Water issues make uncertain future over Hopington
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Updated: November 18, 2009 2:40 PM
Seventy-five people braved the rain and wind to attend a water forum hosted by the Salmon River Enhancement Society at DW Poppy Secondary on November 5.
The audience was told by Doug McFee of SRES that action is needed soon to save the Salmon River from damage due to the water table dropping a foot a year in the Hopington aquifer.
Langley well driller Jim Clark spoke on capping artesian wells and engineer Ted Van Der Gulik of the Ministry of Agriculture gave an excellent talk on more efficient use of water by agriculture.
The experts agreed that the three priority issues are capping artesian wells, reducing water use (80 per cent of which is agricultural) and increasing infiltration of water into the ground to recharge the water table.
Speakers pointed out that the Township Water Management Plan contains some of these ideas but not enough to stabilize the water table.
Dr. Hans Schreier from UBC, an international water expert, closed the evening by pointing out the unique values of the Salmon River watershed. Schreier suggested that increased development would compromise those values.
