Anyone driving down Okanagan Street in Armstrong from Jan. 22-24 would have noticed a lot of activity on the city-owned lot that Armstrong Wetlands Association (AWA) members have been talking about for more than two years.
Timberspan Road Services brought in an excavator and dug the pond that AWA members have been promising. As the pond grew deeper, the pile of rich soil grew higher to form a berm between the pond and Okanagan Street.
The three days of excavation had Marge Sidney, biologist representing AWA, on-site, and Tanya Williams, a cultural monitor from Splatsin Nation, watching over the work. Hill Environmental was also present monitoring the excavation and providing guidance.
The property has been transformed with a figure-eight-shaped pond featuring a small island.
“This island will offer a refuge from predators, a safe place for a duck to nest, for example,“ said Sidney.
Water filled the pond almost immediately after excavation, confirming the original testing by Hill Environmental that showed the water table is very high in this area.
On Jan. 30, 13 AWA volunteers worked together to spread riparian and upland native grass seeds on all disturbed areas. The ground was then covered with a thick layer of straw to discourage invasive weeds from moving in once spring arrives.
Fencing was also erected around the site to discourage the public from going near the pond. Although ice is already forming, it is not safe for humans or animals to be near it.
The formation of the pond will enhance the diversity of plants, insects and mammals in the area and provide nesting and resting sites for birds and amphibians.
This spring, AWA volunteers will be planting native trees and shrubs on the berm to add more nesting sites, shade and beauty to the area.
Dianne Wells is a director with the Armstrong Wetlands Association
