River Morphology and GIS – An Analysis on the Usage of Geographic Information System Techniques in Post Project Appraisals for Stoney Creek, Burnaby British Columbia

The Stoney Creek ecological restoration project in Burnaby, British Columbia, was undertaken to address concerns regarding the health of the creek and of the surrounding riparian ecosystem. A Post-Project Appraisal was conducted to assess the progress made following the completion of the ecological restoration project, and to address a knowledge gap pertaining to the geomorphology of the stream. Stream velocity and cross-sectional area data, as well as GPS points were collected at four locations on the stream, and a segment of the stream was mapped using a GPS. The data collected was processed in ArcMap 10 software, and used to produce three maps of the study site, as well as four velocity profiles. The velocity profiles obtained from this study may be used to further our understanding of slope stability in order to predict future changes in the geomorphology of the stream. Other possible uses of the data collected include assessing changes in planform over time and assigning an index of naturalness based on pre-anthropogenic disturbance model of the stream. Moreover, the data collected in this report may help engineers and city planners to predict landslides and debris flows that could be detrimental to the salmon habitat and to nearby infrastructure and roadways. Finally, maps and 3-D visualisations may provide a way for students in EVSC 205 to learn the spatial relations of the work sites from a top down view, and would be a relevant area for future research.