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The Story
Most years, the Fraser River freshet floods the Tom Berry gravel pit in Hope, BC, attracting juvenile salmon looking for calm water. When the river recedes, salmonids stranded there suffer high mortality due to high water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, and predation by invasive species. Heavy gravel mining, last done for the construction of the Coquihalla Highway in the 1980s, left the pit and surrounding areas rocky, dry, and lacking soil or vegetation. The gravel pit is owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Finance Authority (BCTFA).
Objectives
Building a year-round connection between the gravel pit and the Fraser River, while restoring, enhancing, and protecting habitat in and around the gravel pit, for native fish and wildlife. That includes connecting the gravel pit to nearby Silverhope Creek to ensure a steady flow of cool, clean, oxygenated water. Invasive plants would be removed and areas replanted with native trees and shrubs. The work would be part of a broader regional plan to reconnect salmon habitat in freshwater floodplains along the river.
Today, Tom Berry is transforming an abandoned gravel pit into a thriving wetland, a living example of what collaboration and care for our watersheds can achieve.
Tom Berry gravel pit circa 1976. Note the dry, rocky, unvegetated landscape
The Design
Think of the Tom Berry gravel pit as a bathtub. The tap is created by digging a spawning channel between the pit and Silverhope Creek. To drain the tub, a main channel connects the gravel pit to Bristol Slough, where salmon can reach the Fraser River and on to the Pacific Ocean. The second drain is an overflow channel connecting the pit directly to the Fraser River, relieving pressure during high water. These channels will be planted with native trees and shrubs, including willow, red-osier dogwood, and hardhack. The tub itself is an open wetland edged with native plants and shrubs that shade the water, provide a ‘rain’ of insects for salmonids, and create habitat for other fish and wildlife.
The Work: Assessment
The project began in 2017/2018 with an assessment of the site, working with the Stó:lō First Nation and Cordillera Archaeology to understand the site’s cultural, ecological, hydrological, and recreational significance. Some findings:
- First Nations artifacts testify to the cultural and historical importance of the site.
- The gravel pit had 22 distinct ecosystem types, showing ecological diversity.
- Silverhope Creek represents a flood/erosion risk that could be mitigated by a connection to the gravel pit.
At the same time, fish populations, native and invasive, were counted to establish baseline populations. Chinook, coho, and rainbow trout were found during freshet, while invasive species like common carp and pumpkinseed were found throughout the year. Most abundant were redside shiners, a small native freshwater fish.
- Traps caught 4061 fish, including 8 chinook, 6 coho, 13 rainbow trout, and 2332 redside shiners.
- Seines captured a wider range of species, including chinook, sockeye, chum, and coho. DNA samples from these salmon showed populations from 9 different tributaries, including the Thompson River, Bridge River, and Horsefly River, showing the interconnected nature of this habitat.
The Work: Construction
The spawning channel is constructed, connecting Silverhope Creek to the gravel pit. An intake valve is installed so water levels in the channel can be controlled. A first drain is built, connecting the gravel pit to the Fraser River, to act as a spillway during high water flows. A second drain connects the gravel pit to Bristol Slough, for salmon to reach the Fraser. Then the tub is contoured to include scalloped edges, varied bank slopes, and aquatic benches (raised, flat areas for vegetation to grow). This increases complexity and creates more habitat types for plants and animals.
As part of the project, the FVWC and DFO worked with community partners to build two bridges crossing the spawning channel, connecting with a local trail network.
The Work: Greening
The FVWC field crew removes invasive species, plants riparian areas, and uses bioengineering to stabilize soils.
- Truckloads of white sweet clover, Himalayan blackberry, and Scotch broom were removed to make space for native plants.
- Native species like willow, red-osier dogwood, hardhack, and wild roses are planted along the spawning channel and connection to Bristol Slough. More plants are placed along Silverhope Creek and the gravel pit/wetland.
- Common dogbane and slough sedge were planted to support the dun skipper, an endangered moth known to live across the Fraser River. Dogbane provides nectar for adults, while sedges offer ideal conditions for egg laying.
- Cuttings of willow, cottonwood, and dogwood were woven into wattle fences, “living walls” that root, grow, and hold soil in place.
- To add more mosses that attract insects, the FVWC tested a blend of moss, buttermilk, and egg to provide a sticky growing medium, spread on rocks.
Funders & Partners
More Information
Contact the FVWC to access reports and documents regarding this site.
