Editor: What should we take home from the forum on the Fort Langley flood plain May 23?
First, Dr. Marvin Rosenau showed conclusively that clearing of trees, leveling and filling of land and residential development degrades rivers.
Rainwater does not get into the ground. Detention ponds only limit maximum or peak flows but the total flow downstream is much larger and that damages the stream. (For more info, see www.salmonriver.org).
Coho numbers fall.
So why is the Township encouraging the Wall, Tuscan and who knows what other developments in the rural upstream area of this ecologically important river? This is not the right place for development.
Less clear at the forum was what to do about flooding in the Fort Langley flood plain.
The flood plain has always flooded and so has always been an area productive only for hay. Hay is quite resistant to flooding.
So should something be done for the farmers?
That has already happened. Increased drainage was achieved in 1994 with installation of a large screw pump.
To further mollify the farmers, DFO compromised the river’s ecology, by measures such as letting the Township pump the river a foot below historic levels.
Not satisfied with that compromise, the farmers and a weak Township are asking for more. For instance, the farmers want the screw pump to operate year-round and claim, along with the Township, that the pump is not being operated in accordance with design.
This argument is patently incorrect. Because of the ecological importance of the Salmon River, the 1994 agreements made it very clear that there was no approval for routine pumping outside the spring period when the Fraser River is in flood.
Meanwhile the community has been totally shut out of recent negotiations and the still-increasing bill to the taxpayers for all this folly is estimated to be $3 million or more.
Taking a compromise, distorting it, trying to make significant changes in your favour and shutting out stakeholder groups certainly fit the definition of “bargaining in bad faith.”
Doug McFee
Langley
