Pauline Moskal
landscape architect
RECLAIMING THE FRASER
RIVER DELTA.
A conceptual master plan for the Tsawwassen First Nation community in British Columbia.
TEAM: Pauline Moskal & Kalli Niedoba
The Fraser River Delta was formed through geomorphological processes of sediment deposition and settlement over time - taking about 10,000 years to reach its size today. The properties of clay and peat in the delta region are highly susceptible to liquefaction in the event of an earthquake and the low elevation profile in conjunction with the poor drainage properties of clay found along the shoreline makes the region highly susceptible to flood risk.
In either event, significant damage would occur to existing green spaces, sensitive ecological habitat, industries, institutions, commercial businesses, and many homes. As sediment is not a fixed entity, it moves by oceanic currents and riverine flows. These patterns of accretion and erosion are also constricted by man-made infrastructure such as jetties and causeways.
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The Fraser River is considered the most economically significant waterway in the country, responsible for 80% of provincial economic activity as measured by gross domestic product, and 10% of the national gross domestic product. Each spring, an annual freshet transports approximately 32 million cubic metres of sediment from Mount Robson through the Fraser River. Ten percent of this material settles into the navigation channels at the lower reaches near the Strait of Georgia. To maintain navigation channels, 1.6 million cubic metres of sediment is dredged annually.
With current IPCC projections, the majority of the Fraser River Delta will be devastated by sea level rise. Many surrounding agricultural lands are ill-equipped and are currently seeing an increase in salinated soil from seasonal storm surges, with the problems only expected to accelerate.
This theoretical project is a master plan for the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) community in collaboration with the Port of Vancouver, who are proposing a new superport expansion for the Roberts Bank Terminal. Working with the Port, this project embraces the new expansion and simultaneously attempts to remediate dredged sediments and protect the community from sea level rise using a phased approach.
This project is divided into three main strategies: Defend, Grow, and Sustain.
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1. DEFEND
In collaboration with the Port Authority, dredged sediments from the Strait of Georgia are deposited into soil holding cells adjacent to the new superport, which transform the sediment into clay in a cycle for 4 years. The clay is then used for dike reinforcement around the periphery of the TFN lands. In seven years, 14 km of dike will be constructed around the community, and subsequent clay will be sold to other municipalities in efforts to defend against rising sea levels. This landscape process will create a unique experience for visitors who can see the sediment transformation through all phases.
2. GROW
Excavated fill from new developments (within TFN lands and surrounding areas) will be used for dike reinforcement. This is meant to deter current practices of offshore dumping which is incredibly harmful to marine ecosystems. Simultaneously, new habitat corridors will be implemented throughout the neighbourhood, physically highlighting the historical boundary of the TFN lands.
3. SUSTAIN
The existing TFN Agriculture School lies within the boundary of the new ring dike. This will protect valuable soil from salination. In an effort to improve drainage conditions, terraced agricultural lands will be incorporated with dike construction. Poplar groves will create boundaries between the dike and farmland, and designed drainage channels will direct drainage to outflows.
