Information about spit removal- new petition
15 posts
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Hi, the SWS has made a petition in response to the district moving forward with plans to remove the spit. Information in the petition http://chng.it/vKdmPMqQVq but sounds like they just want to leave an island
- Jennifer
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 10:55 am
This seems so short sighted.. I've shared it with my outdoorsy friends too.
- dan.e
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:01 pm
Signed and shared with all the other windsports groups I'm in.
- tattooedferret
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:09 am
Here's a recent Squamish chief, article. https://www.squamishchief.com/amp/local ... it-3455035
What about a floating pier to the remainder of the spit, from near the end of 3rd Avenue?
The picture is of a floating pier that the artist Christo built.
The current might be too strong for this though.
What about a floating pier to the remainder of the spit, from near the end of 3rd Avenue?
The picture is of a floating pier that the artist Christo built.
The current might be too strong for this though.
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Ryan - Posts: 447
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 3:19 pm
I was trying to picture this.....
If they are not going to build any sort of access from 3rd would it be so bad it the entire thing was gone?
This rendition might be wishful thinking but it would create a much bigger sailing area.
If they are not going to build any sort of access from 3rd would it be so bad it the entire thing was gone?
This rendition might be wishful thinking but it would create a much bigger sailing area.
- Squamish_SansSpit.jpg (222.25 KiB) Viewed 7891 times
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- Michael
- Posts: 2773
- Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:31 pm
Sorry but it's wishful thinking.
Only DFO has any idea how the sandbars would look like if they removed the spit, but I highly doubt the sandbar would conveniently relocate itself to be where the 3rd ave berm was supposed to be (as shown in the image). That would mean significant sediment accumulation at the berth, and the port would never have it.
And if DFO thought there was a chance that we would be able to maintain any kind of usable access with a removed spit, they would have at the very least said so. They didn't.
The wind up the estuary is not as strong, and dies first. You might still be sailing out in the usual area, but you won't be able to come back, up the current, in weaker wind. It would be dangerous, and especially so for beginners, windsurfers, or if the SWS rescue is busy or unavailable or ceased to exist.
Only DFO has any idea how the sandbars would look like if they removed the spit, but I highly doubt the sandbar would conveniently relocate itself to be where the 3rd ave berm was supposed to be (as shown in the image). That would mean significant sediment accumulation at the berth, and the port would never have it.
And if DFO thought there was a chance that we would be able to maintain any kind of usable access with a removed spit, they would have at the very least said so. They didn't.
The wind up the estuary is not as strong, and dies first. You might still be sailing out in the usual area, but you won't be able to come back, up the current, in weaker wind. It would be dangerous, and especially so for beginners, windsurfers, or if the SWS rescue is busy or unavailable or ceased to exist.
- raquo
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:37 pm
Yesterday, I happened to be listening to the CBC national news on the radio and they were reporting that this would be the last summer that the spit would be accessible before the fish zealots tear out the road. I think people started windsurfing there in the early part of the 1980's (1986 was my first year). It's a shame for Canada to lose one of it's premier windsurfing and kiting spots. I fully support salmon conservation but not at the cost of decimating wind sports in the area.
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drh - Posts: 159
- Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2013 12:35 pm
The watershed plan is total BS to be. Looking at Michael's rendering there it's pretty obvious that there is little difference in the river outflow with the terminal remaining free of sediment flow and therefore no difference to the salmon. I don't think it's possible to return the salmon habitat without silting the terminal. The fish go where the silt goes and the terminal is built right on the bank of the estuary. Seems fishy to me that they haven't even been mentioned as a problem as if there is some good given right to operate a second shipping berth literally inside the estuary! Industry/development is the main terrestrial threat to salmon here, not recreation as CBC seems to think...
- JonathanP
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2013 2:06 pm
Someone mentioned it as a conspiracy theory, but where do you think the rip rap and gravel from the spit will end up? It's not like it's going to the landfill. It's worth several million. Probably will be sold for cheap to the developers of Nexen, or to Woodfibre LNG. Makes sense, and would explain why they're so hell bent on removing the spit specifically, and on not using its material to build alternative access.
If they really wanted to help salmon they would have opened up the estuary channel way upstream, where they put the culverts, because that's where the river used to flow. The river is not magically going to flow upstream into the estuary if the spit is removed.
Such bullshit, all this.
Subsidizing the fracking industry and a methane export terminal with tens of millions of dollars – business as usual. Investing a couple million to prevent a rare, prolific site for an olympic sport from destruction – meh, who needs that. Everyone knows when you're on your deathbed your main regret is that you didn't drill enough oil and didn't prevent enough people from kiteboarding.
If they really wanted to help salmon they would have opened up the estuary channel way upstream, where they put the culverts, because that's where the river used to flow. The river is not magically going to flow upstream into the estuary if the spit is removed.
Such bullshit, all this.
Subsidizing the fracking industry and a methane export terminal with tens of millions of dollars – business as usual. Investing a couple million to prevent a rare, prolific site for an olympic sport from destruction – meh, who needs that. Everyone knows when you're on your deathbed your main regret is that you didn't drill enough oil and didn't prevent enough people from kiteboarding.
- raquo
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:37 pm
The new Spit will probably look like this:
If they remove anymore of it the terminal would silt up way too fast.
You would still be able to kite from the Spit pretty easily, you'd just have to launch at the new parking lot and then body drag across to the Spit if the wind is too crappy. Then you could walk further down the Spit and re-launch from the usual spot. Only real issue would be if the wind truly died you wouldn't be able to cross back to the new parking lot due to the current.
Of course the SWS would probably be gone and there'd be no rescue anymore.
I wonder what the cost of a foot bridge would be, sure it's a long walk but it would still give access.
Alternatively I wonder if it isn't time to give up the Spit all together and focus on getting something that can handle 200 concurrent kiters at Nexen while there is still time before the developers squeeze us out of that access. Once those power lines are gone (they might already be gone) you could have a launch near the point and have the landing be done at the current kite launch at Nexen. That would allow people to come and go at the same time and alleviate the bottle neck of people trying to get upwind from the back of the bay. They do something similar at Sherman Island, CA.
Yes the wind is worse at Nexen but you can naturally self rescue. You could even still kite/sail over to the Spit and return or self rescue to Bozo Beach and walk (I did the opposite once, it wasn't bad aside from the part where I had to swim across the estuary, which only have to do going the other direction).
Nexen is about as bad as the Spit is for beginners so pretty much the same.
Aerial killed off all the kite schools that used to operate from the Spit (I think). So it wont have any effect on the commercial side of things as all the teaching is done out of the marina now.
- NewSpit.jpg (142.82 KiB) Viewed 7339 times
If they remove anymore of it the terminal would silt up way too fast.
You would still be able to kite from the Spit pretty easily, you'd just have to launch at the new parking lot and then body drag across to the Spit if the wind is too crappy. Then you could walk further down the Spit and re-launch from the usual spot. Only real issue would be if the wind truly died you wouldn't be able to cross back to the new parking lot due to the current.
Of course the SWS would probably be gone and there'd be no rescue anymore.
I wonder what the cost of a foot bridge would be, sure it's a long walk but it would still give access.
Alternatively I wonder if it isn't time to give up the Spit all together and focus on getting something that can handle 200 concurrent kiters at Nexen while there is still time before the developers squeeze us out of that access. Once those power lines are gone (they might already be gone) you could have a launch near the point and have the landing be done at the current kite launch at Nexen. That would allow people to come and go at the same time and alleviate the bottle neck of people trying to get upwind from the back of the bay. They do something similar at Sherman Island, CA.
- Nexen.jpg (233.25 KiB) Viewed 7339 times
Yes the wind is worse at Nexen but you can naturally self rescue. You could even still kite/sail over to the Spit and return or self rescue to Bozo Beach and walk (I did the opposite once, it wasn't bad aside from the part where I had to swim across the estuary, which only have to do going the other direction).
Nexen is about as bad as the Spit is for beginners so pretty much the same.
Aerial killed off all the kite schools that used to operate from the Spit (I think). So it wont have any effect on the commercial side of things as all the teaching is done out of the marina now.
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Slappy - Posts: 1570
- Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:31 am
15 posts
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