Lax Kw’alaams Harbor dredging about to begin

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Small Craft Harbors Program will soon be dredging seafloor at the entrance to Lax Kw’alaams Harbor to allow for safe navigation.

The project will be completed before February 15, 2021 to reduce risk to fish and fish habitat, and an environmental monitor will be on site at all times to ensure compliance with environmental requirements.

“The contractors will adhere to site-specific Health and Safety Plans approved by Lax Kw’alaams Band Administration, which include strategies to prevent the possible transmission of COVID-19,” the officials said in their latest release.

Silt curtains will be installed parallel to the channel throughout the project, to protect adjacent eelgrass beds.

This will require the entrance channel to be restricted to minimum 10m width for the duration of the project. The 10m width will allow one-way traffic in and out of Lax Kw’alaams Harbor for the duration of the project, according to the announcement.

The depth of the channel will be maintained at -2m chart datum during the project, or two meters below a zero tide.

Also, dredge material will be disposed at the Tsimpsean Peninsula disposal at sea site, in accordance with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Disposal at Sea permit.

On completion, this project will provide an entrance channel to the Harbor with minimum width of 20m at a consistent depth of -3m chart datum.