Crib box construction will be the final project to restore salmon habitat in Cougar Creek under the Environmental Damages Fund.
Over three weeks during the in-stream work window of Aug. 1 to Sept. 15, four cedar log structures will be installed near the area that was originally damaged by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway.
Once fastened in the stream bank using logs, rock and anchors, the wooden structures will slow erosion, and provide cover and shade for fish.
READ MORE: New federal funding secured for restoration of North Delta’s Cougar Creek
At their June 24 regular meeting, Delta city council awarded the project contract to Advanced Energy Systems Management Corp.
According to the report from the Corporate Services and Engineering departments, the contractor bid price was $55,534.11, including GST.
The bid was the lowest of six that were submitted, and all of the bids exceeded the original estimate for the work.
“The higher costs are partly related to the passage of time,” the report reads. “In addition, unanticipated design work was required to meet the BC government’s Water Sustainability Act Approval application requirements for in-stream works.”
Partial funding for the project will be taken from what remains of the Environmental Damages Fund ($15,700), which was created when Fisheries and Oceans Canada charged BNSF with violations under the Fisheries Act.
In 2010, BNSF completed bank stabilization work without adhering to applicable permits or best practices. Cougar Creek channel width and salmon habitat was reduced, and charges resulted in a $70,000 contribution to the Environmental Damages Fund to be used for projects in the Cougar Creek Watershed.
Since 2016, the fund has been used to add rock weirs, gravel and native plants to the creek, and remove non-native invasive plant species.
The remaining funding for the crib box project will come from the 2019 Financial Plan.
READ MORE: Volunteers plant over 100 native shrubs and ferns in North Delta’s Cougar Canyon
Cougar Creek Streamkeeper Deborah Jones said that after the crib boxes are installed, the streamkeepers will likely volunteer to help plant riparian vegetation in the area.
“It’s always a work in progress,” Jones said, adding that the group is also planning major riparian planting in the fall behind the Chelsea Gate townhouse development.
“The main problem for a creek like ours is that there’s too much rainwater being piped into the creek from large surfaces, like streets.”
She said one of their main initiatives moving forward will be landscaping to promote rainwater infiltration rather than runoff.
READ MORE: Surrey SHaRP program enters 24th year with $371K support from city
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