Salt marsh restoration underway in Boundary Bay
For the last week, a national conservation organization has been working to restore the tidal marsh in Delta's Boundary Bay.
The project, led by Ducks Unlimited Canada, aims to restore the ecosystem by removing many of the logs that have accumulated in the marsh over the years.
Sarah Nathan, project operations manager for Ducks Unlimited's B.C. conservation program, told CTV News most of the logs being removed are "anthropogenic," meaning they were cut by humans, mainly for the forestry industry.
"Over the years, some logs have tended to escape from the log sorts, and because they don't have branches remaining on them or pointy root wads, they roll around, and they can mobilize within the marsh, and they act like rolling pins," Nathan said.
"So, what they end up doing is smothering some really valuable remnant salt marshes that we're trying really hard to take care of."
Large logs – especially those with wide, flat surfaces or root wads – are part of the ecosystem and are being left in Boundary Bay, according to Nathan. It's smaller logs that cause the most trouble.
"(What we're doing) is really just letting the marsh plants grow back, so they are no longer being smothered by a carpet of small pieces of wood," she said.
In addition to serving as a valuable – and increasingly rare – habitat, salt marshes are useful carbon sinks for fighting climate change, Nathan said.
"The main improvement we're really excited about is, in this case, (the plants') ability to sequester their carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil," she said.
Ducks Unlimited plans to do some "trial plantings" in the spring in an effort to help the marsh recover, Nathan said. Meanwhile, all the removed wood is being transported to a biofuel facility to be recycled.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.