Buchanan for calling the matter to the attention of local officials and said the DOS, which is responsible for the operation of the gate, wants to be part of any potential solution.
"Those gates have been operating the way they're programmed to operate, but staff are arranging a meeting with [the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans] and looking to invite the local environmental groups to be part of the meeting and talk about the concerns and where to go with it.
"Our reaction is that if it's a concern, then let's get on it."
In his letter, Buchanan proposed a plan aimed at restoring the tidal nature of that section of the estuary. It includes the installation of culverts to ensure that tidal water flows under the CN Rail tracks at more than one location and has a chance to circulate around the area east of the rail line. He urged officials to use the plan as the basis "for starting the process of repairing this important fish habitat."
DOS council recently renewed discussions regarding the Seventh Avenue Connector, a truck route that would run parallel to the CN Rail line through the estuary. Industry leaders have long sought to see the road built as a way to route most truck traffic away from the downtown core. Buchanan and others have voiced concerns about the road's potential to negatively affect the estuary ecosystem.
Kirkham said DOS officials hoped to convene the meeting sometime this week, but did not give a specific date.
