Farmers worried possible dredging of the Fraser could ultimately harm crops

DELTA (NEWS 1130) – Could removing the George Massey Tunnel and dredging the Fraser increase salt levels in the water that reaches crops? Some farmers in Richmond and Delta are concerned it will.

Higher salinity could damage the many fruits and vegetables grown in the municipalities, according to David Ryall with the Delta Farmers’ Institute.

He explains the group has hired a company to look at potential impacts of climate change, and a process that could include removing the tunnel.

“The feeling is that as the ocean rises, and two, if we start dredging the river deeper, which can be made possible once the tunnel is taken out, that the salt wedge may come up further up the river,” he explains.

“The issue here is there’s a port up at Surrey, and by removing the tunnel, it will perhaps enable them to dredge the river deeper, because they may want to have larger boats going to the docks in Surrey, and by dredging it deeper another metre or two, that perhaps, will allow the salt wedge to go further up the river, that’s our concern.  Just taking out the tunnel is not the issue.  The issue is then they could dredge the whole river deeper.  So the tunnel alone will not change the flow, that would be my feeling.  But it’s the ability now the tunnel’s not there as an obstacle and they could dredge deeper.”

What’s a salt wedge?

“As the tide is coming in and you know it changes here roughly, I’ll just say ten feet…so as the tide’s gone out and now the tide wants to come back in and you’ve got fresh water.  Fresh water is lighter than salt water because salt water is heavier, because it’s got more minerals in it.  So it’s kind of a wedge.  As the tide’s coming up, and it’s pushing up the Fraser River, you’ve got the fresh water from all of the snow melt pushing and riding over the salt water, and it actually creates a wedge.  As the tide’s coming in, that wedge keeps pushing up the Fraser River and the fresh water will flow over it.  So if there’s not enough flow, not enough snow melt, that wedge won’t be so much of a wedge, it will be almost like a block because it could just push itself up the Fraser River, so there’s not a lot stopping it.”

Ryall says the study will likely finish up next year.

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