Doug McFee
Director, Salmon River Enhancement Society
604-534-6727
The Township of Langley Engineering staff has made the best of a difficult
situation by suggested the 64th Avenue route for water pipes to
Gloucester/Aldergrove.  The 64th route is the least likely to cause
development pressures and thus "collateral damage" to the Hopington aquifer
and the Salmon River.

The Hopington aquifer supplies water to the provincially important and still
healthy Salmon River.  However, water issues (dropping water table and
nitrate pollution) are the chief reasons that the Salmon River was recently
named to B.C.'s most endangered rivers list for 2010.  We continue to have a
moratorium on development over the Hopington area because it has been
recognized that development would make water problems worse, not better.  .


Although the entire Hopington aquifer is important, the most critical part
of the aquifer is the old Strawberry Flats extending about 1 mile in all
directions from 240th and 52nd.  The majority of rainwater refilling the
water table enters in this area.  Development would interfere with rainwater
infiltration (pavement and other hard surfaces cause runoff and dropping
water tables under development areas such as Walnut Grove) and would make
water quality worse.  

Those arguing for the Fraser Highway route fail to appreciate that this
route is also the 248th route.  The pipes would not go all the way out
Fraser Highway to Aldergrove because the pipes north of Aldergrove are too
small to supply Gloucester.  Instead pipes would cut through the critical
area going from Fraser Highway up 248th to Gloucester.   

With both the Fraser/248th route and the 52nd Avenue route cutting through
the critical Strawberry Flats recharge area risks are high.  The 64th Avenue
route is the only route that does not traverse the critical area

The Salmon River Enhancement Society has spent a lot of time investigating
the piping options.  We were also confused initially about the Fraser
Highway route but eventually recognized the risks of the 248th portion of
that route.  Any pipes run the risk of arousing development pressures and
worsening water issues in the aquifer.  The 64th Avenue route offers the
least risk.  

Doug McFee
Director, Salmon River Enhancement Society
604-534-6727