Complete Profile

Suterbrook Creek Watershed Total Drainage Area = Unknown Length = Unknown Elevation Range: 0 - 40.00m

Characteristics

• This watershed is bounded by Murray St and Knowle St to the North, St. Johns St and CPR Right of Way to the south, Ioco Rd. to the east and Lot A, Plan 16018 to the west.
• Source believed to be either in the Chines hillside in Coquitlam or near Mundy Lake. With flow directly through an area of residential development
• An estuarine wetland, in Shoreline Park forms the mouth of this creek.

History

• This creek has been stipulated to be maintained to protect fish-bearing habitats by the Port Moody Official Community Plan, 1992.

Watershed Use

• Ownership: IPSCO, CP Rail, Greystone, City of Port Moody
• Landuse: Commercial, Industrial, Parks and Recreation, Residential, CP Right of Way.
• Fish: Chum and Coho Salmon; Coastal Cutthroat Trout; Sculpins
• Vegetation: Sitka spruce – Salmonberry; Black cottonwood – Willow

Concerns

• Six culverts carry stormwater into the brook from adjacent developed lands.
• A 121 m of culvert passing under the railroad tracks through the works yard acts as an impassable barrier to salmonids.
• The culvert below St. Johns is also impassable to salmonids.
• The majority of this watershed has been developed, although there are large greenspaces (park areas) within the developed area.
• Large proportion of impervious surfaces affect the hydrology of the watershed.
• Stream cover is lacking in the lower reaches of this stream, and there is insufficient gravel for suitable spawning habitat.
• Water quality is a concern, as is riparian losses, encroachment, unauthorized stream bed and bank alterations, access conflicts and stormwater impacts.

Key Interest Groups/Government Bodies

• Municipal Gov’t: City of Coquitlam, City of Port Moody
• Regional Gov’t: GVRD, Vancouver Port Authority
• Provincial Gov’t: Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks
• Federal Gov’t: Department of Fisheries and Oceans
• Local NGO’s: Port Moody Ecological Society, Mossom Creek Hatchery
• Other Stakeholders: Greystone Developments, CP Railway

Watershed Projects

• Stocking of chum from Mossom Creek and Noons Creek hatcheries.
• Suterbrook Project: development project to see Shoreline Park’s adjacent green spaces turned into medium density residential area. A 21 m buffer strip retained along Suterbrook.
• A long section of previously culverted streambed was daylighted by the City of port Moody as an attempt to enable returning salmon to migrate further upstream to suitable coho spawning habitat.
• Many restoration efforts have focused on this creek and these restored areas require ongoing protection.

Available Sources of Information

Port Moody Public Library

References

Dunster & Associates Environmental Consultants Ltd., and AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. 1999. Port Moody Environmentally Sensitive Areas Management Strategy. Phase 1: An Inventory of Natural Areas. Prepared for the City of Port Moody.
ECL Envirowest Consultants Ltd. 1990. An Assessment of Enhancement Opportunities in Schoolhouse Creek and Suter Brook, Port Moody B.C. Prepared for the City of Port Moody.
Fraser River Action Plan. 1999. Lower Fraser Valley Streams (Vol.1): Strategic Review. Queens Printer. ISBN 0-662-26167-4
Olsen, C., Weber, S., Coombs, R., Firth, E., Ford, B. 1998. Ecological and Educational Plan for Shoreline Park Aquatic Ecosystems. Master Plan. Prepared for City of Port Moody and UBC Natural Resources Conservation 481.
Precision Identification Biological Consultants. 1997. Lower Fraser Valley Stream Review (Vol. 3): Wild, Threatened, Endangered and Lost Streams of the Lower Fraser Valley. Prepared for Fraser River Action Plan. Queens Printer. ISBN 0-662-26029-5
Priority Connections Consultants Ltd. 1998. Master Plan for Shoreline Park: Increasing Connectivity via Ecological and Recreation Corridors. Prepared as UBC Conservation 481: Final Project.
Walsh, H. 1996. Suterbrook : Fish Habitat Inventory. Prepared for BCIT Fish Wildlife and Recreation Program.