JERICHO BEACH RESTORATION PROJECT
PARTICIPANTS
CERTIFICATION SCORECARD
Owner: Vancouver Park Board Engineering: Moffatt & Nichol Environmental: Raincoast Applied Ecology Landscape: Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture Inc Contractor: Sumas Remediation and Vancouver Pile Driving Funding by: City of Vancouver
Credit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 TOTAL
TOTAL COSTS Design and Permitting: $325,000 Demolition and Rough Grading: $1,351,000 Restoration and Landscape: $851,000 Total: $2,527,000
KEY WORDS
To be filled in by the Green Shores group
Points Awarded 2 1 0 4 3 2 4 1 2 2 1 22
Certification Level GOLD
PROJECT LOCATION
Create a diverse marine riparian forest composed of big‐leaf maple, western redcedar, Sitka spruce, bitter cherry, and Douglas fir in the adjacent park area.
Improve sand and gravel intertidal habitat which can be used by surf smelt and Pacific sandlance for spawning.
Jericho Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
To demolish the Jericho Marginal Wharf for reasons of public safety and ecological restoration.
To restore the site with stakeholder input to create an environmentally sensitive, sustainable, and functional solution.
SEDIMENTATION AND POLLUTION CONTROL
To combine ecological restoration with an exceptional urban waterfront experience and program.
An Environmental Protection Plan was prepared that outlined extensive sedi‐ mentation and pollution control measures.
Maintain recreational values.
Acknowledge the site’s history.
The priority concern was creosote contamination management during removal of the wood pilings. An experienced operator removed as many piles as possible during low tide. Small debris was captured during demolition with tarps, booms and hand removal. Absorbent booms and pads were used to capture mobilized hydrocarbons. Wood piles and debris were contained and then properly disposed of off‐site.
PROJECT BACKGROUND The Jericho Marginal Wharf (the “Wharf”) was built more than 60 years ago to serve the needs of the Royal Canadian Air Forces amphibious aircraft operations. In July 2008, the Vancouver Park Board adopted a concept plan that included demolition and removal of the Wharf, restoration of the natural beach and foreshore, and retention of a small portion of the deck railings for historic purposes.
OVERALL DESIGN STRATEGY Changes to the shoreline:
Removal of the Wharf decking, wood piles with creosote‐derived contaminants, and concrete debris from the intertidal zone.
Addition of sand fill to enhance and improve intertidal substrates.
Addition of boulders in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones.
Activities with the potential to introduce contaminants into the marine environment were undertaken away from the intertidal zone or fully contained. A spill‐containment kit was kept on site during construction and fuel and other potential contaminants were stored in designated, contained areas away from the foreshore.
Key ecological components:
Restore backshore beach‐grass community with dune wild‐rye, beach pea, yarrow, and silvery burweed. 2
PLANTING PLAN
BEACH THICKET 306 Cornus sericea 408 Salix hookeriana 306 Rhamnus purshiana
Red Twigged Dogwood Hooker's Willow Cascara
BEACH GRASS MEADOW 236 Achillea millefolium 118 Camas quamash 236 Eriophyllum lanatum 236 Lathyrus japonicus 10,639 Leymus mollis 236 Lupinus littoralis 236 Solidago canadensis 236 Fragaria chilioensis
Common Yarrow Common Camas Wooly Sunflower Beach Pea Beach Grass Seashore Lupine Canada Goldenrod Coastal Strawberry
SHRUB THICKET 263 Cornus sericea 263 Ribes sanguineum 350 Rosa nootkana 350 Rubus parviflorus 263 Salix hookeriana 263 Symphoricarpus albus
Red Twigged Dogwood Red Flowering Currant Nootka Rose Thimbleberry Hookers Willow Snowberry
RED OSIER DOGWOOD THICKET 1,639 Cornus sericea 1,595 Fragaria chilioensis
Red Twigged Dogwood Beach Strawberry
MARINE RIPARIAN FOREST 523 Oemleria cerasiformis 523 Physocarpus capitatus 523 Rubus parviflorus 523 Rubus spectabilis
Indian Plum Pacific Ninebark Thimbleberry Salmonberry
VIEWING DECK PLANTING 635 Gaultheria shallon
Salal
LOW POINT PLANTING 1,983 Juncus effusus
Common Rush
BULBS 431 431 431 431 431
Nodding Onion Harvest Brodea Common Camas Indian Paintbrush White Fawn Lily
LESSONS LEARNED
Public engagement was essential for finding a design solution that balanced recreation use with ecological values.
To determine how best to remove the wharf structure, the project team had to determine what type of fill materials would be found beneath the upslope portion, the risk of contaminant mobilization during demolition, and how to create a stable beach profile in a dynamic shoreline.
Because the project was divided into two phases (demolition + restoration) it allowed the design team to review the beach dynamics for 10 months including several large storms. This allowed us to revise some of the shoreline features to address minor erosion.
The expertise of an experienced contractor (Vancouver Pile Driving) was essential for undertaking the complex job of wharf demolition.
OUTCOMES Allium cernuum Brodiaea coronaria Camassia quamash Castilleja affinis Erythronium oregonum
The project has created a new beach that is already an important part of Vancouver’s shoreline park system. On summer days, it supports swimmers, kayakers, dog walkers, and sun‐bathers.
The ecological features are beginning to develop as shrubs and trees mature. As usual, invasive species are already a management issue, and recreation use and trail access cause some wear‐and‐tear on the plant communities.
The project has also raised the bar for shoreline projects in City of Vancouver parks and will be an important precedent for future projects.
KEY CHALLENGES
Site design that balances active recreation with ecological restoration in an urban waterfront context.
Creating a stable shoreline without extensive use of rock armour or sea walls.
Managing the removal of contaminated wood pilings and wharf structure to minimize environmental impacts.
Undertaking a rigorous public engagement process with multiple stakeholders in order to build support for removing the wharf and restoring the shoreline and prioritizing ecological restoration.
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PRE‐CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS
Aerial photograph of the wharf that was removed
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN GRAPHIC
Conceptual option (not the final design)
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PHOTO DOCUMENTATION Pre‐Construction
The Wharf
Pilings supporting the wharf deck
Aerial photograph of the site
Construction Phase
Oct. 25, 2011 – Shoreline restoration
Sept. 21, 2011 ‐ Demolition
Post‐Construction
Marine riparian forest planting
Beach meadow planting
Viewing deck with interpretive signs
For More Information Contact: Nick Page, Raincoast Applied Ecology, Vancouver, BC Phone: 604‐742‐9890 Website: http://www.raincoastappliedecology.ca/
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