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Construction of East Causeway Habitat Compensation Project
6/3/2009 9:48:14 AM
As part of the Deltaport Third Berth Project (DP3) at Roberts Bank, Port Metro Vancouver will begin creating new fish and wildlife habitat along the east causeway portion of Deltaport Way in Delta, BC.
The East Causeway Habitat Compensation Project will transform the land beside the Deltaport causeway into diverse marine and wildlife habitat through the creation of barrier islands, rip rap slopes (stone erosion barriers), salt marsh, upland vegetation areas, and gravel and cobble beaches.
Construction on the East Causeway Habitat Compensation Project will commence mid-June 2009 and is expected to be complete by early 2011.
“Roberts Bank is recognized as an important ecological area,” said Robin Silvester, President and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver. “Through this project, the Port will help to increase the biodiversity and environmental sustainability of this area.”
Public access to this area will be affected. During construction and upon completion of the project, parking will no longer be available along the east causeway area. Public access will be permanently closed as the area is transformed into sensitive fish and wildlife habitat. Once construction is complete, Port Metro Vancouver will work with the community to identify opportunities to learn about and possibly visit this unique habitat area.
The East Causeway Habitat Compensation Project is one of several mitigation initiatives that have or will be developed by Port Metro Vancouver at Roberts Bank, providing approximately 20 hectares of on-site compensation. Among these are openings within the dock structures to create habitat, a series of artificial reefs to provide marine habitat, sandbar stabilization to re-establish eel grass, and restoration and extension of the Tsawwassen salt marsh. In addition, 7.5 hectares of off-site fish and wildlife habitat is also being created in partnership with Ducks Unlimited and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
Including the Roberts Bank habitat compensation projects, the Port is investing approximately $25 million on environmental mitigation to protect local marine and other wildlife.
Port Metro Vancouver is Canada’s largest and North America’s most diversified port, trading $75 billion in goods with more than 130 trading economies annually. Port activities generate 129,500 total jobs across Canada, $10.5 billion in GDP and $22 billion in economic output.