The second phase of restoration at a wetland area in the Similkameen region is underway, says the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF).
The federation announced the start of the second phase of the Ginty’s Pond (nʔaʕx̌ʷt) wetland restoration project.
The wetland is located in Cawston and was once a pond of the Similkameen River, the federation says.
However, after several years of agricultural water use and development the wetland was altered and became overgrown with cattails, making it undesirable for wildlife.
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The restoration project aims to restore wildlife habitat by removing invasive species, creating more open-water habitat and planting native plants.
According to the BCWF news release, the first phase included the restoration of two hectares of wetland habitat, creating pools of water, revitalizing just under a hectare of riparian habitat, planting 1,700 hundreds of trees and shrubs and seeding 0.8 hectares of ground cover.
The first phase also saw 500 metre of fence installed along with the addition of turtle nesting areas, basking logs and wood debris to enhance habitats.
Phase two will continue transforming the area into a diverse open-water wetland habitat, the BCWS said.
That will include creating two hectares of open-water area and 0.5 hectares of riparian habitat.
Plants like cottonwood, woods rose, red osier, dogwood and milkweed will be planted.
The BCWF said community input from Cawston highlighted the need for water storage, wildlife conservation, and cultural uses, including skating in the winter and kayaking in the summer.
