Aggregate extraction in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, has affected the soil water storage of the Pepin Creek watershed. Although local government has set regulations for aggregate extraction projects to avoid negative environmental impacts, the gradual loss of soil materials and associated changes in vegetative cover has led to an alteration of the water balance within the watershed, which may affect surface or groundwater levels, and aquatic habitats. The study assessed the effects of aggregate extraction on the water storage of the Pepin Creek watershed and estimated that 25% of the surface area of the Canadian portion of the watershed has been affected by aggregate mining with an estimated loss of water storage of 10%. Evapotranspiration has decreased as a result of the removal of the vegetative cover. Precipitation has remained relatively constant over the study period but the annual discharge measured at Pepin Creek has decreased. Recommendations for enhancing environmental monitoring to better measure and understand ecological functions of the watershed during aggregate extraction are provided.
References
[1]
BC Ministry of Energy and Mines (2001) Managing Aggregate, Cornerstone of the Economy. Report of the Aggregate Advisory Panel, March 2001. Victoria, Canada.
http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscience/SurficialGeology/Aggreg ateProject/Review/Documents/FullReport.pdf
[2]
Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) (2009) Fraser Valley Regional District Aggregate Pilot Project, Recommendations Report.
http://www.abbotsfordtoday.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Item-10 -03-2-APP-Recommendations1.pdf
[3]
Winfield, M. and Taylor, A. (2005) Rebalancing the Load: The Need for an Aggregates Conservation Strategy for Ontario. Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development. http://www.pembina.org/reports/Aggregatesfinal-web2.pdf
[4]
Green, J.A., Pavlish, J.A., Merritt, R.G. and Leete, J.L. (2005) Hydraulic Impacts of Quarries and Gravel Pits. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Waters.
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/waters/hdraulic-impacts-of-quarries.pdf
[5]
Castrilli, J. (2005) Application to the Lieutenant Governor in Council regarding Dufferin Aggregates application to expand their Milton Quarry. Prepared for Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment (CONE) and Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources (POWER). http://www.torontoenvironment.org/gravel/impacts
[6]
iMapBC (2013) DataBC, Province of British Columbia.
http://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/sv/imapbc/
[7]
Armstrong, J.E. and Hicock, S.R. (1980) Surficial Geology, New Westminster, West of Sixth Meridian, British Columbia. Geological Survey Can. “A” Series Map.1484A, 1 Sheet.
[8]
Luttmerding, H.A. (1981) Soils of the Langley-Vancouver Map Area. RAB Bulletin 18, Ministry of Environment, Map 6.
[9]
UBC Geography Information Centre (2016) Department of Geography, The University of British Columbia, Canada. http://gic.geog.ubc.ca
[10]
Google Earth (2016) Map Images Exported, Years 2004-2016. Google Earth Pro, v.7.1.5.
[11]
Water Survey Canada (2016) Historical Hydrometric Data Pepin Creek.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/mainmenu/historical_data_index_e.html
[12]
Climate Canada (2016) Historical Climate Data for Abbotsford Airport.
http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/hourly_data_e.html?hlyRange =1953-01-01%7C2012-06-21&dlyRange=1944-10-01%7C2012-06-20& mlyRange=1944-01-01%7C2012-06-01&StationID=702&Prov=BC&urlE xtension=_e.html&searchType=stnProv&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear =1840&EndYear=2016&selRowPerPage=25&Line=10&Month=6&Day =21&lstProvince=BC&timeframe=1&Year=2012
[13]
ESRI (2016) ArcGIS Desktop: Release 10. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands.
[14]
City of Abbotsford Council Report (2001) Application for Soil Removal at 1563 Ross Road. https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/document/4591
[15]
City of Abbotsford Council Report (2001) Application for Soil Removal at 28473 Huntingdon Road. https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/document/4610
[16]
City of Abbotsford Council Report (2005) Application for Soil Removal at 2676 Ross Road. https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/document/7458
[17]
City of Abbotsford Council Report (2006) Resubmission of Soil Removal Application for 2676 Ross Road. L.P. Management Corporation.
https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/document/13875
[18]
City of Abbotsford Council Report (2007) Application for Soil Removal at 29969 Simpson Road. https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/document/9068
[19]
City of Abbotsford Council Report (2007) Application for Soil Removal at Lot 1 Plan 23517 by Little Rock Quarries Ltd.
https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/document/8643
[20]
City of Abbotsford Council Report (2008) Draft South West Abbotsford Soil Removal Study Presentation.
https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/filepro/document/9311/ENG%2001-20 08.doc?handle=2DA5ABC290F14F3E8B69E850EEF150BD
[21]
Van der Gulik, T., Neilson, D., Fretwell, R. and Tam, S. (2015) Agricultural Water Demand Model: Fraser Valley Regional District. B.C. Ministry of Agriculture.
http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs2016/599317/500300 -14_agric_water_demand_model_fvrd_report_feb13_2015.pdf
[22]
Kristensen, K.J. and Jensen, S.E. (1975) A Model for Estimating Actual Evapotranspiration from Potential Evapotranspiration. Hydrology Research, 6, 170-188.
[23]
Spittlehouse, D.L. (1989) Estimating Evapotranspiration from Land Surfaces in British Columbia. Proceedings of a Workshop, Vancouver, August 1987, No. 177, 245-256.
[24]
Winkler, R.D., Moore, R.D., Redding, T.E., Spittlehouse, D.L., Smerdon, B.D. and Carlyle-Moses, D.E. (2010) The Effects of Forest Disturbance on Hydrologic Processes and Watershed Response. In: Pike, R.G., Redding, T.E., Moore, R.D., Winkler, R.D. and Bladon, K.D., Eds., Compendium of Forest Hydrology and Geomorphology in British Columbia, BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Land Management Handbook 66, 179-212.
[25]
Matan, E. (2013) Growth Morphology of Corn. Presentation for USAID Small Business Expansion Project.
http://www.slideshare.net/USAID-SBEP/corn-growth-morphology
City of Abbotsford (2003) City of Abbotsford Consolidated Soil Removal and Deposit Bylaw. https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/document/5669
[28]
Lessard, J.L. and Hayes, D.B. (2003) Effects of Elevated Water Temperature on Fish and Macroinvertebrate Communities below Small Dams. River Research and Applications, 19, 721-732. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.713
[29]
Wetzel, R.G. (2001) Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems. 3rd Edition, Academic Press, San Diego.
[30]
Pearson Education, Inc. (2016) In Measuring Temperature and Metabolic Rate.
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab10/temprate.html
[31]
Thompson, A. and Howarth, C. (2007) Reducing the Effect of Aggregate Quarrying on the Water Environment. 36.
http://www.sustainableaggregates.com/docs/revs/t1b_water.pdf
