Attachment 6: Meadow Vale Drive - Further Details on Riparian Areas Assessment

RE: MEADOW VALE DRIVE. – FURTHER DETAILS ON RIPARIAN AREAS ASSESSMENT

BACKGROUND

The subject properties, Lots 8 and 11 to 19 Plan VIP 63453 (1927 Riverside Drive and 2287, 2275, 2263, 2251, 2239, 2227, 2215, 2203 and 2187 MeadowVale Drive) are comprised of ten residential parcels with single family dwellings built in the late 1990s. They are located on the west bank of Craigflower Creek, which is within Thetis Lake Regional Park. Covenant EK061366 was established in 1996 as part of the development process and applies to a 7.5-metre-wide strip of land parallel to the rear lot lines. In most cases, the covenant areas cover nearly the entire rear yards. The covenant generally states that other than a fence, nothing may be built in the covenant area and that trees, shrubs, ground cover and plant life of a certain size are to be preserved.

Once the covenants were registered on the properties, it was understood that the Town of View Royal relied on the developer and property owners to adhere to the requirements described therein. A report was prepared in 1998 for the Capital Regional District (View Royal, Langford, Saanich and Highlands) indicated that “concern was raised that developments along Craigflower Creek encroached upon easements and conservation measures, and that compliance was not strictly enforced.”

During 2007 View Royal Council supported a program to monitor properties on which covenant areas were established. The Meadow Vale Drive properties were inspected as part of that program and reporting identified a significant number of breaches. The report shows lawns, retaining walls and structures such as sheds and even a swimming pool placed where trees and large shrubs should have been retained.

At the present time View Royal Council could, by resolution, agree to consider removal of the covenant registered under number EK061366 from the land titles of properties located on Meadow Vale Drive and Riverside Drive, subject to (or not subject to) property owners providing confirmation that the lands are not within a Streamside Protection and Enhancement Area (SPEA) for Craigflower Creek as per the Riparian Areas Regulation.

The purpose of the riparian areas assessment was to determine if any of the ten existing residential lots are located within the Streamside Protection and Enhancement Area.

ENKON Environmental Ltd. (ENKON) completed the site assessment on May 19, 2017.

SITE CONDITIONS

In the study area the watercourse has an average channel width of 7.94 m and an average gradient of 1.17%. The watercourse has a riffle-pool morphology (riffle-25%, pool-35%, run-40%); average riffle and pool depths observed were 10 cm and 125 cm, respectively. Channel substrate is mostly small cobbles and gravels, with lesser amounts of large cobbles and trace amounts of fines. Boulders are few and scattered. There are several areas of impoundment due to large woody debris across the channel. One large log jam has caused a new floodplain along the west bank. Available cover is approximately 35%; comprised mostly of deep pools, over-vegetation and large woody debris.

There are two stormwater inlets that connect with the Craigflower Creek channel in the vicinity of the study area. A large storm pond is located at the north end of the creek which is protected by a chain link fence. The discharge structure is located at the south end of the pond; the headwall has two outlets, one primary and one overflow pipes. A short manmade drainage channel (Ditch #1, approximately 11 m) flows north northeast into Craigflower Creek. It could not be confirmed at the time of the survey if the storm pond A second stormwater channel is located further south between 2203 and 2217 Meadow Vale Drive which originates to the immediate east of the road and discharges east southeast for a distance of approximately 50 m before discharging into Craigflower Creek. Although no fish were observed at the time of the survey the channel has the potential for being fish bearing.

A second stormwater channel (Ditch #2) is located further south between 2203 and 2217 Meadow Vale Drive which originates to the immediate east of the road and discharges east southeast for a distance of approximately 50 m before discharging into Craigflower Creek. Although no fish were observed at the time of the survey the channel has the potential for being fish bearing.

Riparian vegetation consists of maturing second growth deciduous woodland; the tree layer is comprised of red alder, western redcedar, Douglas-fir and grand fir. Shrub species present include bitter cherry, Pacific willow, Indian plum, Pacific ninebark, salmonberry, Scouler’s willow, thimbleberry, oceanspray, common snowberry and salal. Plants present in the herb layer include lady fern, skunk cabbage, slough sedge, fringecup, sword fern, Cooley’s hedge-nettle and false lily-of-the-valley. Instream plant species include skunk cabbage, slough sedge and Pacific water-parsley. Invasive plant species present within the riparian area include English ivy, English holly, spurge laurel, Himalayan blackberry and English hawthorn. Understorey species include Pacific ninebark, red-osier dogwood, Indian-plum, dull Oregon-grape, common snowberry, red elderberry, salmonberry, lady fern, large-leaved avens and false lily-of-the-valley. Instream vegetation includes skunk cabbage, tule and slough sedge.

Craigflower Creek is a third order watercourse that has a total length of approximately 10.05 km and flows southeast to discharge into the Pacific Ocean at Portage Inlet. Craigflower Creek begins as several small streams on the southern slopes of Mt. Work, in the District of Highlands. These converge and flow southeast into Eagles Lake (a man-made lake), and then into Pike Lake. Upper and Lower Thetis Lakes drain into Prior Lake, which also receives flow from a tributary from McKenzie and Teanook Lakes, before joining Craigflower Creek. The Craigflower Creek watershed has an area of 2420 ha.

RIPARIAN AREAS ASSESSMENT

Methods

The methods for the riparian assessment followed those of the detailed riparian assessment as instructed in the RAA methodology. The detailed assessment is one of the two options available to the proponent to determine the applicable streamside protection and enhancement area (SPEA) width. This site specific assessment addresses the FFC’s of the riparian area. This assessment looks at four variables and determines their Zone of Sensitivity (ZOS). Individual assessments used in the determination of the ZOS include the following variables; site potential vegetation type (SPVT) (Assessment 1), large woody debris (LWD) (Assessment 2), shade, (Assessment 3) and litter fall and insect drop (Assessment 4). The classification of vegetation type (SPVT) in Assessment 1 is then used as the variable for Assessments 2 to 4. A ZOS is then determined for each of the individual assessments. The largest ZOS resulting from these individual assessments determines the SPEA. ENKON conducted the detailed RAA on Craigflower Creek on May 19, 2017 at which time the high-water mark was flagged and eleven measurements of each channel width were taken.

Results from the Riparian Areas Assessment

The SPEA for Craigflower Creek is 23.82 m from high water mark. The SPEA for the pond, Ditch #1 and Ditch #2 are 5 m, 5.82 m and 5 m, respectively.

Site Potential Vegetation Type

Site potential vegetation type (SPVT) for the assessment area is intended to establish the capability or potential vegetation rather than the current vegetation. The SPVT for the study area is treed.

Zones of Sensitivity

Based on the methodologies for detailed assessment outlined in the RAA there are four features functions and conditions (FFC) that need to be addressed when considering lakes and wetlands. These four FFC’s include the following:

1. Large woody debris (LWD) for fish habitat and the maintenance of channel morphology
2. Area for localized bank stability
3. Shade
4. Leaf fall and insect drop

The ZOS LWD and bank stability for watercourses is related to the height of the site potential vegetation type and channel width and was determined to be 23.82 m . The ZOS for litter fall and insect drop for a treed SPVT is 15 m.

The ZOS for shade for a treed SPVT is 23.82 m, but this setback would only apply to the southern side of the watercourse. Based on the four ZOS calculations a SPEA of 23.82 m has been determined for Craigflower Creek.

The SPEA for a ditch that has potential for being fish bearing is two times the channel width with a minimum of 5 m. Man-made storm ponds are considered a form of ditch and are therefore treated the same way. As it was not possible to confirm absence of fish in either of the ditches or the storm pond they must be considered to be fish bearing and therefore the SPEAs are as follows:

• Ditch #1 – 5.82 m
• Ditch #2 – 5.0 m
• Storm pond – 5.0 m

Measures

When considering the Riparian Areas Assessment additional measures must be examined to ensure the protection of the SPEA and include the following:

• Danger trees and the provision of large trees
• Windthrow
• Tree protection during construction
• Slope stability
• Floodplain concerns
• On-site stormwater management
• Sediment and erosion control measures
• Encroachment

These measures are considered when a development is proposed within 30 m of a watercourse or waterbody. The guidelines and the format of the Riparian Areas Assessment report typically were developed to provide guidelines for future land development projects so that impacts to watercourses and their associated riparian areas could be avoided. This assessment addresses a site than has already been developed and therefore much of the standardized report format is not relevant, particularly when measures are being discussed. Measures have been included should there be future land development activities on the private lots, as a number of the lots are partially located within the SPEA of Craigflower Creek and its associated storm pond and storm ditches.

If you have any questions or require further information please do not hesitate to give me a call at (250) 881-4368.

Yours truly,

Susan Blundell, M.Sc., R.P.Bio. Manager of Environmental Services