Habitat Restoration Work
BC Housing recently completed road and utility upgrades at the north end of the Lands to support two new health care facilities. As part of this work, PGL Environmental Consultants (PGL) conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and prepared a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) for the City of Coquitlam. Part of the CEMP included a habitat restoration plan for the Davidson Creek and Watercourse 4 (WC 4) Streamside Protection and Enhancement Areas (SPEA’s).
The main objective of this work is to bring back site productivity by restoring natural features, functions and conditions in the Davidson Creek and WC 4 SPEA’s. The approach to restoration is in line with the Riparian Restoration Area Implementation Guidebook Revegetation Guidelines (MFLNRORD 2012) and the Guidelines for Riparian Restoration in British Columbia (MoF 2002).
The riparian and instream habitat in Davidson Creek and WC 4 supports fish downstream, adding food, nutrients and leaf litter to the system. Restoration activities will also consider Pacific water shrew habitat by maintaining moist microclimates, coarse woody debris for travel and substrate for macroinvertebrates.
In preparation for the habitat restoration works in Davidson Creek and WC 4, extensive clearing and removal of invasive species in these areas was conducted in the fall. This included removal of blackberry, bamboo, English holly and bladdernut. Habitat restoration planting, including the deposition of clean topsoil in certain areas and placement of salvaged, coarse woody debris, occurred late fall. The first phase of planting included early successional pioneering woody species such as red osier dogwood, red alder, Indian plum, salmonberry and dull Oregon grape. The second phase of planting will include later successional species such as Douglas fir and sword fern and will occur in fall 2022.
These works and the success of the plants will be monitored for a period of 5 years.
