McDonald Creek Watershed
Profile
Characteristics:
- Fourth largest watershed in West Vancouver
- Bordered by Marr Creek watershed to the west and Lawson Creek watershed to the east in West Vancouver, BC
- Originates on south side of Hollyburn Ridge in Cypress Provincial Park
- Discharges into Burrard Inlet near 19th Street and the West Vancouver Seawall
- 54% of watershed above currant limit of development, at 366 m elevation
- Watershed almost entirely developed, new urban development in the western corner of the watershed to the 366 m limit of development
- Branches at highway and again west of Langton Place to form three branches, the East Branch is the main branch
- Deeply incised gullies above highway
- Several other small and ephemeral tributaries totalling 13.4 km of channel, several small lakes in headwaters
- Winter base flow of 35 to 80 L/s and summer base flow of 5 to 15 L/s
- 75% of watershed forested, 78% riparian forest cover over entire watershed
- Below 400 m forest cover is sporadic and isolated along narrow stream corridors
- Channel slope ranges from 30% in mid watershed to 5% in lower watershed
- Channel substrate dominated by cobbles and boulders in upper watershed, cobble and gravel in lower watershed
- Channel altered almost the entire length below Upper Levels highway
- Significant bedload movement down creek, originating above highway
- Underground storm drains in development above highway and in lower watershed, roadside ditches in older residential areas below highway
- Diversion pipe for high (100-year) flow, inlets at Upper Levels highway and at Fulton Avenue
- Historical fish habitat to Queens Avenue
- Twenty-seven culverts and bridges, 34 privately owned pedestrian bridges
- 50% of impervious surfaces drain to pervious ditches and detention ponds
- Five detention ponds for storm water
- Watershed underlain by up to 25 m of low permeability till, isolated granular deposits with slow permeability (>1.5 m) and moderately permeable soil (0.5 m)
- Total impervious area over the entire watershed is 17%
History:
- Possibly named after H. R. McDonald, councillor in 1917/18 and 1919/20 along with Reeve Vinson, George Hay (Hay Park) and James Mathers (Mathers Avenue)
- Lower and middle watershed logged in the late 20th and early 21st century
- Small amount of logging in upper watershed in the 1960’s
- Flooding at Queens Avenue in 1972 caused by heavy rain during highway construction
- Report of spill and fish kill in 1994 [FISS]
- Pollution spill, 2000 [NSN]
Watershed Use:
- Residential
- Commercial along Marine Drive
- Park: Seawalk Garden, Memorial Park, Hay Park, (Whitby Estates Park), Westhill Park, Cypress Provincial Park
- Recreational: Millstream Trail, Skyline Trail, Old Brewis Trail, West Lake Road, Hollyburn cross-country ski area, Baden-Powell Trail
- Fish: cutthroat trout to Queens Avenue, coho to Fulton Avenue, prickly sculpin to Fulton Avenue
- Wildlife: tailed frog in upper watershed and urban area above highway, diverse populations of mammals, birds and amphibians
- Vegetation: subalpine forests of mountain hemlock and yellow cedar above 650 m; second-growth red alder, Douglas fir or mixed forests in headwaters; sporadic in developed area, mostly along narrow stream corridors or in parks
- Train and automobile transportation, power lines
- Water licence for 9.375 cubic feet per second for Residential Power purposes
Concerns:
- Classified as endangered by due to the effects of urbanization, such as the large amount of impermeable areas, channelization, riparian vegetation loss, and water quality problems
- Barriers to fish migration:
- Fulton Avenue culvert an obstruction under some conditions because of steep intake gradient
- Concrete dam, 2 m high, between Fulton and Inglewood Avenues
- Kings Avenue footbridge due to 1.1 m high concrete structure
- Mathers Avenue due to 90 cm outlet drop
- Natural cascades upstream of Mathers Avenue reduce or prevent upstream movement under some flows
- Queens Avenue due to outlet drop and plugged trash rack at intake
- Upper Levels highway due to long steep culvert
- Westhill Way, twin culvert too steep (>15% gradient) to allow fish passage at any flow levels
- Morphology:
- channelization of creek and loss of tributaries through urban area
- large woody debris rare in urban watershed
- gravel uncommon, some in Hay Park and Memorial Park
- Water Quality:
- altered through proximity to urban development and storm drain discharge
- potential for sewer lines breakages
- Macroinvertibrate sampling (B-IBI score) in urban area classified creek as “poor-fair” in health
- Current development in upper watershed and redevelopment and associated problems, including:
- increase in imperviousness
- construction of storm drain network resulting in altered water quality and quantity
- degradation of riparian area
- removal of portion of watershed by draining directly into diversion
Key Interest Groups:
- Municipal: District of West Vancouver, District Parks Department
- Federal: Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Provincial: Ministry of Transportation and Highways; Ministry of Water, Air and Land Protection
- Cypress Bowl Recreations, cross-country ski clubs, mountain biking clubs
- West Vancouver Streamkeepers
- BC Rail, BC Hydro
- Ambleside and Dundarave Ratepayers Association
Watershed Projects:
- Spawner survey conducted by 4th West Vancouver Venturers for West Vancouver Streamkeepers, 2002
- Unfed coho fry release, 2000, 2001, 2002
- Installation of fish ladder in flume and box culverts from mouth to Memorial Park in 2001
- Tailed frog studies by school children, 1998
Recommendations for Further Actions:
- Work on obstructions and barriers to spawner migration to Queen’s Avenue.
- Fulton Avenue culvert is obstruction to spawner migration under some flow conditions
- Concrete dam between Fulton Avenue and Inglewood Avenue is the current upstream migration barrier
- Protection of existing riparian areas, enhancement of riparian zones in parks
- Promote watershed awareness
- Install creek name signs at Marine Drive and in parks
Available Sources of Information:
Web Sites:
Reports:
- Lower Fraser Valley Stream Review, Vol. 1. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Fraser River Action Plan, 1999
- Wild Threatened, Endangered and lost Streams of the Lower Fraser Valley, Summary Report. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Fraser River Action Plan, 1997
- Creeks in West Vancouver. Hugh Johnston?, 1990
- West Vancouver Drainage. Dayton and Knight, 1973
- Task Force Inquiry into Drainage Policies and Problems, Summary Report. District of West Vancouver, 1977
Prepared by Elizabeth Hardy, March 2003