Stormwater Management -
Wetlands
Fishtrap Creek, Abbotsford, BC
The Fishtrap Creek
watershed drains 3047 ha of mixed agricultural, forested, and urban
lands. The creek extends from west Clearbrook, in Abbotsford B.C.,
south across the US-Canada boundary to Lynden, WA, where it joins the
Nooksak River.
As the population of Abbotsford has grown and the city has
expanded into the headwater of Fishtrap Creek, the rate of stormwater
runoff has reportedly increased the frequency of flooding in the
downstream lowlands to the south.
1994 Award for
Engineering Excellence, CEBC
  Fishtrap Creek
To reduce flooding, a series of storage basins was
constructed on the upper urban tributaries to Fishtrap Creek; they
temporarily store excess urban run-off. However, site constraints
required the careful balancing of the need to preserve existing fish and
wildlife habitat while achieving effective stormwater management in a
densely developed urban neighborhood.
The solution to successfully and cost
effectively address social and environmental needs was to construct a
series of man-made wetlands.
Through detailed engineering and
interaction with government agencies, a multi-purpose facility was
developed by Dayton & Knight Ltd. One which balances Abbotsford's goal of
cost effective flood control, while maintaining, and enhancing valuable
fish and wildlife habitat in the form of a natural park.
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