Cypress Creek

Complete Profile

Cypress Creek Watershed

Area: 13.3 km²
Length: 9 km
Orientation: Northeast - Southwest
Elevation Range: 0 – 1230 m

Characteristics:

Largest watershed in West Vancouver
Discharges into Burrard Inlet near Pilot Cove
Originates on east Black Mountain plateau, Mount Strachan and Hollyburn Mountain in Cypress Provincial Park
Bordered by Willow Creek, Wood Creek, Eagle Creek and Nelson Creek on the west and Disbrow Creek, Montizambert Creek, Strachan Creek and Nickey Creek in the headwaters and Godman Creek, Westmount Creek, Pipe Creek, Rodgers Creek, Marr Creek and Capilano River watersheds to the east
Numerous small lakes and wetlands occur in the Cypress Creek watershed, including those in Cypress Bowl (Yew Lake) and on the east side of Black Mountain
Tributaries: over 25 in the upper watershed
Slope is about 12% above B. C. Rail overpass, and about 3% below
Potential spawning habitat to impassable falls (10 metres) approximately 1.6 kilometres upstream from mouth
Total impervious area over entire watershed is 2%

History:

Site of unsuccessful logging camp established by Sewell Moody in 1870, attempted to float yellow cedar (Cypress) down the creek
Area near mouth settled in 1886 by Walter Irwin, lightkeeper at Point Atkinson
Logging box flume from Cypress Creek at 366 m elevation to Eyremount Mill at 304 m elevation in late 1800’s
Francis Caulfeild installed water supply system from Caulfeilds Creek in 1909, expanded it to include an intake above the falls on Cypress Creek in 1910, municipality took over system in 1923
Supplied water to Caulfeild area from an intake at the 210 m elevation on Cypress Creek, to a pool on District Lot 1240 at 88 m elevation, via 12 cm pipe
Cypress Bowl set aside as a provincial park in 1944 in response to opposition over logging on Hollyburn Ridge and in the Cypress Creek valley, to preserve hiking and skiing recreation
Skiing and cabin area on Hollyburn Ridge since 1920’s. Logging to clear for ski development on Mt. Strachan and Black Mountain from 1966 to 1969. Initial ski facilities built 1971/1972
Annual maintenance to creek in 1984 involved pushing aside bed deposits at mouth in spring or early summer, in addition to excavating creek bed, building up banks and adding rip-rap on an as needed basis

Watershed use:

Residential
Recreational:

hiking- Trans Canada Trail, other trails
mountain biking
Cypress Bowl Recreations ski development

Commercial:

Cypress Bowl Recreations ski development in the upper watershed
Cypress Park shopping area on Marine Drive

Parks: Cypress Falls Park, Cypress Bowl Provincial Park
Water Supply:

West Vancouver Laboratories, 2 water licences, 60,000+ gal/day
Cypress Bowl Recreations, 4 water licence applications, 126,000+ gal/day

Fish: coho and chinook to Keith Road, chum, cutthroat, steelhead, rainbow trout in Yew Lake
Wildlife: diverse populations of mammals, birds and amphibians inhabit the watershed (ie. black bear, coyote, Coastal Black-tailed deer, mountain goat, smaller mammals, 82 species of birds)
Cypress Bowl Road, TransCanada Highway, Marine Drive, B.C. Hydro, BC rail

Concerns:

Classified as endangered due to development in the lower watershed, dredging of lower reaches, and development for recreation in the upper watershed
Morphology:

channel dredging below Marine Drive has simplified the stream channel

Water Quality:

altered through proximity to urban development and storm drain discharges
potential for sewer line breakages

Water supply:

possible future diversion of water from a Cypress Creek tributary to Eagle Lake to supplement the municipal water supply and the potential combined effect of water withdrawal on creek flows

Flooding:

footbridge between Erwin Drive and Ross Crescent washed away in 1975
flooding below Marine Drive in 1983

Future residential and commercial development in upper watershed and associated problems, including:

increase in imperviousness
loss of wetlands and tributaries
construction of storm drain network resulting in altered water quality and quantity
creek channelization, bank, alteration
increased erosion into creek

Key Interest Groups:

Federal: Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Provincial: Ministry of Transportation and Highways; Ministry of Environment Lands and Parks
District of West Vancouver, District Parks Department
West Vancouver Streamkeepers
Homeowners association
British Pacific Properties
Cypress Bowl Recreations
Hollyburn cabin owners
BC Rail
Trans Canada Trail
Mountain bike association

Watershed Projects:

Water quality samples taken, North Shore Streamkeepers, 1999
Drainage system inventory in headwaters, McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd., 1998
Vegetation and wildlife studies in headwaters, Talisman Land Resource Consultants, 1996
Rainbow trout stocked in Yew Lake in 1985
Incubation box for coho salmon from 1978 to 1979

Available Sources of Information:

Maps: TRIM/UTM 92G034

Web Sites:

http://www.pskf.ca The Pacific Streamkeepers Federation
www.bcfisheries.gov.bc.ca/fishinv/fiss.html Fisheries Information Summary System (FISS)
www.bcfisheries.gov.bc.ca/fishinv/index.html includes FISS, Survey Data, Base Maps, Methods
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/English/maps.htm includes Fish Wizard, Fisheries Project Registry, SHIM Data with Orthophotos, Wild Threatened, Endangered and Lost Streams of the Lower Fraser Valley
www.shim.bc.ca Sensitive Habitat Information and Summary
www.elp.gov.bc.ca:8000/pls/wtrwhse/water_licences.input water licence information

Reports:

District of West Vancouver Drainage Survey. Dayton and Knight Ltd., 1973
Cypress Bowl Recreations’ Master Concept Plan to Enhance Services, Facilities and Recreational Opportunities for Visitors to Cypress Provincial Park: Environmental Assessment. Talisman Land Resource Consultants, 1992
Report to the District of West Vancouver on the Cypress Creek Flooding. Dayton and Knight, 1984
Assessment of Current and Future GVS&DD Area Watershed and Catchment Conditions. Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District Liquid Waste Management Plan, 1999
West Vancouver Water Supply. H. B. Muckleston, 1930
Water Supply Investigations, Report on Eagle Lake. D. W. Hodsdon, 1926
Creeks in West Vancouver. Hugh Johnston?, 1990
A History of West Vancouver. Waldon, P. S., 1947
A Place of Excellence: A Chronicle of West Vancouver, 1912-1987. Bruce Ramsey, 1986
Report to Municipal Council. West Vancouver, Select Committee on Future Recreation Use of Hollyburn Ridge, 1976
Report of the Cypress Park Special Planning Commission/ Bryan Williams (Special Commissioner). Cypress Park Special Planning Commission, 1995
Cypress Provincial Park Master Plan: Draft. B. C. Parks, 1995
Lower Fraser Valley Stream Review, Vol. 1. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fraser River Action Plan, 1999
Wild, Threatened, Endangered and Lost Streams of the Lower Fraser Valley, Summary Report. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fraser River Action Plan, 1997
North Shore Streams: Nutrient Impacts. North Shore Streamkeepers, 1999
Report to the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Parks Division for Cypress Provincial Park Hydrology Study and Master Drainage Plan: Final Report. McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd., 1998
CRA Master Plan, 1996. Environmental Planning Assessment. Talisman Land Resource Consultants, 1997

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