Revitalizing the Creek

Working with community groups, property owners, environmentalists, and “stream-keepers”, the City of Vancouver’s Still Creek Enhancement Study outlines 10-year actions leading to a 50-year plan for the beautification, protection and restoration of sections of the creek that run through Vancouver. These revitalization efforts are part of a larger plan to reduce flooding, reconnect people with the creek and its natural beauty, and work to improve long-standing environmental issues throughout the Still Creek Watershed. This larger plan, the Integrated Storm Water Management Plan for the Still Creek Watershed, is a joint program with Burnaby and the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

There are a number of challenges that face the rehabilitation and enhancement of Still Creek in Vancouver:

• 70% of the creek its tributaries have been placed in underground pipes.
• 68% of the Still Creek watershed is covered with roads, buildings and other hard surfaces.
• Within industrial commercial areas, the creek has been straightened or placed in narrow channels.
• There is a lack of streamside vegetation to provide habitat and to provide shade, which regulates the temperature of the water in the creek.
• The water quality in Still Creek is not good. Pesticides and fertilizers, and the illegal dumping of paints, oils and other toxic and hazardous materials contribute to poor water quality.