Public Comment Period on Intent to Make a Determination
Royal Roads University - Japanese Gardens Drainage Upgrades

July 17,  2020 — The Department of National Defence must decide whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this decision, the Department of National Defence is inviting comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. All comments received will be considered public. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments must be submitted by July  27, 2020 to:
Becky MacInnis, P.Chem., P.Ag.
Environment Officer / MARPAC Formation Safety and Environment
Mailing Address : Formation Safety and Environment, Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt
Post Office Box 17000 Station Forces V9A 7N2
E-mail:Rebecca.MacInnis@forces.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

The project includes upgrades to the garden drainage system in the Japanese Garden at Royal Roads University (RRU). The current garden drainage system is composed of clay tiles, Big "O" corrugated pipes, and PVC pipes, which drain to a small stream connected to the upper trout pond (the first in a series of three trout ponds are connected to Esquimalt Lagoon via a fish ladder built in 1913-1914). The garden drainage requires maintenance and upgrades to extend drainage to new areas, as well as to repair drainage sections that have collapsed, or become clogged by roots and debris. Replacement drainage and new sections will use 10 centimetre or 15 centimetre diameter PVC pipe. New drains will be installed over 15 centimetres of drain rock and surrounded on either side horizontally by 10 centimetres of drain rock, then topped with 15 centimetres of drain rock, which will all be wrapped with landscaping fabric then topped with 12.5 centimetres of top soil (refer to attached project plan, noting that the indicated hay bale placement are a contractor suggestion and not a detailed environmental plan). The intended timing of the work (late summer) should reduce or completely avoid any flowing water (in the drain pipes or at the outfalls), but contingency environmental management plans will be prepared and followed.

The general list of activities includes:
• Mobilization and demobilization of equipment and supplies (pick-up truck, shovels, drain pipes, bedding, mini-excavator and other hand tools);
• Installation of environmental protection measures, including water management sediment control measures;
• Installation of isolation nets and salvage of any fish in the works area, in accordance with relevant fish collection permit conditions;
• Installation of a temporary dam upstream of works area using a combination of sandbags and poly sheeting (if relevant);
• Installation of a screened pump to bypass water around the work area (if relevant);
• Excavation of existing drainage using hand tools and a mini-excavator;
• Excavation of new drainage areas using hand tools and a mini-excavator;
• Installation of drain rock and landscaping fabric wrap;
• Installation of new drain pipe;
• Placement of topsoil;
• Relocation and disposal of additional surface material following excavation, if required; and
• Removal of pumps and isolation fencing (if relevant).

Work is anticipated to take approximately two weeks to be completed. Disturbed areas will be re-seeded upon completion of the works.