Together with the City of Nelson and in partnership with the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FOKLSS), Living Lakes Canada planned an exciting restoration project and wetland expansion for Duck Bay on Kootenay Lake.
In 2017, Living Lakes Canada began work on Duck Bay Wetland in Nelson, BC which naturally treats stormwater before it flows into Kootenay Lake. By slowing down stormwater runoff and filtering it down into the ground, wetlands give natural biological processes time to break down pollutants. To establish the wetlands, we stabilized the shoreline by planting native species and pulling out invasive weeds in collaboration with local Selkirk College students.
By pulling invasive species, planting native species, and extending the existing bioswale/wetland, we were able to mitigate the contaminants entering the lake while intensifying plant coverage and erosion control.
This was the first stage.
In April 2019, this project was revisited by the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, with the creation of updated signage to be displayed at the wetland. The signage was designed by primary aged students from the local Wildflower School in Nelson. Additionally, the wetland area was extended and vegetated with the help from the City of Nelson and Slocan River Streamkeepers.
This site is continuing to be developed into the fall of 2019 and is expected to be completed in October when FOKLSS hopes to work with students from the Integrated Environmental Planning course to provide further bank stabilization and increase native vegetation within the area.
This restoration project has engaged local residents. We trained citizen scientists for water quality monitoring and involved various volunteer groups for the pulling of invasives and planting and staking of native species during spring and summer seasons. We hosted workshops for a variety of school groups from elementary to college levels in order to talk about the Duck Bay project and the overall health of Kootenay Lake.
By collaborating on a project with such great public visibility, LLC contributed to maintaining the health of the lake but fostered a greater awareness and stewardship ethic around water quality and restoration within the community.
Those involved with Duck Bay restoration in the past:
Ducks Unlimited Canada: http://www.ducks.ca/
Wildflower School (wetland sign design): https://wildflower.sd8.bc.ca/
Brimacombe Design (Ducks Unlimited sign design): https://www.sherrybrimacombe.com/
Treebear Plants & Ecological Services: https://treebearplants.ca/
Selkirk College: http://www.selkirk.ca/
KLP Shoreline Guidance Document: http://kootenaylakepartnership.com/
