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Online Heritage Inventory

Dyke System

General Information
Thumbnail photograph of Dyke System
Click to see full image
Type of Resource: Landscape
Common Name: Dyke System
Address:
Neighbourhood (Planning Area Name): Gilmore
Construction Date: 1860
Current Owner:
Designated: No

Statement of Significance
Description of Site
Richmond’s dyke system is a landscape feature which, located on the perimeter, completely surrounds Lulu and Sea Islands. The high, wide dykes are part of an extensive flood protection network which works with drainage structures and pumpstations to control the flow of groundwater throughout Richmond.

 Statement of Values
The dyke system has been recognized as a significant historic resource because dykes have shaped the history and influenced the form of development of Richmond since the beginning of settlement. Dykes protected the land from inundation during high tides, created land suitable for farming, settlement and industry, and have been used as the basis for transportation corridors. Without dykes and their pumpstations, much of Richmond would be flooded, as the land is below the high water mark of the Fraser River.
The dyke system is one of the most important physical features in the city, giving structure and character to the landscape. Dykes function as edges in the landscape and provide a sense of security and enclosure and a strong contrast between land and sea. The system is symbolic of the efforts that were undertaken to live on the land, first individually and then through organized dyking districts, to ensure that settlements and agricultural lands were protected from floods.

 Character Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the site include:
· The way in which the dyke has allowed Richmond to develop, such as early settlement patterns in areas of the interior previously inaccessible, the development of farming and industry, and the ability to reclaim land
· The continuous edge created around the islands and the city
· The physical relationship that exists between the river, the foreshore, the dyke, the associated ditch, and adjacent land uses
· Elements such as floodboxes and pumpstations which show the connection between the river landscape and the interior drainage system
· The overall size and structure of the dyke which is continuous throughout the city, but which has different characteristics in different areas, as illustrated by recreational trails, distinct planting or vegetation, riprap or wooden bulkheads, or structural elements such as docks or bridges.

 History
Richmond’s dyke system is a landscape feature which, located on the perimeter, completely surrounds Lulu and Sea Islands. The high, wide dykes are part of an extensive flood protection network which works with drainage structures and pumpstations to control the flow of groundwater throughout Richmond.

 Architectural Significance
(No information available)

 Landscape Significance
Landscape Element
Portion of South Dyke and surrounding landscape context.

 Design Attributes
The dyke system as a whole, and the portion of it under consideration, can be considered landscapes that have developed as a result of human activity on the land. The larger dyke landscape has shaped the development of Richmond as a city. Early settlement patterns were a direct result of access to areas in the very wet environment; the dyke system helped to change the physical characteristics of the landscape to allow settlement in the interior of the islands. The overall dyke system creates an unassailable edge around the islands and the city, and the inter-island dykes accentuate the grid pattern of the early surveys that have structured the city’s form of development.
At the site near the intersection of No. 3 Road and Dyke Road, the physical relationship of river, foreshore, dyke, ditch and agricultural field pattern is apparent. A floodbox and pumpstation at the intersection shows the connection between the river landscape and the interior drainage system. Looking along the length of the dyke it is possible to visualize the landscape before the dyke was constructed; this gives an understanding of the sense of security these dykes provide.
There is a triangular pocket of trees located adjacent to the dyke on the north side. It is surrounded by agricultural lands and No. 3 Road on its other sides. The tree grove is comprised of alders, cottonwoods and Sitka spruce; the understorey is a mix of native shrubs and forbs such as snowberry, salmonberry, blackberry, dogwood, willow and various grasses. This vegetation has been identified as being native to the Richmond area before dyking and agriculture activities impacted the natural landscape.
This section of dyke has also been developed as a recreational trail corridor. In some areas it is possible to travel the dyke without realizing that you are on top of a considerable structure.
In the landscape, the dyke creates an edge and there is a strong sense of the contrast of being either safely inside the dyke, or outside and vulnerable to the elements. As a continuous edge or path, it also takes on different characteristics as it passes through different areas of the city, but its overall structure remains the same.

 Construction Method
The earliest dykes were constructed of earth; they were low and very unstable. Dredging machines allowed the excavation of more and denser material adjacent to the dyke, which permitted a larger, more stable dyke to be built. Since the 1970’s, non-pervious dykes have been constructed, to tested and approved designs, of compacted gravel, and riprap where required. The crests of the dykes have also been widened to accommodate vehicles

 Integrity
Alterations
The dyke system has continually evolved throughout its history, as technology improved and as more and more areas of Richmond were settled. As a landscape feature, it is important that the function of the dykes has remained constant, although dyke construction methods may have changed.

 Original Location
Yes.

 Condition
By necessity, the dyke system is always maintained in excellent condition.

 Lost
No

 Documentation
Evaluated By
Denise Cook, BLA, PBD (Public History).

 Date
Friday, December 15, 2000

 Documentation
Eric Gilfillan, Director of Operations, City of Richmond. Personal Communication.
Blunden, Roy H. “The Urban Geology of Richmond: Interpreting a Delta Landscape”, 1975, UBC Library.
Hynek, Barbara. “The Fraser Flood” in “Historical Vignettes of Richmond”, Richmond Centennial Society, 1979. Government Publications, Richmond Archives.
Hynek, Barbara. “Richmond Battles the Sea” in “Historical Vignettes of Richmond”, Richmond Centennial Society, 1979. Government Publications, Richmond Archives.
Kidd, Thomas. “History of Lulu Island and Occasional Poems”, Wrigley Printing Company Ltd., 1927. University of British Columbia Special Collections.
Jelliffe, David. “Childhood in the Early Days of Richmond”, Richmond Nature Park Committee, 1972.
Ross, Leslie J. “Richmond, Child of the Fraser”, Richmond Centennial Society, Richmond, B.C., 1979.
Inventory Sheets by Foundation Group Designs, January 1989.
Dykes and Drainage Miscellaneous Files, Location #6619, Richmond Archives.
Municipalities Enabling & Validating Act-Misc. Acquisition of Dykes, Location #6619, Richmond Archives.
“Dykes and Drainage”. Interpretive material, City of Richmond Parks Department, n.d.
London Farm Memorandum, June 1976. London Farm Reference Files, Richmond Archives.
“Richmond Drainage is Benefitted by Pumps”. Marpole-Richmond Review, May 27, 1936. p.2, Dykes and Drainage Reference Files, Richmond Archives.
Dykes and Ditches Research File, Heritage Advisory Commission sous-fonds, Location #6156, file 1-3-4, Richmond Archives.
West Lulu Island Slough Dyking Commission files, Location #6537, Richmond Archives.
Lulu Island West Dyking Commission Records 1911-1926. Thompson Family fonds, Location #7121, Richmond Archives.
“Fraser River Flood Control Program Information Guide”. Victoria, B.C., 1968, Dykes and Drainage Reference Files, Richmond Archives.
Location and Type of Plans Found: Flood Box at Horseshoe Slough. Agreement: Flood box and pumphouse at Horseshoe Slough 1958-1963, Canals File #6625, Richmond Archives.
Dyke Improvements at No. 3 Road and Dyke Road, 195-?. Part of Reeve, Location # Maps 15, Richmond Archives.
Fraser River, B.C.: Woodward’s Landing to the Strait of Georgia, January 1937, Sheet 3 of 3. UBC Special Collections.
Plan of Land Enclosed by the Lulu Island Dyking District, 1908. Location # Maps 15, Richmond Archives.
Plan of Proposed Installation for New Slough Dyking Commission, Lulu Island, B.C. Location # Maps 15, Richmond Archives.

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