Nelson Creek

Complete Profile

Nelson Creek
Watershed

Area: 5.1 km²
Length: 4.94 km
Orientation: Northeast-southwest
Elevation range: 0 – 1130 m

Characteristics:

Second largest watershed in West Vancouver
Discharges into Burrard Inlet at Fisherman’s Cove
Originates on Black Mountain plateau
Bordered by Larson Creek watershed to the west and Eagle Creek and Cypress Creek watersheds to the east in West Vancouver, BC
Main tributaries and lakes: Dick Creek and Eagle Lake, Whyte Creek and Whyte Lake
Several other small and ephemeral tributaries, several small lakes in headwaters on Black Mountain plateau

History:

Nelson Creek named for August Nelson, a framer at Hastings Mill, who pre-empted District Lot 722 in 1886
Whyte Lake and Whyte Creek are named after Colonel Albert Whyte, a principal figure in the West Shore and Northern Land Company, who laid out the building lots and streets from Horseshoe Bay to Whytecliffe
Commercial logging operation started on Black Mountain in 1899, to cut the trees that had escaped a forest fire that spread from Hollyburn to Eagle Harbour in 1884. A flume was built from the head of Whyte Lake to carry logs down to Horseshoe Bay, followed the property line between District Lot 1495 and District Lot 1494
Small siphon was installed in 1922 at Whyte Lake for water supply.
Nelson Creek used as water supply for Horseshoe Bay and Whytecliff from 1923 until late 1980’s, intake at 143 m elevation, 20 cm intake pipe, pressure regulator at 76 m elevation. Intake is now used for Nelson Creek fish hatchery
Eagle Lake developed as water supply using a small timber dam at the outlet, expanded to a major water supply and storage source between 1973 and 1977
Estuary dredged in 1967 for development of Thunderbird Marina

Watershed Use:

Residential: approximately 90 houses in the watershed
Nelson Creek hatchery is located about 300 m upstream of Cranley Drive, raises chum and coho for West Vancouver creeks
Water supply: water is diverted to Eagle Lake from mainstem and gathered from Dick Creek tributary for use as West Vancouver municipal water supply
Park: Nelson Canyon Park set aside for municipal water supply
Fish: coho to Cranley Drive impasse, chum to Marine Drive, cutthroat throughout, steelhead to Marine Drive
Wildlife: diverse populations of mammal, bird and amphibian inhabit the watershed (ie. black bear, otter, great blue heron, kingfisher, American Dipper, Tailed Frog, Ensatina, Western Red Backed Salamander)
Marina, train and automobile transportation, Trans Canada Trail, hydro lines

Concerns:

Classified as endangered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada because of extensive modification by development (ie. dammed and dredged) and estuary lost
Morphology:

dredging for marina has resulted in elimination of lower 75 metres of the creek and loss of estuary and limited access at mouth for spawning fish (above 14 ft tide)
culverting at Thunderbird Marina and under Telegraph Trail, Marine Drive and Cranley Drive has resulted in barriers for fish migration
channelization of creek and loss of tributaries through urban area

Water diverted from mainstem into Eagle Lake and gathered from Dick Creek tributary resulting in potential for reduced base flows and elimination of high fall water needed for spawning salmon
Water quality:

Possible future development in upper watershed and associated problems, including:

increase in imperviousness
loss of wetlands and tributaries
construction of storm drain network resulting in altered water quality and quantity
encroachment into riparian zones
tributary channelization, bank alteration
increased erosion into creek

Key Interest Groups:

West Vancouver Streamkeepers
Federal: Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Provincial: Ministry of Transportation and Highways; Ministry of Environment Lands and Parks
District of West Vancouver, District Parks Department
Thunderbird Marina
Ratepayers Association
BC Rail

Watershed Projects:

Proposed fish ladder at creek mouth.
Digitized map of urban watershed including storm drain network, SHIM website, 2001
Hatchery built above the highway in 1991. Releases up to 100,000 chum and 60,000 coho per year to West Vancouver creeks
Cement curb baffles installed in open box culvert at Marine Drive to improve fish access, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 1999
Water quality samples taken, North Shore Streamkeepers, 1999
Cement curb baffles installed in the culvert at the mouth of Nelson Creek on Thunderbird Marina property, 1997
Spawner surveys, West Vancouver Streamkeepers, 1997 onwards
Stream survey, West Vancouver Streamkeepers, 1997
Chum and coho incubation box at Cranley Drive between 1981 and 1986 (67500 coho and 75000 chum planted)
Series of drops and pools created with large boulders in the lower 100 m section of the creek, 1972?

Recommendations:

Maintain reliable water supply in the creek during the summer and early autumn
Establish enforceable erosion control bylaws, to address the problems caused by siltation during house construction and renovation
Increase public awareness and appreciation of the Nelson Creek watershed
Complete habitat assessment of Nelson Creek
Encourage the planting of native vegetation along the creek banks
Study groundwater source at Marine Drive

Available Sources of Information:

Maps: TRIM/UTM 92G034

Web Sites:

http://www.pskf.ca The Pacific Streamkeepers Federation
www.bcfisheries.gov.bc.ca/fishinv/fiss.html Fisheries Information Summary System (FISS)
www.bcfisheries.gov.bc.ca/fishinv/index.html includes FISS, Survey Data, Base Maps, Methods
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/English/maps.htm includes Fish Wizard, Fisheries Project Registry, SHIM Data with Orthophotos, Wild Threatened, Endangered and Lost Streams of the Lower Fraser Valley
www.shim.bc.ca Sensitive Habitat Information and Mapping

Reports:

District of West Vancouver Drainage Survey. Dayton and Knight Ltd., 1973
Water Supply Investigations, Report on Eagle Lake. D. W. Hodsdon, 1926
Creeks in West Vancouver. Hugh Johnston?, 1990
The Modernization of Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, B.C. Andre Ortmayr, 1984?
West Vancouver Water Supply. H. B. Muckleston, 1930
A Place of Excellence: A Chronicle of West Vancouver 1912-1987. Bruce Ramsey, 1986
West Vancouver Sewerage Survey, Howe Sound to West Bay. Dayton and Knight Ltd., 1967
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
North Shore Streams- Nutrient Impacts. North Shore Streamkeepers, 1999
DFO/MOEP Fish Habitat Inventory and Information Program, Stream Information Summary. 1989
West Vancouver Streams: Nelson Creek. Munro Environmental Consulting, 1998