Fraser River Navigation Channel Maintenance Dredging

January 10, 2022

Project status
Permit issued

On April 13, 2022 a project permit was issued to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to conduct annual maintenance dredging of the deep-sea shipping channel in the lower 36 kilometres of the Fraser River, from Sand Heads (kilometre marker 1) to New Westminster (kilometre marker 35), British Columbia. This project is on federal lands and waters managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

The project was approved subject to 32 permit conditions the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority must meet to ensure the project does not result in significant adverse environmental effects. Please see the Impact Assessment Act Registry for the Notice of Intent and Notice of Decision.

Dredging will be conducted 24 hours per day, 7 days per week during the dredge season, approximately mid to late June to February 28, annually, with the exception of a holiday shut down in December.

About the project

The project comprises annual maintenance dredging of the deep-sea shipping channel in the lower 36 kilometres of the Fraser River, from Sand Heads (kilometre marker ‑1) to New Westminster (kilometre marker 35). The dredging will also include the berths and approaches at DP World Fraser Surrey. The navigation channel will be dredged to the previously approved design width, grade and sub-grades to enable tidal access to DP World-Fraser Surrey Docks for deep-sea vessels with 11.5-metre draughts on a year-round basis. An estimated volume of up to 4 million cubic meters will be removed annually over a five-year period.

Project activities and components include:

    • Dredging will be conducted using a trailer suction hopper dredge, cutter-suction dredge, clamshell dredges, scows/barges and supplemental equipment;
    • Dredged material will be pumped ashore to upland locations for reuse, disposed of at an approved disposal at sea site, or disposed of at existing in-river disposal sites;
    • Dredging will be conducted 24 hours per day, 7 days per week during the dredge season, roughly mid to late June to February 28, annually.

Contact information
For questions regarding the Project and Environmental Review of the proposed project, or to get in touch with our team, please contact us by email or phone at 604.665.9047.

Please note, when receiving public feedback as part of the PER process, the port authority may collect your personal information, i.e., your name, contact information and personal views and opinions, to inform the PER process for a proposed project. Your personal information may be disclosed to third parties, such as our tenants, in order for them to respond directly to you or help inform our response. You are entitled to submit a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner office here.