Ship-wake monitoring
The introduction of fast ferries in the 1990s resulted in damage to shorelines and mortality of shellfish thrown up on beaches.
Council began monitoring of reef communities in 1995 and measuring erosion of shorelines in Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound.
This long-term monitoring project has enabled Council to determine how intertidal and subtidal organisms have fared over time.
A by-law introduced in 2000 for navigational safety reasons to slow down the ferries, also assisted species to recover as ferry wash reduced in intensity.
In 2017 Council reviewed the monitoring of ship-wake effects on shoreline erosion and biological communities.
The review revealed that the by-law was successful and lead to a measure of recovery had occurred at a number of monitoring sites.
To find out more email Council's Coastal Scientist
Ship Wake Monitoring reports
- Ferry wash monitoring of intertidal and subtidal reefs 1995-2010 (PDF, 4MB)
- Ferry wash monitoring of intertidal and subtidal reefs 1995-2017 (PDF, 4.3MB)
- Report to Council's Environment Committee on ship-wake monitoring review 31 August 2017 (PDF, 696.1KB)
- Review of shoreline monitoring in Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound (PDF, 6.5MB)
Shoreline Monitoring photos and reports
- Shoreline monitoring in Tory Channel and QCS 2000-2002 (PDF, 2.9MB)
- Shoreline monitoring in Tory Channel and QCS 2002-2006 (PDF, 2.7MB)
- Shoreline monitoring in Tory Channel and QCS 2006-2009 (PDF, 4.5MB)
- Shoreline monitoring in Tory Channel and QCS 2009-2012 (PDF, 4.6MB)
- Shoreline monitoring photos 2000-2002 (PDF, 5.4MB)
- Shoreline monitoring photos 2002-2006 Part 1 (PDF, 6MB)
- Shoreline monitoring photos 2002-2006 Part 2 (PDF, 6.1MB)
- Shoreline monitoring photos 2006-2009 (PDF, 4.8MB)
- Shoreline monitoring photos 2009-2012 Part 1 (PDF, 4.6MB)
- Shoreline monitoring photos 2009-2012 Part 2 (PDF, 4.6MB)