Metro Vancouver has begun work to repair damage during winter storms and extremely high tides at Centennial Beach and the trails at Boundary Bay Regional Park.
Trails will remain open but visitors should expect to encounter construction crews and equipment, according to Metro Vancouver.
Meanwhile, debris cleanup will require Centennial Beach to be closed to the public from now until April 14, excluding the Easter long weekend from April 8 to 10.
A Metro staff report to the Regional Parks Committee earlier this year noted that between Dec. 27 to 29, Boundary Bay Regional Park experienced a storm surge several feet high due to a king tide combined with prevailing winds from the southeast.
The storm surge breached the dike trail in the lagoon area and flooded the main day use area. The flooding carried logs, woody debris and sand about up to 200 metres inland.
An emergency repair of the dike breach was conducted by the City of Delta, while regional parks staff initiated a log cleanup in an area of the main beach to accommodate Delta’s Jan. 1 Polar Bear Swim.
The report noted most of the trails are passable again, but some will require additional repairs to restore them to their original condition.
The report also noted that on Dec. 27, the king tide topped the berms at Deas Island Regional Park, flooding part of the central island and washing out trails in multiple spots on both the slough and river side.
The increased frequency of winter storms and king tide events are impacts of ongoing climate change that will continue to challenge regional parks into the future, the report added.
