The Burnaby Lake Rejuvenation project received recognition from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C last week.
The City of Burnaby won the 2011 Environment Award for the project's design, construction and monitoring phase at the awards held on Oct. 14 and 15, according to a press release from Hazco, the company contracted for the project.
"We are very proud of the dedication shown by the project team that worked from June 2009 to April 2011, under very challenging conditions, and the positive impact this project has had on the ecosystem," Warren Sandes, Hazco Burnaby Lake project director.
The company was in charge of dredging and removing sediment from Burnaby Lake, including removing garbage, debris, sand, silt, clay and decomposed organic material.
The project was done to improve the depth and water quality of the lake, to improve wildlife diversity and allow for the lake to continue to be used as an international rowing venue, the release stated.
"The expertise, creativity and dedication of the Hazco team have assisted the city in achieving its goal of preserving Burnaby Lake and enhancing the environment for all to enjoy," Lambert Chu, director of engineering for the city, said in the release.
The dredging project was slated to begin in September 2009 but was stalled when the Ministry of Environment turned down an application for a wildlife salvaging permit because of concerns about how the endangered Western painted turtle might be affected.
The province required that the turtles be monitored with radar and sonar, to ensure the animals were not overwintering in the lake while sediment was removed.
Dredging began in March 2010 instead and was completed last spring.
The project, which originally had a budget of $16 million, was last estimated to cost more than $20 million because of the delays.
The association's environment awards recognize contributions towards environmental protection and/or sustainable development in B.C.
The presentation was made at the association's annual conference in Kelowna.
