The Sedimentary Context of Sturgeon Bank, Fraser River Delta, BC, Canada – 150 Years of Flood, Erosion and Navigational Management and Implications for the Future
Presentation Abstract
Sturgeon Bank forms one of the intertidal areas of the Fraser River delta in south western BC, Canada. The deltaic environment of the bank is the cumulative effect of water and sediment discharge over the port-glacial interval making the delta a relatively young geologic feature at approximately 10,000 years old and the bank on the western edge even younger. To understand the modern sedimentary context of Sturgeon Bank and consider it's future, it is necessary to understand the effects of human activity on the delta and in the watershed over the historical period. Publically available historical datasets of natural phenomena were re-examined relative to records of human activities to enable development of a conceptual model of sedimentary processes affecting the bank. Historical datasets of natural phenomena such as sedimentary geology, post-glacial history, bathymetry, flood discharge records, sediment discharge/basin sediment yield, sediment grain size data, wind-waves, and tides were reviewed. Human activity on the delta, stretching back to the late 1800's, has included navigation dredging, aggregate resource dredging, river training, river diversion, flood protection dyking, land-use changes, and ongoing habitat management activities. From this review, a conceptual model of modern physical constraints on the sedimentary environment of the bank was developed. The various phenomena will be discussed, the integration of those phenomena as processes affecting Sturgeon Bank will be explored, and the future of the bank will be speculated.
Session Title
Challenges and opportunities related to habitat enhancement, restoration, and ecosystem productivity in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
Habitat
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Sedimentation and deposition--British Columbia--Fraser River Delta; Human ecology--British Columbia--Fraser River Delta; Sediment transport--British Columbia--Fraser River Delta; Soil erosion--British Columbia--Fraser River Delta
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Fraser River Delta (B.C.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
The Sedimentary Context of Sturgeon Bank, Fraser River Delta, BC, Canada – 150 Years of Flood, Erosion and Navigational Management and Implications for the Future
2016SSEC
Sturgeon Bank forms one of the intertidal areas of the Fraser River delta in south western BC, Canada. The deltaic environment of the bank is the cumulative effect of water and sediment discharge over the port-glacial interval making the delta a relatively young geologic feature at approximately 10,000 years old and the bank on the western edge even younger. To understand the modern sedimentary context of Sturgeon Bank and consider it's future, it is necessary to understand the effects of human activity on the delta and in the watershed over the historical period. Publically available historical datasets of natural phenomena were re-examined relative to records of human activities to enable development of a conceptual model of sedimentary processes affecting the bank. Historical datasets of natural phenomena such as sedimentary geology, post-glacial history, bathymetry, flood discharge records, sediment discharge/basin sediment yield, sediment grain size data, wind-waves, and tides were reviewed. Human activity on the delta, stretching back to the late 1800's, has included navigation dredging, aggregate resource dredging, river training, river diversion, flood protection dyking, land-use changes, and ongoing habitat management activities. From this review, a conceptual model of modern physical constraints on the sedimentary environment of the bank was developed. The various phenomena will be discussed, the integration of those phenomena as processes affecting Sturgeon Bank will be explored, and the future of the bank will be speculated.
