Blackie Spit Park: Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Plan - City of Surrey

Management Unit 2: Rail Side
1.0 Existing Conditions
Management Unit 2 west of the dyke assess road is a variable mixture of volunteer and planted, native
and introduced shrubs, and brambles encroaching into an area of grasses and forbes, and a grove of
birch (Betula papyrifera) trees (Drawing 2). East of the dyke access road vegetation is a mixture
of largely invasive (blackberry) and native shrubs with a central grass/forb area.
West of dyke access road
At the east end of this section, just west of the dyke access road, vegetation is primarily woody,
comprising birch, one Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and a row of Lombardy poplars () along
the road side, with an undergrowth of dense Himalayan blackberry. The west end is vegetated with
about 10 planted lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta) and volunteer deciduous trees, shrubs, and
brambles.
The remainder of the area is largely long, uncut pasture grasses, in some places mixed with Canada
thistle (Cirsium arvense), reeds Juncus sp., or stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), and in some places
replaced by patches of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). An area of policeman’s helmet
(Impatiens glandulifera) grows near the intersection of the road and the access road to the gardens.
About half of the area is also occupied by woody vegetation (Figure 11). Woody species include
blackberry (scattered, plus one large patch), red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) (mostly stressed
and dying or dead), broom (near the west end), or planted trees (up to about 5 m high), including oak
(Quercus sp.), rowan (European ash) (Sorbus aucuparia), 1 walnut (Juglans sp.), 1 blue spruce
(Picea pungens), 2 Douglas fir, and about 10 lodge-pole pine (in the western half). (A total of about
20 pines are planted in the MU.)
The soils consist of more than 90 cm of organic topsoil, often with lenses of grey clay. During the
late July field visit, the moisture content of the upper 30 to 60 cm decreased toward the west end of
the central area and the vegetation, particularly the condition of the elderberry, reflected the change
in available moisture. At the west end of the central area, the upper 30 cm was completely dry.
East of dyke access road
The plant species growing east of the dyke access road include blackberry, rose, broom, elderberry,
with some individual alder, Pacific crabapple and a domestic cherry (Prunus sp.) (Figure 12). The
central area, is kept open by people seeking access to the water’s edge, or a place to build a fire and
perhaps to party. The central vegetation is low grasses surrounded by tall grasses including reed
canarygrass and forbs such as yarrow, tansy, goldenrod, thistle, morning glory (Convolvulus
arvensis), and hairy cat’s ear. A trail through the MU connects the dyke access road with trails east
of the park, including to the aeroplane museum.
Soils in the clearing are up to two inches or so of firm (impenetrable to soil prob) sandy, gravelly
loam. Mole activity suggests sand occurs beneath the surface layer.
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