Innovation Summer 2024

MUD BAY NATURE-BASED LIVING DYKE The Mud Bay nature-based foreshore enhancement, or living dyke, is located along Surrey’s coastal foreshore and is the first living dyke to be constructed in BC. The project is testing various natural approaches, including sediment, cobbles, oyster bags, and brushwood dams, for their effectiveness in facilitating the growth of native foreshore plantings while reducing coastal wave run-up along the shoreline. The pilot was constructed in 2023 in partnership with the City of Surrey, Semiahmoo First Nation, and the City of Delta. Initial monitoring results indicate that the living dyke is effective for wave energy dissipation, slope stabilization, and retention of a sediment-rich intertidal zone, creating a nutrient-rich ecosystem that is naturally designed to mitigate flooding. Following the monitoring period, the living dyke design will be refined and expanded over a larger section of the Mud Bay shoreline. Company: City of Surrey Participants: Project partners: Matt Osler, P.Eng.; Samantha Ward, P.Eng.; Harvy Takhar, P.Eng.; Rosaline Choy, P.Eng. Project consultants: Eric Morris, P.Eng.; Allison Matfin, P.Eng.; Stephen Mills, P.Eng.; Steve Coulter, P.Eng.

Photo courtesy of City of Surrey

Innovation Summer 2024

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