Gravel removal on the Vedder River near Chilliwack has been put on hold by Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (MOE).

The proposal for a two-kilometre stretch of the Vedder was characterized as a 鈥済ravel grab鈥� by environmental critics due to its 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� scale, and timing during a pink-salmon return year.

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鈥淭he proposal has been postponed until 2024,鈥� confirmed MOE spokesperson Sonia Lowe, 鈥渢o further help and ease concerns around the return of the pink salmon, and to give regulators more time to review the submitted plans, and allow time for further consultation with First Nations.鈥�

The gravel stewardship subcommittee of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society, together with the BCWF, sounded the alarm in June over the plan to remove 364,000 cubic metres of sediment from the Vedder, especially in a pink year.

Now the salmon advocates are praising the move by the provincial MOE to kibosh the project for 2023, and to actively include some of the local advocates in the decision-making process for next year, as well as more consultation with First Nations.

Terry Bodman, long-time director of the salmon society said he was relieved.

鈥淲e were very thankful to hear that news,鈥� Bodman said. 鈥淭he fish will be the winners.鈥�

Also fact that the local volunteers have secured a commitment by the province to involve them in the process for 2024, leaves him feeling 鈥渙ptimistic.鈥�

Salmon society director Marvin Rosenau, a fisheries expert, stressed that they have 鈥渘o beef鈥� with gravel removal for maintenance reasons, and is looking forward to a more collaborative effort in the future.

Rosenau and his fellow salmon society volunteers have been closely monitoring the gravel removals, conducted every two years, through the Vedder River Management Area Committee, for more than 20 years. As a biologist and former BCIT fisheries instructor, Rosenau has been instrumental in analyzing the data and modelling, along with advocating for the protection of key habitat, as a volunteer of the salmon society.

Previous gravel extraction proposals were put on hold in 2018, and in 2020, with Rosenau pointing out each time there is no justification for a massive sediment removal under the guise of flood protection, given that the river has been 鈥渙ver-extracted鈥� for years. Gravel was removed in 2021, and in 2016.

Rosenau estimated that they鈥檝e removed approximately 600,000 cubic metres in terms of the long-term, historic gravel amount. And even with the estimated 440,000 cubic metres of sediment that washed into the gravel reach from the 2021 atmospheric rivers, that the area is still in 鈥渄eficit,鈥� he said.

Dean Werk, president of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society, echoes other advocates in saying it was a 鈥渂ig relief鈥� that their concerns were listened to in the end.

The gravel removal process needs more transparency and accountability.

鈥淭hat would have been the biggest gravel dig in the history of that river,鈥� Werk said. 鈥淧eople need to understand the real story.鈥�

Volunteers have effectively stopped gravel extraction on the Vedder three times in the past eight years.

They been 鈥渂anging the drum鈥� over the key importance of the 鈥渉eart of the Fraser鈥� for salmon, and habitat and by making presentations based on the historic data to support the hypothesis that 鈥渢oo much gravel鈥� has already been removed from the river.

鈥淎ll we were doing was telling the truth,鈥� Werk said.

The irreplaceable habitat of the Chilliwack/Vedder river system, supporting several types of salmon, is poorly understood even by provincial environment officials.

That needs to change, he said.

鈥淣o fish habitat means no fish.鈥�

鈥淭his is an urgent plea for the province going forward to involve those who understand what is at stake, and to be more accountable and responsible for future generations,鈥� Werk said.

Ministry officials pledged to 鈥渨ork with stakeholders and regulators鈥� in the coming months 鈥渢o ensure the removal plan continues to reduce the risk of flooding鈥� and to ensure this project can proceed next year.

However, should an emergency develop between now and next year鈥檚 work window, they will take 鈥渁ppropriate and immediate action鈥� to maintain public safety and flood capacity on the river.

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