The Squamish River Watershed Society will be conducting drilling along the Spit Road on Friday, June 4.
Please anticipate drilling equipment on the dike and flagging personnel onsite to guide alternating traffic during the day on Friday, June 4.
The drilling is to do core heavy metals and soil sampling to determine the characterization of the materials of the spit and its suitability for relocation.
The phase 2 of the Central Estuary Restoration Project is ongoing and there are plans to remove the most southerly portion of the Spit from the yellow gate south to the windsport launching area.
The current intention is to leave the windsport launching/roundabout area as an island which can be accessed by water, according to an update by the Squamish River Watershed Society.
A separate process led by Squamish Nation and the District of Squamish will explore how to access and animate the “island” for windsports and the community at large, in the short, medium and long term.
In early 2020, the society informed the community that significant alteration and removal of the dike was imperative to returning the natural function of the Squamish Estuary as a critically important “nursery” for juvenile Chinook salmon and other species.
COVID and other logistical challenges delayed the river modelling studies and reports needed to proceed on this work in 2020.
However, removal of the dike could begin this fall.
